Don Ceviche £6.75
Category: Bistro (££+) 
I had Peruvian food only at a few occasions and enjoyed it a lot, so I was excited to meet my friend Uyen at Ceviche for a girly lunch.
Contrary to our expectations, our experience at Ceviche felt like entire kitchen crew went off to the pub and left the kitchen help and the girl who washes the dishes to fend on their own. I strongly suspect that this must have been the case considering the wealth of positive reviews that Ceviche has received since its opening. Out of the 7 dishes we tried, only 2 passed the mark, 4 were undistinguished and 1 actually disgusting.
Chacalón £5.25
I was intrigued by the vegetarian ceviche Chacalón (£5.25); unfortunately this dish was a very boring and massively overpriced (considering it was tiny and only cheap vegetables were used). The marinade tasted the same as in Don Ceviche and its overwhelmingly acidity screamed for something sweet for balance.
Ensalada de Quinoa £3.75
Very tasty with finally the right balance of sour, sweet and spicy and by far the best of the savoury dishes was the Ensalada de Quinoa (£3.75) and this also was the only dish which seemed worth its price. White quinoa was mixed with tomatoes, onions, and coriander and arranged on a bed of ripe and creamy avocado. Together with the slightly sweet marinade it tasted heavenly. The only let down was the fact that the quinoa was severely undercooked.
Chicken TallarÃn Saltado £7.75
Arroz con Pato £11.50
The main courses were frankly a joke. We tried one of the dishes that illustrate the Chinese influence in Peru, resulting in a culinary movement called Chifa. Chicken TallarÃn Saltado (£7.75), wok cooked chicken, pasta noodles and vegetables in Chifa saltado sauce consisted of very few dried up pieces of chicken mixed with pasta, onions, mushrooms and peppers in a bland sauce that faintly tasted of soy. All we craved for when half-heartedly picking at this dish, was a plate of cheap Chinese fried noodles which would at least offer some more interesting vegetables and a flavourful sauce.
Almost inedible and so overpriced it hurt was the Arroz con Pato Confit duck (£11.50). A tasteless, dry and fatty piece of bird was, as if to hide it, covered by a limp and greasy piece of duck skin. The rice was better: supposedly cooked in dark beer and scattered with pieces of choclo corn (very pale and humongous) I would have loved the enjoy it with a better piece of meat on top. We didn’t even eat half of it.
not worth finishing.
When we complained about the quality of the duck dish, our lovely waiter offered us 2 desserts on the house.
The Encanelado de Pisco (£4.75) was delicious. A sponge with a subtle cinnamon taste was topped with a sweet, sticky and caramelly syrup and came with the most beautiful dulce de leche ice cream. Oh I wish all the food at Ceviche would have had similarly gorgeous flavours!
The Chocolate mousse with guanabana cream (£5.50) was an old boring chocolate mousse, nothing more and nothing less.
Encanelado de Pisco £4.75
Chocolate 002 £5.50
Interior
Apart from the food, Ceviche is a nice place and it certainly succeeds in bringing some of the Peruvian culture to London. The service was professional, friendly and good. We didn’t try the Pisco Sours, but other people have enjoyed them a lot and they might be a reason to pop by.
I really don’t know now if I was just very unlucky when I visited Ceviche, it the food is genuinely bad or if I just don’t like Peruvian food. I think I will have to try Lima when it opens in June to find out!
- Food: 4/10
- Ambiance: 6/10
- Service: 8/10
- Value for Money: 3/10
- Chances of Returning: 0%
- Verdict: this might be the one of the hippest places going at the moment, but the food is rubbish.
Contact Info
17 Frith Street, London
W1D 4RG, 020 72922040
Some people who loved Ceviche: London Tastin, John Lanchester at The Guardian, The Picky Glutton
and some who were not too keen: Crump Eats, Cheese & Biscuits, Eats, Treats and Leaves
If Peruvian food is the new trend in London I can only imagine it will hit Australia in a year or so – they are in the grip of a Mexican obsession at the moment here!
Great review!
I can’t help but feel that expectations is part of the problem. The PR-led hype in media (old and new) get people all excited and when it doesn’t deliver, people feel let down. I think this is the case with Ceviche. I reckon if you ate the same food at half the price at the modest neighbourhood joint, you wouldn’t feel as aggrieved. That said those noodles do look pretty rank.
And I also take this ‘Peruvian is the next big thing’ trend with a pinch of salt. High profile ‘top-down’ openings with big money backing in Soho does not make a food trend. Trends are from the bottom-up for the people by the people.
Shame, it does not sound too like the lovely food I had in Peru… I wonder if they are becoming a victim of their own early success? But there is no excuse for badly seasoned, undercooked food. At least the service was good. I wonder how they compare to somewhere like Sabor in Islington?
That chicken looks pathetic! I was curious about the non-ceviche dishes, but I think I’ll give it a miss having seen this…
ooh shame!! that is one crossed off my list. =)
@Gourmet Chick – ahh Mexican is so last year in London!
@Mr Noodles – I totally agree with you, without the build up and the ridiculous pricing the food would still not have been great, but maybe I could have seen it more as a cultural than a culinary experience. I am also with you on hyped food trends which I largely ignore anyway. Let’s see if Peruvian really takes off, at the moment I doubt it.
@The Grubworm – Haven’t tried Sabor, do you recommend? When I compare the pricing stated in earlier reviews to the pricing I experienced last week, they have already increased a lot of dishes by 2 pounds – after being open a couple of months! Victims of their own success certainly.
@TPT – I wouldn’t waste my hard earned money on them…
@Kay – maybe we were just unlucky, but as it stands at the moment I would certainly recommend to cross it of your list immediately!
Hi Ute,
Can only echo your comments here and thought Ceviche was only so-so. I think Mr Noodles hit the nail on the head there regarding the successful PR campaign in building a ‘positive vibe’ about the restaurant. Mainly, I think the asking price for the ceviches were too high.
Though, admittedly, I did enjoy the black beer rice.
K.
ahh shame that you didn’t enjoy the place! Agree that the price is a bit ridiculous. Maybe when the Peruvian competition rumps up, it’ll get pushed down. I’m looking forward to try more Peruvian restaurants tho! Great review as usual:)
@Kang – it is quite astonishing really, what a good PR campaign can achieve – a lesson learned! The black beer rice was not bad but I was distracted by the horrible duck on top! It’s a shame as Peruvian cuisine is undoubtedly interesting and Ceviche could really take it to a higher level, with just some tiny piece of effort.
@Joyce – thanks
I am also looking forward to trying more Peruvian food, as it stands at the moment I am not sure I actually like it. I hope this will change!
What a treat to find Peruvian cuisine so well represented here in London. Ceviche is a warm restaurant filled with personality – feels like it has already been there for years. I can honestly say that I haven’t eaten that well in a long time. The food is so full of taste and I found myself being adventurous with different foods without even realising! I never knew octopus was that tender and why didn’t anyone tell me that barbecued cowheart is so delicious?! Friendly waiters set the tone for a lovely family get together.
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