Vara / Chorrillos / Cevicheria

Vara Restaurante
Jr. Zepita 266
Chorrillos - 252-7113
www.vararestaurante.com
Tuesday-Sunday: Noon-5 PM
Link to Facebook Page



RT here. I walked by Vara when I was on my way to Nautika, back in April. It looked like it was an upscale cebicheria, but right in the middle of nowhere. I made a mental note to check them out. I'm glad I did.

I got there late (around 3:00 pm)on a Tuesday afternoon, so the place was pretty empty, and the staff was somewhat slow to notice my arrival. The place was beautiful on the inside... here's a picture:



It sure seemed upscale, so I was prepared for a shock when I read the menu.

It was a good shock -- the prices were definately NOT high-end. It was more mid-range, along the lines of Punto Azul or el Pez On.

The menu doesn't really break any new ground, it was just the standards, but I had high hopes, based on the looks of the place. I wasn't disappointed.

I started with a cebiche mixto (21 soles). It was a large order, fresh and delicious. A normal person would have been satisfied with just that, but I had schlepped all the way to Chorillos, so I ordered a second dish: Fettuccine with seafood sauce (22 soles). It too was delicious, and it was all I could do to finish the plate.



The whole check (with a lemonade and a coffee afterwards) came to just over 50 soles. I consider a lunch of that quality (and quantity) a bargain at US$18.

When the chef/owner got wind of an American in the house, he came by my table to welcome me and to practice his English. We had a nice little chat, where we impressed each other with our knowledge of the local dining scene. We hit it off so well, I almost asked him if he wanted to go girl hunting with me that night, but I was able to control myself.

Anyway, its good to know that there is someone there to help with the Spanish-challenged, because I don't think that the language barrier should keep anyone away from this place.

 

RT here.

Vara has a coupon offer on Groupon (www.groupon.com.pe) today (18 June) for a trio of causas and Risotto ala huancaina con lomo saltado for just 21 soles.

This is an excellent deal, as this restaurant is worth full price. The coupon is good for three months, so if you are traveling before the middle of September, or live in Lima, jump on this offer.

Groupon is a legitimate site. I should probably start a thread about them. There are a few offers daily, so you may have to look at the small pictures for the food offer.

 

This deal is available today (Sunday) too.

They sometimes do them on weekends for both days.

 

RT here. I visited Vara with my Groupon a couple of weeks ago.

The restaurant remains not very crowded (I do go on off-times), and they were happy to honor the coupon (I called first, just to make sure).

Both the causas and the lomo/Risotto dish were excellent.



My 0nly expenditure was for a pitcher of frozen lemonade and a tip.

This place is really good and the prices are fair, and I would willingly go back there and pay retail, if 0nly they stop offering discounts. For 21 soles (the price of the coupon), it felt like I was stealing.

 

From a visit in May, here is a wonderful Pulpo a la Parilla, Tacu Tacu with Mariscos, and a Lomo Saltado. My friend tried the Lomo Saltado at four different (high-end) places during his trip, and he declared the one at Vara the best.
(Click on the thumbnails for larger views.)

 

We had lunch here today. Here's Pulpo in some sauce I never got the name of, Parihuela, Grilled Pez Espada, and their Rocoto Relleno.




Add in two soft drinks, and the check came to 130 soles. Now, $50 is a lot of money, but this was well worth it.