Co-founder Gabriel Gonzalez says that though there is an abundance of local restaurants, he feels there is a lack of “good quality” cocktail bars in the area.
It comes two months after the restaurant's Michelin-starred sister site Lima in London ditched its traditional a la carte offer in favour of a more “affordable” choice of sharing dishes.
Lima Floral’s existing basement Bajo Bar will transform in to The Lost Alpaca, a 30-cover space offering drinks such as Mexican mezcal, Brazilian cahaca and Venezuelan rum, alongside Peruvian bar snacks.
A redesign will see “retro” wording printed on distressed brick walls, and the installation of a timber bar counter.
“We wanted to launch The Lost Alpaca to showcase the best spirits and mixology that Latin America has to offer,” says Gonzalez.
“We hope to leverage the continent’s association with fun to create an exciting and atmospheric bar serving high-quality food and drink in Covent Garden. The area is rapidly becoming a must-visit dining destination in Central London, with a variety of new restaurant openings in the area, but we felt that the neighbourhood had fallen short of good quality cocktail bars.”
Changing menu
Upstairs in Lima Floral, which opened in 2014, the menu will follow its sister London restaurant by introducing more smaller sharing plates designed to encourage a “relaxed and informal” style of dining.
Head chef Patricia Roig’s dishes will include hot salmon ceviche served with a corn tostada and langoustine broth; beef empanadas with huancaina (a spicy cheese sauce); and suckling pig with celeriac puree.
Gonzalez said in March that the restaurant economy was “changing” and diners wanted a more casual format.
The Lost Alpaca will also be showing all of Peru’s matches in the upcoming 2018 football World Cup – the first time the country has qualified since 1982.
Lima is the brainchild of Gonzalez, his brother José-Luis and Virgilio Martinez, chef-owner at Central in Peru – which was named the fifth best restaurant in the world last year.