Central

finally, something different in our town! third time in. this time, cory was our server. as well as the bartender. and manager. he was great! great suggestions on food pairings, drinks, wine. etc. we had the octopus, ceasar salad, and the paella — the paella was delicious! we will be back for sure!

Central is an amazing experience. We came here two nights in a row. We ordered the paella without chicken (shrimp and scallops instead for an up charge) and it was out of this world. We’ve travelled all over the world and Central is out of this world. Their wine list is seriously high quality and their cocktails are fantastic! Sit outside. You won’t be sorry. You’ll be back!

Delicious Peruvian food!
the servers were very friendly. love this restaurant
! Came here with a few friends and we ordered:
Lomo Saltado
Paella
Best Peruvian food I had in a long time.

The worst service possible! The extremely arrogant waiter added that the Chilean sea bass is endangered (for his information —
)! when a yes or no to confirm the sea bass cervich is not Chilean sea bass would be enough, then he and other servers, would rudely take away not empty plates without asking, simply trying to rush our table of seven out ASAP, even when there’re empty tables, and no lines on Father’s Day!
«No fried plantains!» for a Peruvian restaurant is NOT acceptable, especially it’s right after they open for Father’s Day Lunch.
Very small portions for both appetizers and mains, the meager amount of octopus and sea bass made the ‘small’ plates they came in looked extremely huge!
Over priced, very salty octopus small plate, lousy tasting chicken fried rice, no presentation for the Lomo Saltado, several small chunks of filet mignon on top of sad looking French fries on top of plain rice, no heirloom cherry tomatoes or red onion even for decoration!
My foodie daughter from SF reserved the table, apparently fooled by all these questionable good reviews, I felt bad that none of us could find anything good to say about the drinks and food at this so called Peruvian restaurant!

This restaurant is awesome. Try the ceviche Peruano and paella !!!
Service is great, Javier and Fernando are super nice and they give you great service. Location is also good, not too crowded but still in the heart Laguna Beach. They even have us a complimentary dessert :)

I Iive in Northern California and I came down to Laguna Beach to visit my kids for Father’s Day. I was trying to find a good restaurant to eat at and my daughter suggested Central. I was skeptical of eating here and unsure how I felt about eating Peruvian food since I haven’t had it before. I could not be happier that I ate here, the food was spectacular. Our server Raquel was on top of everything. Raquel is the best I have had in a long time. I definitely recommend this restaurant and will be coming back on my next visit.

Great restaurant. If you want to experiment and try something different. I would recommend this spot. Great wines! Check them out

We asked the locals if anyone had heard of this spot that we found on Unilocal,and no-​one had. We checked it out anyway and it was worth it! Give this place a shot! Raquel was more than accommodating and gave us tips for the rest of our trip. Ask your server for suggestions and they won’t mislead you.

I love this restaurant! I have been a couple of times and just have to say how delicious the Pulpo a la Parilla on the Small Plates menu is. The grapefruit is such a nice contrast with the egg and octopus The Pisco Sour is a perfect cocktail to start off with. It’s a fun drink without being too girly.
Sometimes you feel like a salad and sometimes you don’t. Tonight I did so I had the Kale Salad and added chicken. Delicious! So fresh! Perfect without being a heavy meal.
The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable of the ingredients so it makes experience pleasurable. Of course the house cilantro sauce is amazing on everything.

Are you looking to take a break from hum drum routine of food on your night out? This restaunt has some of the best atmosphere and food I’ve had in a long time.
The servers were very friendly and helpful with suggestions for the food if you’ve never had Peruvian. The bartender made stiff drinks with great taste. He even whipped up a cocktail for one of our party involving st Germain and pear juice.
When the entrées and appetizers arrived to our table we were immediately impressed with the array of flavors and presentation displayed on our plates. It’s a bit pricey but well worth it if you can swing it. There are definitely some cheap options though!
Come here if you want good food, good drinks good music and great service!

Just go.
Great service. Interesting drinks like the Pisco Sour. The food was great.
We started with empanadas and then the Pulpo a la Parilla. Definitely try it. The octopus was perfect. Finished with the gnocchi and scallops, grilled kale and fried plantains.

It’s been a few years since I’ve had Peruvian food. I normally drive to LA for it, but wasn’t in the mood to leave Orange County and was craving Lomo Saltado. I looked up Peruvian restaurants in the area and after reading the reviews we decided to come here for dinner. We started off with calamari and the ceviche. Both appetizers were excellent. We both also ordered the Lomo Saltado and it was delicious!
Excellent restaurant in Laguna! We will definitely be back!

