Senor Ceviche

'Do you remember the time we all locked ourselves in the bathroom and gave each other hickeys?!' A memory we'd all forgotten resurfaced this week when table talk turned to when we all first lived together. A flat with far too many stairs above an East end corner shop, a sticky lino kitchen floor and a box bedroom with the boiler that flooded. London: a baptism by fire for Sophie.

That was five years ago. Final years of university and Masters for some and first years of proper jobs and growing up for others. Ash and I still live together but Soph is West which means a bit more planning has to take place and when boyfriends and long days get thrown into the mix, it's easier said than done. But now we're all (whisper it) single, we keep finding reasons to order yet another cocktail.

Just like we did on Wednesday at Senor Ceviche. Part of the hugely successful Kingly Court development off Carnaby Street, a shining piazza of some seriously good restaurants, it's a  'Peruvian casa full of fun, food and cocktails'. Bustling and busy at 8pm, we were shown to our (booked!) table within 10 minutes and took up prime position next to the open kitchen.

First on the agenda were the cocktails. We each started with something different (because reasons) despite the photograph. Ash's Mancora Surfclub (Machu Pisco, elderflower, cucumber and apple) was fresh and light, Soph's Pisco Punch (Machu Pisco, lemon juice, rosemary and pineapple juice) was sweet and fragrant whilst my Mamacita! (El Jimador, Cointreau, lime juice, agave and fresh jalapeno) was tart with a perfect bite and a delicious salted, chilli rim.

Then onto the food. The menu here is divided into four sections but essentially it's about small plates and sharing dishes which, as I've mentioned countless times before, is perfect for me because I get serious food envy and it means you can try a thousand more things on the menu. Our friendly waitress recommended three dishes per person and between the three of us that meant we'd cover about half the menu. Dream.

Before we get into the specific dishes, I have to say that we ordered perfectly. Practically everything that arrived at the table was mouthwateringly brilliant and so consistent in quality that Senor Ceviche has shot to the top of my list.

First to arrive were the aubergine picarones - bites of eggplant in sweet potato tempura with a barbecue sauce and coriander yoghurt. Crisp and juicy, these were seriously moreish and we fought over the last one.

Then there was the jalea mixto - tempura baby squid, prawns and cod with a jalapeno mayo. I didn't manage to try any of the prawn but the squid and cod were firm and well cooked in the light batter and tossed with spring onion.

And the pork belly. Oh, the pork belly. Crisp, fatty pieces of melt-in-the-mouth slow cooked pork belly with a sweet soy jam, just the way I like it.

The two ceviches we chose were excellent. The house ceviche comprises of sea bass and octopus in the usual tiger's milk and topped with cubed avocado, tempura squid and sharp red onion, while The Spaniard added king prawn to the mix, tomato tiger's milk, chorizo and plantain. Generous portions of fish, freshly marinated and citrusy with plenty of sauce to mop up. I could eat this for days.

Next came the baby back ribs (which I didn't eat because I'm a heathen who doesn't like ribs) and the flat iron with uchucuta sauce (the Peruvian version of chimichurri). The rarest they'll serve it is medium rare but ours came on the more well done side of the medium scale; despite this, the meat was to die for and the parsley and mint salsa brought a sharp tang to the protein.

And for a bit of variation, the sweet potato fritas were nice enough (for someone who doesn't like sweet potato) and the quinoa saltero fresh and light. A generous mound of beetroot and feta sat atop the grain and, whilst underseasoned, acted as a nice little palate cleanser.

Somewhere in the middle two more rounds of cocktails were ordered, desserts were passed up on and setting the world to rights took place. You'll be pleased to hear we've grown out of our drunken hickey-giving antics but our taste in good venues hasn't waned in the slightest. Senor Ceviche, you were an utter delight and a five out of five.

Pachamama

The two biggest things on the London foodie scene have finally come together under the skilled eye of chef Adam Rawson: enter a British brunch Peruvian style. I'll admit, I wasn't sure how ceviche and cornbread could compete with firm favourites such as avocado toast and eggs Benny but Pachamama is really turning things on its head.

A beautiful basement bar tucked a few streets behind Oxford Street, Pachamama is a real beauty to stumble into on a Saturday morning. Combining rustic tables, rambling plants and even a full-size horse light fitting with a welcoming wooden and tiled bar, the attention to detail here is reassuringly good and it continues through to the food and drink.

