Picture of Tierra Peru, N1 8LY

Historical version 6 of Tierra Peru, N1 8LY (view current version)

Peruvian restaurant in Islington, very near Essex Road Station.

The decor is modern rather than cosy, with a hardwood floor, light-coloured walls, and black chairs/tables photos. There's a bar at the far end, surmounted by a large flatscreen. It's not a large space, seating perhaps around 30 people.

Kake, Ewan, and a friend visited on a weekday evening in February 2012. We hadn't booked, but there was no problem finding us a table. Music was playing, which along with the many shiny surfaces and the conversation of other diners, made it a little hard to hear at times.

Tamalito de pollo (chicken wrapped in a steamed corn-based dough) was OK; the chicken had decent flavour but seemed a bit overcooked, though the texture and flavour of the corn dough around it were great. Cebiche mixto (citrus-marinaded seafood) had a nice sourness and chilli heat, though the seafood was perhaps a bit more cured than Kake would have liked. Papa a la Huancaína (sliced boiled potatoes in a creamy sauce) had a very good texture to the sauce — glossy and well emulsified.

Parihuela (fish and seafood soup) had a very good flavour to the broth, and the fish was cooked perfectly (it's just a shame they hadn't removed the membrane from the squid). The mound of citrus-marinaded onion in the centre of the bowl was a great contrast.

Arroz chaufa de mariscos (fried rice with seafood), a Chinese-Peruvian dish, was fine, and not too oily. Yuca frita (fried cassava) had a great texture and wasn't greasy at all.

Lomo saltado de carne (beef strips stirfried with red peppers, vinegar, and soy sauce) had a nicely tangy sauce which soaked in beautifully to the fried potato chips served underneath, and also went well with the plain white rice served on the side. The beef could perhaps have been trimmed a little better, as there were some overly chewy bits.

Service was a bit slow, both in terms of taking orders and in bringing our food/drinks, but they did have a moderately-sized party in, which may have affected things. Also, the staff were friendly, and although the menu is really set up for people to order individually, they were happy for us to share our starters and mains, and brought extra plates to help with this without being asked.

Our final bill including service was £35/head for slightly more food than we could eat plus a cocktail and glass of wine each.

Kake's verdict: I'd like to learn more about Peruvian food, and I would happily come back and do that here.

Accessibility: A step to get in, but it's all on one level once you're in.

See also:

Last visited by Kake and Ewan, February 2012. Opening hours taken from the Tierra Peru website, May 2015.
OS X co-ord: 532097 OS Y co-ord: 184058 (Latitude: 51.539465 Longitude: -0.095027)
This is version 6 (as of 2015-05-08 21:13:28). View current version. List all versions.