It’s new restaurant week. Um, ok… new fave spot!!! The food is outstanding, and they’re going to have a DJ on the weekends. Sexy spots in Laguna Beach? Yes please. The manager AND owner even took the time to stop and talk to us about our preferences and what we liked about the spot, as well as anything we felt they could improve on. Have the ceviche, it melts in your mouth. Two thumbs up for sure!!! We’ll be back!!!

I LOVE this place and I feel just terrible that I didn’t post this review sooner. However, it is a fitting time to post because it was exactly one year ago today that I first ate at Central. The culinary artistry of Chef Ryan Sims keeps me coming back for more. The chicharron and the paella are two of my favorite dishes. But it’s not just the food that make this place so special. The staff and the service are second to none. Coming to Central feels like home… what better place to bring together family and friends over a great meal. Anna, the owner, and the Taylor, the GM, are welcoming and make everyone feel like family. This place should be on your list of must-​try places.

Absolutely love this hidden gem! Great menu, excellent food, wonderful service!
My boyfriend and I have come here twice in one week & planning our 3^rd stop this weekend.
Loma saltado is exceptional! Buratta salad is heavenly. Braised kale delicous. Mixed vegetable side is fantastic. Their mango cheesecake was a fun play on tradition and you should not leave without trying la bomba! Love their wines too!
Truly our new, favorite, local spot!

At Central you’ll find quality Peruvian cuisine in a cozy setting. Wife and I dined her with another couple and had a very good time (disclaimer: it’s tough for this group not to).
Upon entering we were promptly seated, as we were about 10 minutes late for our 8PM slot so our table was ready. The place was full except for the 1 table between us and the exit. Bar was full + a few people standing around. Had a welcoming neighborhood vibe.
After ordering up Pisco Sour’s for the table they promptly brought us out some very fluffy warm bread with the green crack sauce (aji verde). Nothing unique about the bread, just perfectly baked with a bit of salt & oil. Well executed. The Pisco Sour’s were spot on, I couldn’t have made them better myself. We ordered another couple rounds before dinner was over (yes, we Über’d).
Next we ordered up all 5 small plates. My two favorites were the lamb empanadas & the chicharon. The pastry of the empanada was flakey, fluffy and the sauce added a sweet/​spicy element. I’d order it again (5 stars). I was reluctant to get the chicaron, as I often find pork belly too fatty, but they gave us the perfect portion so each bite had a good fat: meat ratio… and that mojo & whipped yucca sauce, I was scraping it off the plate (5*), although it needs to be split between at least 3 people.
Pulpo a la Parilla (octopus) was good, but wasn’t crazy about the egg/​grapefruit combo (4*). Had a bite of the ceviche (the ladies mainly ate that) and it was really good (4*). The filet mignon anticucho was really good (they may want to consider adding a larger portion as an entrée), but felt like for $ 15 the portion was on the smaller end (4* for flavor, 3* for value).
We ordered 3 entrees and shared them all. The ladies loved the Chaufa, which is their vegetarian dish, it had good flavor but was a little too healthy for me (4*). Lomo Saltado was very solid but I actually prefer Inka Mama’s (which is their cousin restaurant, if I remember correctly) (4*). The last was the Paella, which for $ 43, I was expecting a bit more volume or a more refined version — all the ingredients were prepared well but the group didn’t feel it was the best value (3*).
We meant to order plantains, but forgot to until after the entrees were served. Ended up being plantain chips rather than halved plantains, so those end up being a nice snack. I imagine they could probably fry up some plantain halves if you really wanted them.
For dessert we ordered the banana & nutella crêpe and the La Bomba. They ran out of the La Bomba so they brought out two of the crepes and comped one, nice of them. The crêpe was delicious, demolished them both.
Service was attentive all night, waiter was great to talk with. We stayed awhile, one of the last tables, but the bar still had plenty of patrons as it was nearing 11PM.
IMO they could work out the value of some of their dishes, add a 2 – 3 small plates to increase variety (perhaps an additional ceviche), and add a fish entrée.
For high-​end Peruvian, Central is the best in OC. If you are looking for an unpretentious atmosphere for some unique bites and solid cocktails then you’ve found your spot.
See ya’ there.

