Ceviche

Ceviche in Soho opened in 2012 and quickly defined how London experienced Peruvian coastal cooking. On Frith Street in the West End, Ceviche London served bright citrus-marinated seafood, sharp chili accents and pisco cocktails in an intimate 38-seat setting. The kitchen focused on immediate flavors: zesty ceviche, thinly sliced tiradito, and pisco sours poured with precision. Reviewers and diners responded to those exact notes, giving the restaurant a TripAdvisor 4.1/5 rating from more than 1,600 reviews and a Travelers’ Choice distinction. Even after the address closed in December 2023, Ceviche’s menu and service remain a clear reference for London Peruvian restaurant dining.

The restaurant’s heritage began with founder Martin Morales and a simple mission: translate coastal Peruvian technique for London plates. The culinary team emphasized freshness, short menus and seasonal sourcing to highlight sea bass, scallop and shellfish when available. Chef Horacio Salgado and Wine Director Jacqueline Eash—key hospitality figures in the later years—shaped a program that balanced classic Peruvian recipes with London sensibilities. Awards and recognitions included frequent positive reviews and the Travelers’ Choice nod; the wine program was notable for 220 selections and a cellar inventory metric cited at 1,830. That combination of strong cocktails, a curated wine list and technically confident cooking made Ceviche a reference point for contemporary Peruvian cooking in the city.

The culinary journey at Ceviche placed the namesake dish front and center. Classic Ceviche arrived as raw fish cut into generous cubes, cured in lime, mixed with sliced red chili, cilantro and cancha or sweet potato on the side for texture. Tiradito was served like a Peruvian carpaccio—paper-thin raw fish drizzled with citrus and aji amarillo or rocoto oil, delivering clean acidity and a controlled heat finish. Small plates rotated by season, featuring local shellfish and coastal imports, always highlighted by gentle acid baths and short resting times to preserve texture. The pisco sour remained the signature cocktail: pisco, lime, egg white and a few dashes of bitters, shaken cold to a silky foam that cut through citrus and chili. Notable accompaniments such as causa (mashed potato terrine) and corn with cancha offered earthy contrast and traditional Peruvian starch balance. The menu leaned à la carte rather than tasting menus, encouraging diners to order multiple small plates and compare preparations.

Inside, the space was compact with seating for roughly 38 guests, creating a warm, social energy during dinner services. The design favored colorful accents that referenced coastal Peruvian markets without overwhelming the room; lighting was practical and focused on plates, helping chefs present visually bright dishes. Service style remained casual but expertly timed, with staff offering quick explanations of dishes and pairing suggestions from Jacqueline Eash’s wine list. Guests described an upbeat soundtrack with Latin rhythms, conversational noise levels suited to social groups, and an attentive kitchen that prioritized speed for raw preparations. Unique service features included a modest corkage policy of $20 and knowledgeable front-of-house staff led by general manager Shawn Murphy in later years.

Best times to visit were early weekday dinners or late lunches for quicker seating and quieter service; weekends filled quickly, especially for dinner. Dress code was smart casual—comfortable, tidy clothing suited Soho’s theatre-and-dining crowd. Reservations historically required advance booking by phone; walk-ins were possible for small groups but often met with wait times. Given the restaurant’s permanent closure in December 2023, travelers should treat Ceviche as an influential chapter in London’s Peruvian scene and seek sister brands or alumni chefs and venues that continue the style.

For anyone tracing the arc of Peruvian gastronomy in London, Ceviche offered an instructive, appetite-making example of how citrus-cured fish, precise cocktails and focused service deliver memorable meals. Ceviche remains a benchmark for ceviche and tiradito preparations and a case study in marrying coastal Peruvian technique with London dining expectations. Those researching or recreating these dishes should start with the restaurant’s classic ceviche, tiradito and pisco sour to understand why Ceviche changed how the city flavored seafood and cocktails.