Hi all !
I'm considering going for a meal in a Peruvian restaurant in Madrid (there seem to be a few, no doubt thanks to the positive effects of immigration). Can anyone tell me if Peruvian food is similar to Spanish food, and if not in what way it differs?

I love it. I fidn it easily compatible with spanish likes. It's the same style of food, but for it has lots of spices like "cilantro" that we no longer use, and it's pretty spicy (hot)(when not prepared specially for tourists).

I could recommend you several where you can get excellent value for your money, but I'd have to ask the names to the friends who took me there. If you want, I'll do.

One which is good, and not very expensive is ElDorado, in Malasaña street or whereabouts.

I could recomend so many dishes:

Papa a la huancaína: boiled potatoe with cheese sauce

Papa rellena: minced meat cooked with other products, surrounded (in a sphere) with potatoe puree, fried afterwards.

Parihuela: In the places where they do it well, the most delicious fish and shellfish soup I'v had (didn't like ElDOrado's).

Seco de Cordero: lamb with beans, yuca, rice, and a green sauce.

lomo saltado (meat)
lomo al jugo (meat)

pescado a lo macho (fish)
jalea de marisco, pescado o mixta: fried fish and/or shellfish
sudado de mero (fish)

ají de gallina: pieces chiken inside a kind of puree.

and so many other yummy dishes...

Go for it!

Also try Inti de Oro, which has several branches in the center. Reasonable and tasty.

There's on just behind Plaza de España right beside 'El Charrito' just off San Bernadino, I went ther years ago with a friend who had just come back after 'doing' Peru, it lived up to his expectations but I was unimpressed, and I'm easily unimpressed.

ñam ñam! Papas rellenas! yum yum!! seco de cordero!!

For me the best is a small bar, Bar Lima c/ San Emilio 27 or 26 close to metro el Carmen. Cheap and delicious.

Hey, Lizzy.

You also post messages at Salsaenmadrid.com? Me too. Same nick.

I don't like much Bar Lima. Not too bad, but small, and less expensive than tourist-like ones like Inti de Oro or Tradiciones Peruanas, but more expensive than the ones where Peruvians go, like La Rosa Náutica, Casa Fanny, or pollería Lisa at Cobre street.

Of course, variety in the menu is not the same, and you can eat mcuh better in the expensive ones or El Dorado or Casa Fanny than in the rest.

I wouldn't recommend Bar Lima over the rest except for the cold dishes like causa limeña (with or without avocado) or soused (¿?) chicken.

Hi Ignacio:
You´re right I also post in salsaenmadrid.com.
What I love about Bar Lima is that the taste and the quality hasn´t changed in years. The yuca rellena is also wonderful and the Ají de gallina...

I have been to a peruvian restaurant here in Ca. and I absolutely love Peruvian food! Has anybody tried Bubble Gum flavored Inca Cola? yum, yum

NO, but I have tried Inka kola. Not bad, but prefer Coke or Pepsi, although the flavour (and colour) is completely different.

What I think it could beat coke or pepsi in their market and maybe in others is the delicious refreshment made ut of "chicha morada", a non-alcoholic drink (opposite to just "chicha" which is a schnapps, whose main or only ingredient is purple corn.