Ceviche was OK/​different, but miserly portion for $ 18, octopus was tasty and very tender, but equally meagre for $ 17, the Chaufa was bland and burnt. High prices may be expected in LB for good food, but this was pretty poor. Will definitely not eat here again. Didn’t even seem like real Peruvian food. Would go to Inka Mamas in Aliso Viejo where the food is less than half the price, for more than twice as much, and many more times as tasty and authentic.

Came here for valentines day and man was the food fantastic! All 3 entrees were exquisite. Taylor made his rounds to each table and was an excellent host. Me and my girlfriend will be going back very soon!

My Husband & I rarely get to have a night out! We have been hearing amazing things about Central! We tried it & absolutely LOVED it! My husband loves authentic cuisine! Central offers that & more! Raquel took such good are of us. I wish all restaurants could have a server like her! We had a lot of questions about the menu & she knew every answer! It’s the best kept secret in Laguna Beach! I can’t wait for another date night

As a Peruvian myself, I loved the food here! My friend and I went went here for the first time and we ordered Anticuchos and Empanadas to start. I was sold by the first bite. The food has that amazing rustic and seasoned taste Peruvian food usually has, and to top it off, the waiter came and gave us two Sangrias, which was probably the best Sangria I’ve had. Then ordered ceviche which was again delicious and perfectly seasoned. Super tasty!
When it comes to the service, we were seated very fast. We sat outside since the sun was coming down and the weather was fantastic. Being a couple blocks away from the beach defiantly gives this restaurant such a great fun vibe. We received our food pretty quick after we ordered, and the waiters were very attentive to our needs.
I definitely recommend! A great spot for food, drinks, and get togethers.

Last evening for my anniversary I decided to treat myself and my wife to a new and different and all I can say is WOW!!! AMAZING food and even better service. TOP NOTCH even the manager came to give his congratulations to us on 15 years together! !
His name was Mr. McKinney I believe. What a wonderful amazing experience. I highly recommend Central!

I’ve been to restaurants all over OC and Laguna, but I gotta say that Central is definitely one of my all time favorites.
The food is exquisitely presented, and the taste in incomparable. Be it seafood, lamb, the skewers or empanadas, there is nothing in this restaurant that doesn’t impress me and please my palate.
The service and the environment are also worth nothing. Very sophisticated, yet casual enough to draw people from all age groups to sample some of the best tastes of South America here in the coasts of the United States. The owners are always there supervising the chefs and the servers, making sure that everything is top quality for the clients they love so much.
If you haven’t been here yet, I suggest you go as soon as possible. Bring your family and friends! They will thank you for it ;)

Amazing food & service. Ask for Raquel she had great recommendations on food & wine. She recommended the Belle Glos pinot noir to go with the scallop & gnocchi. Great new addition to Laguna…

Came here for date night and boy did we love it. It was a random find one night when we were hanging out in Laguna Beach. My husband got lomo saltado, beef with fries and I got the paella. The food was delicious and our server was pretty awesome. Totally recommend to families and couples.

Went here for a dinner a few weeks ago and had been meaning to write a review. I came from Newport area to check this place out because I heard so many great things about it from many people.
Went here on a Friday night and the place wasn’t overly packed but a nice crowd and great ambiance. The service was spectacular along with the quality of food. The food isn’t that expensive either especially for how good it tastes.
Order any appetizer and you won’t be disappointed. Order any of the entrees and you won’t be disappointed. The empanadas were fabulous along with the ceviche. The chicken and lamb were amazing.
It’s a little hidden but if you make it in, you won’t regret it! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Great for a date night too!

We stopped by for a mid afternoon lunch and had pretty good sandwiches (though not fitting the price).
If you like your side of fries to have over cooked noodle consistency this place will rock your world.
Enjoy.

well well well… I was very impressed with this charming Peruvian restaurant. When I called the person answering was very professional and took my reservation. I explained to him that this was a important dinner to me and they complimented my reservation with the best table in the house. When I arrived I was greeted properly and seated promptly. They bought my guest to my table without skipping a beat. The service was perfect, waiters well polished and food delicious. I would highly recommend Central as they went beyond the call to ensure I has a nice experience.
Thank you

Cute restaurant. All fresh organic ingredients. Makes it fresh and tasty. I love Peruvian food. To me this isn’t Peru Peruvian food, not like Inca grill at all. I guess that’s why this place is called Coastal Peruvian. As long as you’re not expecting Inca grill this place is great. I had the Laguna lunch special, half a panini, soup and salad. It was too much for me to eat. I’d eat here again.

