Andina is a Peruvian restaurant founded by Martin Morales (also owner of Ceviche in Soho) on the very cool Redchurch Street. I love this part of Shoreditch – it’s the perfect place for window shopping!
I have been to Andina quite a few times now. They do the whole Peruvian thing very well. It’s nice to go out for a meal and not feel horribly stuffed and carb-loaded afterwards. All the ingredients are fresh and light and well, I love ceviche so its my kinda place!
It was my husbands birthday on Saturday and I took him to The Art of the Brick exhibition at the Truman Brewery. If you like Lego then you’ll probably love the exhibition – though it can be a little cheesy at times. Keeping it local I decided to take him to Andina for lunch as he’s never been! Ceviche comes as a welcome break from all the meat and roasted veg over Christmas.
I’ve not yet tried their breakfast menu but I know the rest of the menu well. If I’m out for lunch I’ll go for a juice or smoothie – they are delish. If its a dinner thing I go straight for a pisco sour! They had some nice looking fruity versions too – for my next trip maybe.
I have tried every item from the ‘Ceviche Bar’ but I think my favourites are the Andina and the Stone Bass & Fig Tiradito. Though that’s a hard decision to make! I love the addition of the sweet potato in the Andina and the fig works so well in the spicy tiger’s milk of the latter. I love love love tiger’s milk. It’s usually made using lime juice, sliced onion, chilies, salt, pepper and the juices of the fish it helps to marinate. Though every chef adds their own twist.
If you’re feeling like something a little more meaty, then order the chicken and lamb skewers. The lamb is cooked to perfection; very slightly pink and so juicy. The herb sauce compliments it well. The quinoa, avocado and cucumber salad is also a great dish to order alongside the rest of your meal.
And finally, dessert. Another south american treat I love is dulce de leche. I remember a friend of mine from school went back to Brazil every summer and brought me back a jar of the stuff. Back then, you couldn’t get it anywhere, but that didn’t stop me from eating it out of the jar with a spoon! If you have a sweet tooth I recommend ordering the filo pastry with dulce de leche and pecan ice cream. You won’t regret.
Its not a cheap meal out but the food is fresh and made well and a also great introduction to ceviche if you’ve not tried it before. Next time you’re in Shoreditch definitely pop in.
the skewers and dessert looks lush
The chicken skewers are also really tasty. I order the same dessert every time I go, it’s that good!