Of course, we kicked off with the mostly pisco based cocktails, reassuring ourselves it was midday somewhere in the world. I was drawn to the Rosa del Inca (pisco with pink peppercorns, coffee beans, vermouth, campari and orange bitters) and had to order a second, it was so good. A South American twist on the negroni, this had real warmth and depth and the obligatory kick of booze to start the day. Sophie had something floral with flavours of raspberry running through it that was simply divine.

Then came the food. We were presented with a few of the chef's favourites which led to a bit of guessing as the smiley waiter sort of mumbled the dish then left us to it. First up were the bacon and cheese tacachos - a sort of combination of a croquette and an arancini with roasted banana all up in the mix, these were brilliant. Oozing cheese paired with smoked meat and a fresh mango salsa is now the key to my heart.

Then came towering sliders of pork belly with a lightly pickled slaw and a spiked mayo, and a large skillet of baked eggs with avocado, samphire and 'farmers cheese' in a rich tomato sauce. This was quite similar to shakshuka, a definite brunch favourite, and while Soph wasn't convinced by the cheese ('it's like paneer') I was too busy spooning it on to my plate.

The last two dishes were even better than the ones that came before - the salmon ceviche with beetroot and avocado simply sang. The tiger milk cut through the hearty flavours of the baked eggs and the earthy beetroot was a lovely accompaniment that I would fight anyone for, just you wait. Soph's favourite was the smoked brisket with plantain hash, corn and an HP aji (that's the British bit making a reappearance!) - big enough for the both of us to simply not be able to finish.

Desserts were breathtaking. A mazzamora morada cheesecake with a spiced berry sorbet and edible flowers was quite possibly the prettiest thing I've ever eaten. With a baked cheesecake consistency and a rich base, this was the heavier pudding while the suspiro de limena got my vote. A meringue with a basil and lemon sugar/sorbet crumbled over the top hid a custard and a strawberry heart. This was pure genius and the right combination of sweet and cleansing.

Brunch by way of Peru might not be the most obvious combination but by god, is it a winning one. Pachamama is one hot mama worth waking up for. Five out of five.

Ceviche

Not your normal Christmas lunch, we decided to hit up Peruvian Pisco place, Ceviche, for the work end of year party. Sitting pretty opposite world famous Ronnie Scott's and above one of the best tattoo parlours in England, Ceviche's a little Latino haven just bursting with energy.

We kicked off with cocktails. All made with pisco (a grape brandy that tastes similar to cachaca), there's a selection of over ten to choose from. I started with the Pisco Fever - ginger-infused pisco, Fever Tree ginger ale, lime and bitters - which was a bit of a twist on the classic Moscow Mule before switching to Sarita's Miracle - cocoa-infused pisco, cranberry-infused pisco, condensed milk and malted milk biscuit - and sticking with that. The boys went for Pisco Sours which proved pretty popular, and the cerveza. We nibbled on cancha (a bit like popcorn), chifles (crisp plantain chips) and olives whilst browsing the menu.

Dishes are small and great to share, with a recommended three to four per person. We started with marinated octopus and chorizo skewers which were out of this world divine, chicken wings in panca chilli, a pear and sheep's cheese salad, flame cooked beef fillet with chips (had to be done) and two of the classic ceviche dishes. 'Ceviche' itself is fresh raw fish, marinated in citrus juices and then spiced (known as tiger's milk). Perhaps not one for those who are a little funny about these kinds of things but we went for the Don Ceviche (fresh seabass ceviche in amarillo chilli tiger's milk, limo chilli, sweet potato and red onions) and the Drunken Scallops (thinly sliced king scallops, pisco, pomegranate and limo chilli). It was all about the flavours - the zingy citrus masks the delicate seabass in the first but leaves you feeling fresh, whilst the scallop dish was a lot more basic and distinctly fishy. We weren't completely sold on the ceviche so moved on to the second round of food.

We ordered practically everything on the menu - the cheese and chard tequenos were particularly good, the boys loved the confit duck with coriander and dark beer rice, and the corn cake was an interesting spongelike bread made savoury with raw tomato and onion.

Whilst we weren't completely convinced by the cuisine, the service was good and quick, for the most part despite it being completely rammed. The decor's very colourful and fresh with washes of blues and the 'being a little bit different' added an extra component. We agreed we probably wouldn't go back but it was a great place to try. Go for something new and stay for the pulpo y chorizo - that won't disappoint you one bit.

Photo by The Guardian