Service is fantastic — the food is both unique and truly some of the best flavors only local produce could create. Love their well thought out wine list.

Enjoying lunch with our Masonic Sweerhearts today. Enjoyed the rustic Soma de Cazuela, Organic Roasted Chicken Linguini and a Lava Cake for dessert. Chef Ryan Sims and Owner Anna did a wonderful job. The food was amazing, the ambiance is really relaxed and cool. This is a great addition to downtown Laguna. Thanks Anna and Ryan!

Outstanding food and the service was excellent. The chicken was very flavorful, moist, and cooked to perfection. It is a great place to eat.

Ambience– 4 stars
Drink — 2 stars
Food taste — 5 stars
Portion size — 1 star
3 pf us order the chicken dish each, after the plates were taken away we all ended up ordering extra fries and going to Bjs for a dessert bazokie
Thanks

The food and atmosphere of the place was great… Great service and excellent Paia… Definitely will return…

The restaurant is tucked away in a corner, and they have a smaller intimate indoor and outdoor dining experience for higher-​end Peruvian food. Service was a little slow, but they made up for it with the great food. You can’t go wrong with the ceviche, lamb empanadas or beef heart skewer.

Very overpriced. Food was ok. Service good. Ceviche 4 star. Octopus 3 star. Seafood paella one star. The seafood paella was just a bowl of risotto with a small piece of unknown fish on top and 6 muscles 2 shrimp. Nothing else. It cost $ 45. Most expensive bowl of risotto I have ever had. The most overpriced meal I have ever had in Laguna Beach. $ 84 plus $ 16 tip equal $ 100 with no alcohol. I live 4 blocks away and I will not be back. All the 5 star reviews must be grade inflation contagion

Phenomenal everything… ambiance, service and food. Paella and ceviche were best I have had.

We came upon this place on accident and were more than pleasantly surprised by our experience. They were open at 9:30pm for dinner which was great and they promptly seated us with great attitudes and customer service. We ordered two starters and a main dish. One of the starters was the ceviche and… OMG! I’ve never had ceviche like this before, and I will be back for it again. AMAZING food, service and atmosphere!

Dinner out last night was mostly excellent. We arrived for our reservation and were seated quickly. The hostess immediately let us know that the kitchen was short handed and offered us champagne as an apology in advance if food was slow. We actually didn’t find it to be too slow but appreciated the gesture, that was a nice touch.
To start: We ordered ceviche, spinach and cheese empanadas and the tomato tower. The ceviche was amazing just the right mix of heat and coconut flavors. We ordered a second ceviche, it was that good. The empanadas were tasty, I liked the dipping sauce flavors just the right amount of salt and spice. The tomato tower was fine, very pretty and fresh but didn’t seem to fit with the other flavors.
For entrees we got the shrimp tacu tacu, the lomo soltado and the seco norteno (lamb). The shrimp dish was excellent. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and rice and beans were arranged like a cake. The rocoto sauce really made the dish– not a drop left on the plate– a nice tangy pepper flavor. The lamb was also excellent with a cilantro beer sauce poured over it table side. The lamb was so tender! The only average dish was the lomo saltado. The flavors were good but it needed to be presented differently more rustic, combined, more messy. I removed a star for that dish and also because we were told they sold out of paella. The table next to us arrived 30 minutes after us and ordered and received paella.
The staff is pleasant, the interior décor and ambiance is nice and the tables are bistro close. We made friends with our neighboring tables. When people are enjoying food and wine they are more friendly it seems.

I love walking around in Laguna, and last night I was delighted to find a restaraunt I had never been to before. I love trying new places, and love Peruvian food. I had the Tomato Tower followed by the Lomo Saltado. The quality of the food was immediately evident, and the taste was sublime. What really made the experience was the ambience. A beautiful location, with joyous and informative staff.
I highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for a high end dining experience with amazing food you can’t get anywhere else.

Excellent food and service. The farm to table quality of ingredients makes these modern twist on traditional Peruvian dishes really shine. Start with either the tomato tower or the empanadas (I usually get both!), follow with the lamb paired with a glass of Justin and finish with their tres leches.
TIP: Ask for your Lomo Saltado mixed instead of deconstructed and you won’t regret it!
PS: Just had the new sea bass dish… heavenly! Don’t miss out!

