| Address | 1924 I St., Washington, DC 20006 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Lunch: Mon-Fri, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner: Mon-Fri, 5.30 p.m.-10 p.m., Sat, 1 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun, 1 p.m.-8 p.m. |
| Phone | (202) 293-2765 |
Went there for lunch with a bunch of people from work. Even though we brought one more person than we had made the reservation for, the staff was very accommodating. I had a steak and potatos dish, which was excellent. It was simple, but the sauce was delicious and even the onions in the dish tasted superb.
The bread was warm and tasted fresh baked and there was plenty of it!
Everyone in my party seemed extremely happy with their meals.
Only drawback was the service, which seemed a little stretched thin. We waited about 10 minutes for a server to come over to our table, but he was very nice when he did.
Usually packed at lunch with World Bank types -- and the international people watching is made easier by the cramped tables. The decor is more formal than most other Peruvian restaurants in this area and the service is almost European in its formality and measured pace (don't be in a hurry). My favorite is the somewhat bony but savory goat stew.
The place looked a little shabby from the outside, but once you got in, it was like a different world. It has a beautiful Spanish indigenous style, very nice..but the food is excellent!!! So tasty. The meat is so tender, and they put just the right amount of salt, so flavorful, and it is very filling. It's one of the best restaurants I have been to.
I was taken to this restaurant by a Peruvian who longed for a taste of his native cuisine. He had heard good things of the place and was hoping to impress me with the different dishes from his country. However he was a bit discouraged merely by the portion size of the dishes we ordered. We ordered two appetizers. Ceviche, fish seasoned with eloquent flavors and a splash of citrus. In addition we ordered a mashed potato like dish that contained tuna salad in the middle. This was very nouveau for me but the mixture was quite complimentary. We then moved onto one of the entrees which was a signature soup made up of various fishes. We were expecting to split what he had always known as an extremely large bowl. This was not the case and sharing the bowl still left us wanting more. We then ordered a very tender veal that was served alongside white beans and white rice and topped with a sharp and spicy tomato based sauce. This was perhaps the best pick that we made. Perhaps I would have enjoyed my experience even more had the service not been so abrasive. We entered the doors to the restaurant to find a sweltering room that was still not ready to open. My guest graciously helped the woman as she figured out how to work the air conditioning. Our waitress was there to serve us everything but a smile in our experience that afternoon. If you want to go for tasty small portions representing Peru I would encourage you to go. Don't go if you are hungry, on a tight budget, and feel the need to have an overly friendly waitress.
The food is good here. Good authentic Peruvian food. Don't go expecting some sort of fancy meal. It's just very authentic. The place is nice, but they tried to fit way too many tables in a small space. Try the fried potato balls stuffed with meat and egg! Delish!
