My expectations were already high before visiting Llama Inn London. You can hardly blame me - not only has this stylish rooftop paradise been applauded by some famous critics but the awards from its American outpost is as long as your arm, including a Michelin Bib Gourmand. So, with a spring in our step, we hot footed it to see if it lived up to the hype here in Shoreditch.
The Llama Inn London menu took us on a gastronomic adventure across Peru, with a few pitstops in other south American countries.
DesignMyNight's Review Of Llama Inn London
With Brooklyn, New York opening in 2015, then Madrid, with London following in 2023, Llama Inn is where culinary masterminds Juan Correa and chef Erik Ramirez have showcased the best of Peruvian cuisine but with an innovative, modern twist.
It’s worth saying that the entrance to Llama Inn Shoreditch isn’t the most obvious. Indeed, my date and I were waiting at opposite sides amounting to a fair bit of confusion, but once you find the yellow door towards the back (away from Great Eastern Street) that’s where the magic happens. We headed up to seventh floor at The Hoxton hotel, and were met with a stunning, breezy rooftop that had all the feels of NYC. Think a long, rectangular-shaped restaurant with black industrial beams and a sloped ceiling. The bar space and BBQ grills cuddled the left-hand side, boasting gigantic leafy plants and cacti reminding me of the Atacama Desert, while the right showed off mighty fine skyline scenes. Straight ahead, past the statement scalloped rattan lampshades, you could see the suntrap terrace which actually gave me more Moroccan, beachy vibes with the terracotta colour scheme. But our advice? Bag a spot at golden hour, as it truly was a spectacular sight.
We took our place at a cosy burgundy-toned booth, flaunting a
charming herringbone-like textile pattern inspired by Peru and,
depending on which end you sat, views of the lively chefs in action
or City panoramas. I can’t speak enough of the incredible aromas
that came out of the kitchens too, I’m dreaming about them right
now, but first we kicked things off with two zippy cocktails. When
you think of Lima’s bars, chances are a pisco sour
(£14) comes to mind, and this classic version didn’t
disappoint. After sipping past the gorgeous foam, a boozy, zesty,
fruity liquid was revealed – made with fresh lime and decorated
with petal-shaped dashes of bitters. Top tip, when with your group,
they do a jug for six people, setting you back £70. You want
another suggestion? Well, make note of their Sour Hour where you
can get three pisco sours for £8 every Sunday to Friday, 4pm until
6pm.
Vintage wooden furniture and shades of
green and yellow make the Llama Inn London photos really
pop.
My date was going alcohol-free for the night, and you’ll be pleased to hear that the teetotal drinks here were far from an afterthought. The chicha morada (£9), mixed purple corn, pineapple, apple, cinnamon to make a very unusual berry-toned drink that was almost candy-like in flavour. Drawing inspiration from the much-loved Peruvian spiced soft drink, this went down a treat.
The Llama Inn menu is designed to be shared and dishes arrive as soon as they're ready, plus there’s a handy glossary for the more niche ingredients. First, the charred cabbage anticucho (£5); an elevated take on the popular street food that’s served on a skewer. This delighted with sweet smoky notes, plus the crispy quinoa provided a satisfying crunch when placed on top of the caramel-looking miso sauce. Kudos to the attentive staff too who added the non-vegetarian sauce to the side (it’s usually made with fish).
As a rainbow appeared out of the window, mirroring the kaleidoscope of colours on our table, more plates arrived. The fried cheesy yucas (£7) was up there with my favourite dishes of the night. Imagine elongated spheres (similar to an empanada) that weren’t greasy in the slightest, drizzled in a vivid creamy, garlicy sunshine-coloured sauce. Grab a napkin pronto, as the fromage oozed out with every bite, plus the peanuts on top gave a new dimension.
Our tomato ceviche (£12), divided the table, as my date thought it was a bit too sweet for a starter, but I loved the perfectly seasoned tomato globes and sliced pickled strawberries, in a sea of passion fruit, lemongrass and tiger’s milk (a citrusy chilli marinade). I found it refreshing and quirky – something I’d like to scoff again. Meanwhile, the scallop ceviche (£19) was a masterclass in textures; prepare for smooth shellfish, chunks of peach and crunch from the nori crisps. Sharp, slightly spicy with the yuzu kosho, and presented in a silky sauce split with herby oils – make sure to order this when you drop by.
The city skyscrapers remind you we're in London, while the refined Peruvian plates are simply sublime.
Next up on the Llama Inn menu London, our mains. My generous wedge of smoked cauliflower (£18) was one of the best veggie dishes I have had the pleasure of eating recently. The charred flavours were exceptional, enhanced by a roasted red pepper, slightly floral aji panca romesco that alternated with a yoghurty-like sauce, plus the vinaigrette salad topper to cut through it all. I was mildly terrified about cutting this up, as there was a chance it could go flying, but luckily this didn’t happen.
After being highlighted on other Llama Inn London reviews, my date savaged the pork chop (£22) like a wild animal. Served on the bone, this sticky sweet slab was well seasoned and he loved the fig glaze, although an actual sauce would have been wonderful here too. On reflection, jasmine rice (£4) might have been a better accompaniment instead of the chosen radish salad (£6), but we still enjoyed the citrusy, peppery and sharp side dish, finished with mint leaves, yuzu and a fruity, chilli dressing.
We took our host’s advice and picked a toasted coconut and Thai basil pisco sour (£14). It was completely different to my first cocktail, a sweeter, herbier number that made me wish I was on a Latin American summer holiday. My date’s sober Princessa Peach (£10) continued the upward trajectory; a bubbly fuchsia number blending a bitter botanical spritz with blood peach and non-alcohol rosé alternative. Simply delicious; we’ve got a lot of time for that.
Although not featured online, we were delighted to see that Llama Inn does desserts and thought the special of a fig and coconut Tres Leches (£9) sounded incredible. The almost bread-like vanilla sponge cake soaked up the glossy coconut ice cream, while slices of raw and cooked fruit brought earthy sweet notes too.
Llama Inn London Review: Overall
Visiting Llama Inn Hoxton is like being invited to a seriously
cool Manhattan rooftop party, without any pretentiousness, where
stylish and downright heavenly Peruvian fare takes centre stage; I
particularly loved the flame-grilled elements here. The atmosphere
was great, in part helped by the chefs that genuinely looked happy
working. We’ll be sure to return, New York road trip
anyone?
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💰 Price: £145 (excludes service). 📍 Address: 1 Willow Street, London, EC2A 4BH. 👌 Perfect for: Post-work catch-ups with friends. ⭐ Need to know: Late night Llama? The rooftop is open until midnight Thursday to Saturday. |
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