We had a wonderful lunch here. We want to come back for dinner. They still only have bear and wine, open 6 months will update after our next visit

Brian, thanks for being an awesome host and B. tender! A+ food and beverage!
Must come here if your in the Laguna area!

Hot New Spot — Hot New Business — Getting Rave Reviews Via Unilocal
Date night, Saturday Night, Bookmark Night … after taking a good long walk around and through Laguna Beach and seeing all it has to offer for dinner options, hubby and I were just «not feeling it» for a few bookmarks we had. We literally ran into by accident Central Coastal Peruvian.
Tucked away in a corner, sort of in the back of Laguna Beach’s strip mall (much nicer than most), they have a smaller intimate indoor and outdoor dining experience for higher-​end Peruvian food.
Try something new in your life! Anticuchos — Beef Heart Skewers with a Trio of Sauces, all a bit spicey and one super spicey for those that can handle that. This also is served with Yukon golden potatoes, sliced thicker, crispy outside, but tender and good potato flavor inside.
This was a first for me, and it was delicious.
Complimentary baby loaves of 2 types of bread, served toasty warm, and includes butter and the traditional Aji sauce. Tasty-​Tasty!
Traditional Peruvian Main Courses: Lomo Saltado (filet, tomatoes, onions, fries and rice) and Braised Lamb (lamb shank, cilantro beer sauce, beans with some fresh veggies). Switch-​a-​roo, hubby and I shared bites and we each decided we liked the other’s main entrée better. This was another first! The braised lamb, was so flavorful, tender and overall terrific. The filet was not flavorful enough for me. Hubby felt the exact opposite, hence our switch in dinner entrees.
Staff and wait-​staff were welcoming, friendly and fairly knowledgeable.
Thanks for a great meal and for me being able to give a good/​great review, it’s been too long.

It’s hard to find a bad meal in Laguna Beach, it seems like everything there just taste better. This place was no exception. I stopped in here on like a Monday night and the place was not too busy, so I was able to sit at the bar and eat. I am a big fan of peruvian food, so I was excited to try this place. The bartender told me to try either the chicken or the Lomo Saltado, I chose the Lomo Saltado and it was the best I have had. You could tell it was a good quality steak and everything was perfect, I will be back to have another meal here soon!

A few weeks ago we decided to take an evening stroll around Laguna Beach, but we made no reservations and soon discovered our dining options were very limited. Our first thought was Three Seventy Common, but the hour plus wait would have us being sat after 9:00 pm. We actually had looked at the menu at Central Coastal Peruvian (
) while we walking around, but when it became clear other options were not feasible (or appealing), we headed back to this restaurant and were seated immediately.
Both the restaurant (
) and patio area are very cozy so expect to get to know you neighbors (even if you don’t want to). We were seated at a half booth at the back of the restaurant, we handed menus, drink orders were taken and fresh bread (
) was delivered to the table.
The bread was hot out of the oven, the aji sauce had a good kick to it and the butter (yes butter) was softened and creamy. The loaf was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. This was excellent start to the dining experience.
After some time our server (Rufino) returned and we proceeded to order our dinner. Laina wanted to be adventurous since it was our first visit, so we chose the Beef Heart Anticuchos (
) as our appetizer. Laina opted for the Lomo Saltado (
) as her entrée and I selected the Braised Lamb Shank (
) for my dinner.
The hearts came out a short time later and they were fantastic! A little tough to cut, but tender to chew, the skewers had five pieces of meat each and the flavor was excellent with or without the sauces. I thought the sauces were equally delicious, but Laina seemed to prefer the Aji Amarillo. I thought the corn was a little bland compared to the rest of the appetizer, but the Yukon potatoes were awesome. Flash fried for a nice crispiness on the outside, yet nice and soft on the inside.
The comedic part of the dining experience started when our entrees arrived. Laina’s Lomo Saltado was kind of deconstructed with filet separate from the fries and rice instead of piled on top. She felt the filet was very tender, but a little on the bland side. I think she liked the fries and the rice was standard white rice. I had a bite of the filet and disagreed with her regarding the flavor, I enjoyed the red onions and cherry tomatoes. I had a similar issue with my lamb shank, I thought the sauce was rather nice, but found the lamb itself to be a little boring. Laina had a bite of lamb and thought it was delicious. And now we get to the funny part … musical entrees.
Rohlinism: Never return an entrée when you can just swap it with the person sitting across from you!
Instead of sending both entrees back because we were disappointed, we merely switched our plates and both of us were content. I have known my better half for over 20 years and we have shared a lot of food over the years, but this is the first time we have actually switched entrees.
The prices are on the higher side (i.e. you are eating in Laguna Beach), but both dishes were enjoyable even if they are a bit Americanized and the beef hearts were fantastic!
Service was very friendly and knowledgeable, but at times a little absent (it took a long time to get the check and pay the bill). The people at reception were equally friendly and I even relayed our amusing game to the manager who seemed to be amused by our solution.
Definitely will remember this place the next time we are in Laguna Beach on the later side and without a reservation.

