In Review: Lisboeta
Address – 30 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2NG Phone number – 020 3830 9888 Website – Lisboeta Snapshot: Lisboeta, a restaurant on London’s Charlotte Street, is Chef Patron Nuno Mendes’ tribute…
The Basics
Address: 1 Willow Street, London EC2A 4BH
Email Contact: reservations@llamainnlondon.com
Website: Llama Inn London
A Snapshot
Llama Inn is a rooftop restaurant in Shoreditch, located above The Hoxton. The restaurant aspires to merge the eating atmosphere of Brooklyn, New York with a Peruvian style of cooking. The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner, and drinks from Wednesday through Sunday. Erik Ramirez is the executive chef who influenced many Peruvian cuisine methods due to his Peruvian upbringing. Working alongside him is Marcin Maliczowski, Chef de Cuisine, and Juan Pablo DiMaggio, Sous Chef. Llama Inn is particularly well-known for its cocktails featuring Pisco and Latin American spirits. We were lucky enough to try more than one cocktail on the menu and were very impressed!
Background
Llama Inn is a rooftop Peruvian restaurant in Shoreditch that was inspired by the character of Brooklyn, New York.
Erik, the chief chef, has created a variety of meals by pulling inspiration from several traditional Peruvian cooking traditions and adding a New York twist since Llama Inn first established in New York in 2015. The Shoreditch Llama Inn officially opened this month, in September 2023 with a softer launch in August 2023.
Erik was a finalist in 2023 for the ‘James Beard Award’ for Outstanding Chef. Llama Inn is well-known for its cocktail and wine menus, which feature ingredients from South America to Southern Europe, with a focus on minimal interference and biodynamic suppliers. We had the Yayo Hipster, which consisted of Japanese Gin, Vermouth Rojo, Olive, and Lemonade, as well as their spicy margarita, which was also impressive.
The Food
We spoke to one of the chefs who was very happy to advise us on which dishes we should try. He advised to start with an item from the “snacks” section, one “ceviche” dish and a larger dish from “the show must go on.” The selection was perfect and left us adequately full.
CABBAGE ANTICUCHO, CHANCACA, SAIKYO MISO, QUINOA FURIKAKE
The first recommendation was a cabbage dish inspired by Anticucho, which is a traditional dish in the Eastern region of the Andes. This was delicious and nothing like I had tried before. The texture was unique, and the flavour was a mix of sweet and slightly spicy. It was a great way to start the meal as it was light but had a lot of flavour.
PORK SHOULDER SLIDER, SWEET POTATO, SALSA CRIOLLA, SPICY MAYO
According to the chef, this was one of the restaurants signature dishes. It was pork shoulder in a spicy mayo bun with salsa and sweet potato. This dish did have a kick to it so I wouldn’t recommend it for someone that doesn’t like spice, but we thoroughly enjoyed it.
CRISPY SQUID & YUCA, AJI ROCOTO, CHOCLO, CANCHA
This was a unique take on a ceviche, which was infused with crispy squid, fried yuca and creamy leche de tigre. The saltiness of the squid combined with the bitterness of the leche de tigre made for a rollercoaster of flavours. At first we were unsure due to the opposing flavours and textures, however, we couldn’t get enough. It was a great combination of flavours and was a very different approach to squid than we had tried before. The chef advised that we pour the sauce over the squid, which we did and it was incredibly flavourful.
LOMO SALTADO, SCALLION PANCAKE, ROCOTO, PICKLED CHILLIS, FRIES
The final boss of our Peruvian experience and boy, what a way to finish off. This dish consisted of Peruvian beef tenderloin, marinated in a wonderfully sweet glaze, blanketed with a layer of hot chips, spring onion and a creamy pink sauce. And it didn’t stop there. This delicious blend was placed in a crispy and slightly doughy pancake which the waitress recommended that we fill with the accompanied ingredients – jalapenos, guacamole, and rice.
The Venue
The venue itself was a relaxed, dining atmosphere on a rooftop with an incredible view overlooking London. The bar was situated along the width of the restaurant, so it was very easy to speak to the staff and the chef. We were welcomed in and seated, the staff offered to take our bags and coats and store them away for us during our visit to ensure we were comfortable. It was great service, and we never struggled to get the attention of staff.
In Summary
Llama Inn is a hidden gem. Not only is it a great place to eat but visitors can enjoy drinks on their outside roof terrace before or after your meal, or you can take your dining experience outdoors altogether. Whilst the menu itself didn’t have a major selection of dishes, there was diversity within the menu. When speaking to the chef, he recommended taking one or two dishes from each section of the menu as it is a tapas style dining. We recommend doing the same to get the best experience.
