Recently I was looking for a place in London to have a sophisticated Sunday lunch to celebrate a “semi-special” occasion. I was in the mood for a Michelin starred meal yet wanted an informal relaxed atmosphere. Lima Fitzrovia has been on my “to go” list for ages and as soon as I knew they are offering the “Sunday Long Lunch” set menu at a fixed price, I knew I needed to look no further.

The mastermind behind Lima is the Peruvian celebrity chef Virgilio Martinez (who by the way is a law degree holder), whose flagship restaurant Restaurante Central in Lima, Peru is currently ranked #15 on the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list by the British magazine Restaurant. London’s Lima Fitzrovia has achieved a Michelin star rating within months of opening.

Apart from à la carte, the restaurant offers two different set menus: an express menu for lunch & dinner Mon-Fri as well as the Sunday Long Lunch menu. As I already mentioned, we were there for the Sunday lunch which all in all was a memorable and very pleasant experience. Even though I couldn’t say that every single dish was exquisite in terms of flavors, they were all extraordinary and we certainly very much enjoyed each course. The varying textures of cold dishes were perfectly balanced (e.g. crunch of the canchita corn on the ceviche). The hot dishes consisting of lamb shoulder, suckling pig and roasted chicken – served as one combined dish – were cooked to perfection. I have to admit the food presentation was probably the best I have seen so far (esp. Huancaina potatoes) and would’ve been worth a visit alone.

Mixed Ceviche. Yuyo. Sweet Potato. Canchita Corn.

Salmon Tiradito. Rocoto Pepper. Avocado. Celery Cress.

Artichokes Causa. Yellow Potato. Asparagus Uchucuta.

Bread selection with a dip on the side.

The main dishes combo: Braised Lamb Shoulder, Coriander, Aji Panca Juice. Suckling Pig, Crackling, Ocopa Sauce. Oven Roasted Cornfed Chicken. Pachamanca Sauce.

Huancaina Potatoes.

Chaufa Rice.

Roasted Quinoa.

Kiwicha. Purple Corn Jelly.

Lucuma Ice Cream. Alfajores . Dulce de Leche.

The service was friendly and unobtrusive if maybe a bit slow with drinks at times. However they were very attentive about some food restrictions we had and kindly checked a few times with the kitchen regarding ingredients. Easy going, relaxed atmosphere, colorful yet not too striking decor and all in all a very positive experience. Sunday lunch menu is £35 per person and includes a glass of bubbly or a Pisco Punch which I found was an excellent deal.

Location:
31 Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 1JH
Telephone: +44 203 002 2640
Email: enquiry@limalondon.com

Opening times:
Monday – Saturday: Lunch 12pm – 2.30pm / Dinner 5.30pm – 10.30pm (last seating)
Sunday: 12 midday – 3:15pm (last kitchen order at 3.30pm