Gosh, I hate to be the debbie downer since I was super excited to try this restaurant given all the great reviews but here’s the low down:
Pros:
1. Service is great from booking the reservation which was super easy via the phone to front desk reception and our waiter showing attentive customer service.
2. Sitting outside in the patio was relaxing and it was beautiful at night. The décor inside looked modern and hip.
3. The spinach/​cheese empanadas ($ 7) are awesome and worth it. especially with the sauce and it tasted homemade. It came with three and we took one home and asked to pack with the sauce to go; however the they didn’t place a lid on the sauce so it ended up soaking my empanada :(
4. Sangria ($ 10) — the white one is actually stronger than the red one but both are tasty
Cons:
1. I place a greater weight on food and well. the rest of the food we ordered sadly to say was disappointing and made me longing that we had gone to Inka Grill, Mario’s or making a return trip back to Lima. For the price I expected much more flavor, quality and quantity.
Here’s the breakdown:
a. Seabass ceviche ($ 18): Yes $ 18 which was a bowl of flavorless ceviche in lime sauce with cilantro, 3 sweet quarter sweet potatoes and the peruvian corn (which was redeeming). However it should’ve been soaked in the lime sauce longer so the fish could gather the flavor or added texture like avocado, chips or a mix of different fish like shrimp.
b. Lomo Saltado ($ 20): This was good and could’ve been better if it came out hot; instead it came out warm and like one reviewer said it did seem more americanized with strips of filet soaked in sauce separated from fries (papas fritas) and rice. The sauce was awesome and really made up for the temperature and gave flavor to the filet; however a true lomo saltado would’ve had all three ingredients mixed together served hot.
c. Braised lamb shank in cilantro beer sauce ($ 25): This was the worst dish of all though it was the waiter’s favorite so maybe it had not been made correctly. It looked great as you can see in other’s photos and it was tender, however at first bite, the temperature was warm like the limo saltado, the meat was gamey and it lacked any flavor even after pouring the extra cilantro beer sauce. We actually dipped it in the lomo saltado sauce to add some flavor. I love lamb and this was the most disappointing dish in my lamb eating career.
Sadly, I was super excited to try this restaurant but overall, I didn’t experience the modern Peruvian flavor based on the dishes I’ve eaten (and they really do need to add chicha morada and pisco sour to their drink menu to make it truly peruvian in my opinion). Yes it’s still new and they are changing their menu so it may be worth to try appetizers and drinks since those seemed the most reliable; however, I don’t know if I’ll be returning given the price point and quality.

Great lunch. Great service and attention to detail from the staff. I had the harvest salad was tasty and satisfying!
Empanadas was great too. You can tell it was made fresh.

I’ve had a crazy hankering lately for Peruvian food. lomo saltado to be exact. I found Central Coastal Peruvian on Unilocal and thought I’d give it a try because of all the high reviews.
The restaurant is located tucked away in a little shopping mall, don’t walk too fast otherwise you’ll pass it up. Came in on a Monday for lunch with my mom and daughter. I wouldn’t say the customer service is top notch, we actually waited a long time for our food, drinks, to order and for refills (we had to ask for refills, they were not offered). Other than us in the restaurant there were a couple of diners in the patio and the bar tenders/​waiters just hanging around. I felt like they could have given us better service.
I ordered the lomo saltado which was $ 20, I’m used to more traditional Peruvian food. Don’t get me wrong, the food was good, not great and a bit more upscale which I feel like you shouldn’t try and fix something that isn’t broken. Anywho, the steak was pretty tender, they placed the fries on the side topped with parmesan cheese so you have to put it together yourself. The rice was cool, just regular white rice. My mom ordered the pollo tallarine ($ 16-​$ 20), that was pretty tasty, fried chicken atop a bed of noodles with basil sauce. We also ordered the spinach and mozzarella empanadas, they came with a good sweet and sour dipping sauce. Beware, don’t bite into them too quickly, my mom burned herself when she tried to eat one. The green chile sauce was on point, nice and spicy and the bread was good.
All in all the food was good but I’ve had much better, I think it was too Americanized. I felt like it was really expensive for what was on our plates. Also, I wasn’t too thrilled with customer service. No one came to offer us refills, we had to flag the waiter down and there was no one else in the restaurant, odd. Parking can really suck around here, but if you find a good spot, you can take a walk down to the beach afterward.

