Fresh, tasty seafood dishes including excellent ceviche in a casual, rustic setting.
The Sonia restaurant is located off the tourist trail in the seaside suburb of Chorillos. This is a closed-door restaurant so look for the multi-coloured mural and fishing boat parked outside and you will know you’ve found the right place! Sonia is different from the über-hip cevicherias and seafood restaurants that can be found around Lima but its rustic feel has a definite charm.
The restaurant originally started as a shack in the Chorillos market where Sonia Bahamonde cooked the fish that was caught fresh that day by her husband Freddy. Their reputation grew and the whole family now runs this busy restaurant that specializes in the famous Peruvian dish ‘ceviche’ (a marinaded raw sea food dish typically served with corn, sweet potato and an onion salsa).
The house specialty is definitely the ceviche and the mixed and octopus ceviches were our favourites. The fish and seafood melted in the mouth and was perfectly cooked with the right amount of lime. Chilled corn and sweet potato were the perfect complement to the tangy onion salsa.
It was our first time trying the ‘chupe de camaron’ or shrimp chowder and we fell in love with this creamy, filling soup with shrimp, fava beans, carrots, egg, cheese and tomatoes. We have since tried many others around Peru but this remains our firm favourite! Other good mains include the seafood rice, a colourful, heaped plate of rice with octopus, shrimp and fish.
Freddy is a minor local celebrity so don’t be surprised to see customers asking for a photo on their way out. You can usually find him sitting by the door weaving new fishing nets most days and on Saturday afternoons at 3pm he recites his poetry which can also be found on the walls around the restaurant.
The crowd is mixed with tourists, businessmen, couples and families. We really liked the laid-back, casual vibe and rustic feel of this restaurant that feels more authentic than some of the better known seafood restaurants in Lima.
Best of Peru Travel Recommends:
- Sonia gets busy particularly on weekends so do book in advance.
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