In town to do some guiding research and watch a show at the spanking new Soho Place Theatre we got caught in the rain in Trafalgar Square.* We marched a long way, i.e. to Fitzrovia, before we could find somewhere that wasn’t full and that both of us were happy to go in.

The maitre d’ at Lima was in two minds whether to squeeze us in on a busy Saturday night. But he took pity on us and gave us a narrow place behind the POS. I didn’t like the look of the stool but being footsore and damp stomach trumped back on the physical side of things.

Lima does Peruvian (in case you hadn’t guessed) and not having eaten Peruvian for about 6 years a lot of the terms on the menu were unfamiliar to me. Being ravenous, however, I didn’t give a shit and just ordered pretty randomly. Up front I had a classic ceviche in tiger’s milk which was a beautifully sweet and sour soup with a generous amount of cured scallops floating around in it. For main a pancetta lump (it was more elegantly described on the menu) was a thing of wonder – three sticky boulders of pig in a fiercely hot sauce with plenty of veg alongside. I scoffed the lot like a dog at a bag of chips. Across the way the food was similarly appreciated. A side of aubergine went the way of all veg and it was all washed down with a perfectly pleasant house white at a reasonably priced £7 a glass.

The room was elegant and filled mostly with people more sophisticated and less damp than me. But I liked our stools – we had a great view of the open kitchen and could see that Lima is a happy ship, with a smooth interface between cooks and front of house. The service was charm itself, with the m d’ telling me as I paid that I should come back and try the set menu on a quieter evening. I will do that.

8/10

To see Medea. Just about everything about the show was amazing except the venue.

To see where else I’ve been click on the google map below.

Art Food London Food London Peruvian