Open Mon–Fri 6pm–11pm, Sat midday–4pm and 6pm–11pm, Sun midday–4pm and 6pm–10pm
The blurb
In a leafy corner of Chelsea is a breath of fresh air from the Peruvian coast; brand new seafood restaurant Chicama. The sister restaurant of Pachamama in Marylebone, Chicama is inspired by the bold flavours of Peru, but made with the freshest English produce and fish delivered daily from the (slightly more local) Cornish coastline.
I visited on what must have been the last hurrah of the British summer (an evening warm enough to actually sit outside) to sample the menu, sip cocktails and pretend it isn’t about to turn into winter overnight.
The style
Laid back and cool, with a slightly rustic edge. The inside space isn’t the biggest, so the tables are placed pretty close together, with a few seats ‘chef’s table style’ at the bar looking into the open kitchen. What could seem cramped instead feels nicely communal, a kind of perfect blend between a hidden local and a trendy hotspot.
The outside dining terrace (probably not worth as much of a mention now that Winter Is Coming) is equally compact and, despite looking out over a very busy corner of the King’s Road, surprisingly leafy and tranquil.
The crowd
Either small groups of friends congregated in candlelit corners or trendy couples with a healthy dose of foodie curiosity.
The food
I was completely new to Peruvian cuisine, though my dining companion wasn’t, and her enthusiasm about it was infectious. Seafood is currently my biggest foodie crush; do it well and I’m a happy critic. So I arrived at Chicama not only hungry, but with high expectations.
The menu is described as ‘tapas’, which is a little misleading given that it is also clearly divided into courses—To Start, Small Plates, Fish, Sides and Sweets. Though perhaps that’s to encourage attention to the smaller options that might otherwise get overlooked by the more abstemious diner. Which would be a shame; they deserve all the attention and praise I can point their way.
The frankly baffling-sounding Popped Corn Monkfish with aji Amarillo mayo (£9) was a delight of delicate flavour and inventiveness—popcorn shouldn’t go so well with seafood but gobsmackingly here it does. The Seabass Ceviche served with tiger’s milk, grilled corn, heritage tomato and pickled onion (£11) was such an earthy, succulent dream I was literally fighting my companion for the final forkful. Tuna served with avocado jalapeño sauce, fried leeks, lime and radish (£12) managed to taste both citrus-fresh and creamy-rich. And the whole Globe Artichoke with brown crab mayo (£9) was so meltingly sweet it felt like a comfort food! I was in seafood heaven.
Mains were a choice of whole fish on the bone cooked over charcoal; I went for Sea bass (£19) and my friend had the Lemon Sole (£19). Embellishments to the fish were a choice of three sauces: either more of the delicious avocado jalapeño, mango and Ali limo, or smoked aji panca horseradish. Both fish were barbequed to crumblingly soft perfection, the smoky flesh perfect alongside any one of the sauces.
The most surprising revelation, though, was the somewhat inauspiciously titled Black Rice (£4.50). Our waiter assured us it was the best thing on the menu, and it very nearly was (I’m still having seabass ceviche dreams). So soft, so sweet, so flavoursome! If I could cook rice like that I’d have enjoyed my four years of vegetarianism infinitely more. The only real missteps were the BBQ Plantain (£4) and the Charred Sweet Potato (£3.50) sides, which were alternately chalky and bitter.
Piura Porcelaña chocolate, chocolate crumb and chocolate mousse (£7) to finish off really did nearly finish us off. It was a triumph of texture, but sent us both into food comas because it was so rich (and that was between two of us).
The drink
There’s an intriguing but concise cocktail menu at Chicama, and we couldn’t resist both ordering a Barbarola (£10), the restaurant’s signature spritz made with acerola and rhubarb Barsol liquor, which was both moreish and refreshing.
There isn’t the longest wine list and only two beers on offer, but what we did try—a bottle of the 2015 Los Espinos (£28)—was a gooseberry-ripe delight that married gorgeously with the delicious seafood. And if you’re a sake fan this is certainly the place for you—there are six on the menu!
In a nutshell
Chicama is certainly a first for me; there wasn’t one thing on the menu that didn’t surprise me in some way, either with flavour or execution. Every plate was rustic but elegant, bursting with taste yet delivered with lightness of touch. If you don’t mind being close to your neighbours then the atmosphere is warm, the staff are friendly and the food revelatory. If it is all this flavoursome, Peruvian food has a new fan!