Lima London

Forget the hot barometer of Peruvian food, Lima is one of the few restaurants in London making the unfamiliar utterly delicious. Start with an easy-drinking Pisco Sour plus some puffy pumpkin seed bread, but defer further choice to staff who know the baffling menu inside out. From crisp octopus tentacles on polenta-like maize and olive purée (a riot of purple) to blood-red potatoes set against sour, yellow dressing and artichokes, every dish is a picture in vibrant Technicolor. Elsewhere, sweet potato melded into corn purée is a veggie spin on ceviche, while the real thing is spiky, silky perfection involving dense-fleshed chunks of sea bass. Pressed suckling pig is a standout main (especially with a side of creamy sun-dried potato), while avocado cream and chocolate mousse is a knockout dessert. With its neat, grey-on-grey room recently revamped and extended, Lima is now a true destination – a “fun place with a fun atmosphere”.