La Blonda Marina is a delightful and unassuming little lunch spot in San Isidro. In fact some of the best cevicherias are in San Isidro, a bustling and trendy business neighborhood. This restaurant is all seafood, and on the menu are classics. What I loved about the ceviche here is the classy garnishes, the attention to quality ingredients, and a lovely presentation.

I visited this restaurant on a sunny summer day in January 2022, a beautiful day for some healthy, refreshing ceviche and a cold beer. Shown here is Ceviche Clasico de Pescado en Salsa de Rocoto, served immaculately in a glass bowl with camote (sweet potato), and choclo (the standard starchy, larger sized corn of Peru). The plump layers of white fish (the exact fish type may be different depending on the dish) are perfectly broken up with the red onion of the leche de tigre bath.

Also shown is Pulpitos a la Chalaca, which is diced octopus chalaca style. What is chalaca style? Well I’m not exactly sure actually. I believe it means the presentation in bite size portions presented in eight a spoon or a half shell. Each bite is a composition of the fish, red onion, leche de tigre, and red onion. The common thread in these Peruvian seafood classics is the acidic lime juice with a aji peppers is the electricity that races through this dish, each bite a fresh explosion of citrus juices.

XOMA was a very well composed and refined establishment. I visited on a Tuesday in the middle of the pandemic, so the place was empty. But apparently an empty restaurant in Peru does not necessarily mean it should be avoided! The space was wide open, with an earthy palette and elegant charm. The service was nothing but gracious and friendly. (Speaking of service I have thoughts on this from Peru. It’s the same yet different, and always stellar, but that’s for another day.)

Shown here is “Hot Ceviche”: charella from Piura, oyster mushrooms, “candied” vegetables (radish, asparagus, baby corn, tomatoes, dill), leche de tigre. Hot ceviche is a title I have seen at several higher end restaurants, so this must be a thing. Ceviche at this level means interesting and more varied ingredients, fresh unexpected flavors and textures, and always a lot of color. The bath of lech de tigre was also unique although I don’t know how to describe it or define exactly it’s ingredients. I write this after much delay, so all I know is that it was amazing and you have to go!

Mayta is an amazing restaurant. Elegant, sophisticated, classy. The menu includes an emphasis on ingredients and dishes from the Amazon region of Peru. So this will include river fish like Paiche, and Tacacho, a starchy accompaniment of young banana molded into a ball and fried; and various other bizarre yet interesting and tasty things. All of course prepared and served with tremendous care and attention. Pictured here is Ceviche Amazonico, with Corvina as the fish, heart of palm, leche de tigre, fried plantains, and a pepper called charapita. In this version the volume of different ingredients is limited, so each ingredient really jumps forward and becomes central – of course the beautiful chunky pieces of fish, the fried plantains, and the zesty and layered leche de tigre. At S/78 (~$21) this was an expensive ceviche, but at any of these finer restaurants that will be the price range. Compared to the cost of dining out in the US overall, and the quality you get for it, for sun an amazing meal this is still a bargain.

La Blonda Marina is a delightful and unassuming little lunch spot in San Isidro. In fact some of the best cevicherias are in San Isidro, a bustling and trendy business neighborhood. This restaurant is all seafood, and on the menu are classics. What I loved about the ceviche here is the classy garnishes, the attention to quality ingredients, and a lovely presentation.

I visited this restaurant on a sunny summer day in January 2022, a beautiful day for some healthy, refreshing ceviche and a cold beer. Shown here is Ceviche Clasico de Pescado en Salsa de Rocoto, served immaculately in a glass bowl with camote (sweet potato), and choclo (the standard starchy, larger sized corn of Peru). The plump layers of white fish (the exact fish type may be different depending on the dish) are perfectly broken up with the red onion of the leche de tigre bath.

Also shown is Pulpitos a la Chalaca, which is diced octopus chalaca style. What is chalaca style? Well I’m not exactly sure actually. I believe it means the presentation in bite size portions presented in eight a spoon or a half shell. Each bite is a composition of the fish, red onion, leche de tigre, and red onion. The common thread in these Peruvian seafood classics is the acidic lime juice with a aji peppers is the electricity that races through this dish, each bite a fresh explosion of citrus juices.

La Blonda Marina is a delightful and unassuming little lunch spot in San Isidro. In fact some of the best cevicherias are in San Isidro, a bustling and trendy business neighborhood. This restaurant is all seafood, and on the menu are classics. What I loved about the ceviche here is the classy garnishes, the attention to quality ingredients, and a lovely presentation.

I visited this restaurant on a sunny summer day in January 2022, a beautiful day for some healthy, refreshing ceviche and a cold beer. Shown here is Ceviche Clasico de Pescado en Salsa de Rocoto, served immaculately in a glass bowl with camote (sweet potato), and choclo (the standard starchy, larger sized corn of Peru). The plump layers of white fish (the exact fish type may be different depending on the dish) are perfectly broken up with the red onion of the leche de tigre bath.

Also shown is Pulpitos a la Chalaca, which is diced octopus chalaca style. What is chalaca style? Well I’m not exactly sure actually. I believe it means the presentation in bite size portions presented in eight a spoon or a half shell. Each bite is a composition of the fish, red onion, leche de tigre, and red onion. The common thread in these Peruvian seafood classics is the acidic lime juice with a aji peppers is the electricity that races through this dish, each bite a fresh explosion of citrus juices.