Ceviche

Ceviche is a restaurant in London’s Soho, founded by Martin Morales and now permanently closed. 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. Ceviche closed in December 2023, leaving behind 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 Martin Morales 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 namesake dish sat 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.

Distinctive service features included a modest corkage policy of $20 and knowledgeable front-of-house staff led by general manager Shawn Murphy in later years. Ceviche closed in December 2023. For anyone tracing the arc of Peruvian gastronomy in London, Ceviche offered an instructive example of how citrus-cured fish, precise cocktails and focused service shaped the city’s Peruvian dining scene. Ceviche remains a reference point for ceviche and tiradito preparations and a case study in marrying coastal Peruvian technique with London dining expectations.

The restaurant’s classic ceviche, tiradito and pisco sour explain its influence on the city’s seafood and cocktails.