Ceviche Soho

17 Frith Street
London W1D 4RG
020 7292 2040

I love a good ceviche. So I figured, what better place to try it than a place called Ceviche? And since my failed attempt with Tracy L a month earlier (although it wasn't a complete fail as the Soho Food Crawl came about a result), I've been looking for an opportunity to give it a go.

I went with two of my friends and we were seated immediately (it pays to book in advance - otherwise expect 30-45 min waits at least). Our gorgeous waitress was quick to suggest some pisco drinks based on our likes and dislikes and I must say she had good taste. I opted for the Soho which is a chilli infused Pisco drink with elderflower and cucumber. The Soho had a nice mix of sensations with a  fiery bite and a cooling aftertaste and definitely a drink I'd recommend. My companions opted for a traditional Pisco Sour (perfectly made but nothing exciting) and the Pasión de Ceviche (a ginger infused Pisco with passion fruit puree and lime). All in all, it's easy to see why Ceviche is a favoured Peruvian drinking spot although and expensive one at £8 per small cocktail.

A range of Pisco Sours

Our starters consisted of both the vegetable (chard) and chicken relleños (think deep fried balls of batter, meat, and chillies) and a Causa Mar (prawn and avocado on a Peruvian potato cake). The chicken relleños were excellent with a sharp bite, tender meat, and soft fluffy batter. The chard ones were also tasty but lacking that zing from the spicy marinade on the meat. The Causa Mar doesn't stick out in my mind as anything I'd care for again. There was nothing particularly wrong, it was just meh.

Multiple Ceviches

Naturally, we had to order some ceviche and opted for the Don Ceviche (seabass), the Alianza Lima (a mixed ceviche with seabass, prawns, and octopus), and the Drunk Scallops. The seabass ceviche was what you expect when you think of ceviche with tender slivers of white fish lightly cured in chilli and lime. Excellent taste and texture so top points for that. The Alianza Lima seemed to have lost its way with the octopus being too rubbery and the prawns failing to cure sufficiently. Minus points for not bringing the dish together there, Ceviche. Finally, the Drunk Scallops were just thinly sliced scallops. While the quality was tops, I expected them to do something more although I do have to give props for the large portion for a very reasonable price.

Drunk Scallops!

We rounded out the meal with a Peruvian Corn Cake (absolutely spiffing but quite rich in comparison to everything else), Arroz con Pato (confit duck with rice that was tasty but again nothing special), and the Lomo Saltado (suggested by our waitress again). The Lomo Saltado was the highlight of the meal with incredibly juice slices of seared fillet in a delicious smoky and slightly spicy sauce. I'd eat that over and over again without complaint (and with a few cheers!).

Delicious Lomo Saltado

My Chocolate Physalis Volador for dessert (basically deep fried dough coated in cinnamon sugar and placed on a chocolate mousse) was tasty but very messy to eat. I think a different presentation would have been in order given that I managed to stay clean for the meal up to that point.

Chocolate Physalis Volador

Overall, a nice place and a good option for Peruvian food but a tad expensive for the quality and quantity. And I'd definitely recommend asking for help from the staff as everything our waitress suggested was golden!