13 Monjas — Restaurant in Arequipa

We had mixed feelings about the place. We went on a recommendation that it was one of the best places to have a bite to eat in town. So the night before we went, we tried to make a reservation but they said they don’t take them on for Friday nights. No problem.

When we arrived the next night there was a size-able line but we saw people trickling out at a decent speed so we didn’t think it would take long. Next thing we knew people were coming up to the door saying that they had a reservation and were sat before us. My hope is that they just put their name on a list and came back. Knowing this, we may not have waited in the short line for an hour…maybe get the names of people as they arrive in line too ? Could help people judge if they think they have enough time to wait.

Regardless we decided to stay knowing that it came highly recommended.

Ordered a pizza, came out in a timely fashion. It was topped well and cooked well but could have used a bit more flavoring.

The staff were nice. You can tell they work hard because it is a very crowded place and they are constantly buzzing about.

One thing they could do to help the individuals sat outside are to encourage those who are asking for money to politely leave their customers be. I understand that this is a tricky and delicate situation. While waiting in line I noticed someone who stood by a group of woman with his hand held out for almost 5 minutes asking for money They kept saying no and trying to ignore him. The staff came out a few times and noticed but didn’t say anything.

When we had been seated, a different individual came up to us and asked for money while I was mid bite, and as I was chewing I said lo siento, and then was batted in the head by the guy. A staff member came over and ushered him away but didn’t say anything after.

We feel that this restaurant is 1 or 2 small changes away from being a top tier place in the city. We’ve read some of the previous comments since our visit and we can tell they have been doing a lot to improve which is what you want to see happening. Rooting for your continued growth and success 👍

PS. The hostess was very...

Came here for lunch and also because of the Google recommendations, however sadly we felt this place did not live up to expectations.

We ordered two glasses of roses (perfect!), chicken satay salad (very disappointing dry tasteless chicken pieces) and the Chicken BBQ Pizza (Amazing homemade fresh pizza base everything perfect apart from the chicken again dry and tasteless). We feel for the price you are paying the food needs to be faultless you cannot make dishes look beautiful in presentation but then not deliver in texture and flavour.

The staff are lovely and very attentive and the manager noticed that we were not happy with our choice of food and we explained why. He was very apologetic and was very quick to come back and say he will give us a free dessert, although we would have rather been given a choice as we are not big dessert people.

Atmosphere and design of the restaurant is lovely and you can see the chefs making the fresh pizza based and you can also see them rolling out pasta and making ravioli. You can also see the barman making lots of different cocktails.

When the bill came we were surprised to see the chicken salad still on there especially because we left half of it on the plate, at this point we didn’t want to cause anymore fuss.

One other comment would be the menu is somewhat confusing especially with the drinks, because they have a massive collection of beers but it would be nice to know what’s bottle or fraught etc.

Overall we had an okay experience we would definitely come back for the drinks and a...

“Love to sell Peruvian food, but won't let Peruvian people in."

I have dined in many establishments on Santa Catalina Street, from “Chicha” to “Victoria Museum Picanteria,” and enjoyed everything from Curtis Stone's cuisine to delicious street food in Thailand. Yet, I have never felt as discriminated against as I did when I entered 13 Monjas, a restaurant in my own country.

The way the server communicated that there were no tables available for three people, despite the visible empty tables in the back of the restaurant, was not only insulting but also a clear display of racism. It felt as if he deemed us out of place in a city where we were born and raised, Arequipa. We felt disheartened and wanted to warn anyone who opposes acts of racism to reconsider visiting the "13 Monjas" restaurant. Instead, we encourage you to seek out more accepting establishments like "7 Vidas."

Unfortunately, while "13 Monjas" celebrates our origins and embraces our culinary heritage when it is sold to foreigners, it only serves racism and disrespect towards the very people from whom this...