Based on a small plate concept, the menu features traditional Peruvian dishes made with seasonal British produce, such as salmon with watercress, horseradish, beetroot with bleeding tiger’s milk; whole Cornish lobster with a herbed butter sauce and truffled purple potato salad; and grilled Brussel sprouts with squash, heritage carrots, salsa criolla and shaved Berkswell.
“Over the past few years London has been introduced to Peruvian food in different iterations. We love the existing offering in the City with restaurants like Ceviche, Lima and Chotto Matte really educating the market on the capacity for contemporary Peruvian food.
“The food of Peru is a truly 'fused' cuisine, influenced by all the ethnic groups that have migrated to the country since the Spanish. We thought it natural to take some of the best elements such as the technique of curing fish with tiger's milk and the use of the freshest, local ingredients - sometimes in unusual combinations.
“With a focus on rustic cooking techniques and sourcing the best produce, we landed at a concept that combined these elements, making the most of seasonal, British ingredients,” Micaela Philippo, Pachamama's creative director told BigHospitality.
Head chef Tom Catley
The kitchen is led by head chef Tom Catley who previously worked as head chef of Ottolenghi, Restaurant Nathan Outlaw and Peyton and Byrne, as well as senior chef de partie at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant and chef de partie at Nobu Park Lane.
The 120-seat restaurant will be spread across two main dining areas, three private dining rooms and a 16-seater cocktail bar, and its open kitchen will include a Josper oven and Robata grill.
Prices range from £2 for nibbles to share to £12 for meat dishes, and Philippo recommended three to four plates per person.
Cocktail bar
The cocktail bar also reflects the venue’s Peruvian-British mix, with home-infused Pisco with seasonal berries and herbs, South American wines and British bubbles, as well as cocktails using small British distilleries of vodka and gin, and locally-brewed beers.
Translating as ‘Mother Earth’, Pachamama used British-made furniture with earthly colour tones and images of Peruvian landscapes for its interiors.
Expansion
According to Philippo, further expansion is a possibility: “It would be great if we could expand and open in other locations across London; we think the concept could work in areas with a similar demographic. We are also looking at re-appropriating the concept for a faster turnaround service style.”
Pachamama, 18 Thayer St, London