Cute and cozy place with outside seating. Very good food. Here is what to order:
Beef heart. Enough as a meal for one person
Spinach and mozzarella empanadas
And highly recommend the braised lamb!
More than enough food for two. We couldn’t even go through half of the lamb shank.

This place is slicker’n sauce on the door knob. A hidden little gem tucked away in the corner of a courtyard off the main drag. (Hey, it’s Laguna.) The interior is stark and rustic with brick, wood and concrete yet it’s as inviting as the high school flirt. And you can dine al fresco.
It is quiet even though there is the ubiquitous flat screen but thankfully no Telenovelas or Soccer matches. It’s as soundless as children under 6 should be in a restaurant. A lovely Latin guitar track gently sways like trophy wife hips. Got the mood?
It’s easy to Peru-​ooze the menu as there are only 8 Starters, 7 Mains and 2 Desserts. There is bottled beer (yes, they have Cusquena) and an eclectic un-​Latin wine list.
Head to the large bar and slide onto a comfortable bar stool with a back and raise your hand for an icy, fruity Sangria (Red and White). Have the Red (Tempranillo based, fruit juice and a slosh of simple syrup). Chug the first and sip the second.
The Staff is friendly, energetic, and engaging. Ask and you shall receive immediately. Management has chosen wisely.
The food is sorta Peruvian, but not exactly. They don’t offer popular dishes like Jalea, Causa, Chupe, Aji de Gallina, Papas Huanciana, or more than one Ceviche. There is a Chicken Pasta, a Lamb Shank, and Paella, things you can find in Peru but which are not traditional.
Does it compare with Astrid y Gaston in Lima? Ah, lo siento, no. But then it’s hard to snag a table there and requires burning all your miles on Lan Air.
Inka Mama and Inka Grill, a Donkey ride from here, have food for the people and both are more true to Peru but the Chef here has some really fine chops nonetheless.
The one Ceviche is authentic with Cancha (high altitude popcorn) and Rocoto chilies along with Sea Bass, Sweet Potato and Tiger’s Milk (a citrus marinade with a slow crawl of heat).
The Bread Service comes by way of La Brea Bakery, with a house made Aji Verde that I wanted to suck through a straw. Definitely not for beginners or suckling children.
The Lamb Shank was large enough to the feed The Peruvian National Guard. Meaty, juicy, spoon tender, soaking up the Cilantro-​Beer Sauce it lays in, Salsa Criolla and a cocktail shaker of Lamb Au Jus on the side to splash on your dish of Cilantro Rice or your date’s new silk skirt. The only lamb close to this requires an overnight to Sydney and a table at Efendy where the couple next to us went feral and gnawed on the shank like Wolverines. I wanted to do the same here. Why not? It’s Laguna. The Lamb Shank here is so good it would make the PETA President reach for the ax and do the critter herself.
The recommended Shrimp Tacu Tacu was okay, okay. It was basically Jambalaya with over cooked shrimp, rice and a bean cake (with no cake) all dog paddling in Rocoto Cream Sauce. This dish belonged on the menu at the now shuttered Papa’s Fish and Soul Food.
CCP is definitely worth a few visits.
Does this place with potential know what it wants to be? Yes, still open 6 months from now.
Hopefully, the capable kitchen will work on the menu. Fine tune it a bit, and CCP will become a «go to» in Laguna. Ojala!

Excellent Menu and trust me I have tried 90% of it Special mentions to The Empanadas, The Lamb which is unbelievably tender, The Shrimp Tacu Tacu and the French Fires which even though this is a Peruvian Restaurant are as close as you will get to English Chips this side of Lands End, best served with malt vinegar (I keep a bottle behind the bar) and talking of Blighty they have Old Speckled Hen Bitter which is an English pint great paired with the Chips
Service is great, Staff are very friendly knowledgeable and always happy to explain the menu, the owners are normally close by making sure every thing runs smoothly.