Don Ceviche (Market) — Restaurant in New York

Don Ceviche at Essex Market: A Love Letter with Conditions (Corn Redemption + Tiger’s Roar Edition)

Waltzed into Don Ceviche expecting seafood enlightenment. Left with a ceviche that’s still in therapy. Ordered the mixed ceviche with a side hustle of fried calamari and a purple corn juice that looked like it could headline a goth kombucha rave.

First sip of the juice, majestic. Hibiscus vibes with a confidence that says “I meditate, but I also party.”

The ceviche? Mixed, both emotionally and literally. Came with two types of corn: the white kind was good, clean, bright, behaving itself. Then its hardened cousin showed up, dried? Roasted? Just hard and chalky enough to make me check if I still had dental coverage. A real distraction from an otherwise solid dish.

What truly held the plate together was the leche de tigre. An impeccably bold trifecta of acidity, spices and heat—sharp enough to wake your palate, complex enough to make you pause mid-bite and reassess your life choices. It’s the kind of zing that doesn’t shout, it smolders.

The calamari? Like a rom-com supporting character, doesn’t demand attention but ends up stealing the show. Crispy, tender, and suspiciously perfect.

The service? So forgettable I briefly wondered if the register was run by AI. (No offense, I’d never ghost you like that.) Seating is upstairs.

Would I return? Yes. I’m emotionally invested and curious, hoping that next time, the ceviche shows up with less corn, more seafood and the same thrilling tiger’s...

The guy at the cashier/counter serving today (Wednesday night 07/10) offered a terrible and horrible service to me and my boyfriend. I ordered a quinoa bowl with Grilled chicken and when I got my order, they gave me a quinoa bowl with Rotisserie chicken. I told the guy that there was a mistake and he was extremely rude and lied, stating that I asked for “chicken” and that I didn’t specify the kind of chicken I wanted. He, then, asked me to wait and then asked me “What you want me to do my friend?” with a nasty attitude, to which I responded “well, you had me waiting here so I am waiting for my grilled chicken now”. The guy then started acting like an idiot and ignoring me as a customer. Honestly, I’m more upset at the principle and wonder why hire people who can get the job done but are so nasty and disrespectful with the service when the task is so simple and the inconvenient was initially addressed in a friendly manner. 0/10 for the brutal service.

Fun fact: I was there yesterday, there was another guy at the counter, younger hispanic guy, ordered the same thing, and the service was beyond expectations. (I got the same thing and as expected, everything...

Don Ceviches is one of the many food stands in Essex Market. open during the day to 8 pm, it's a good spot to grab a takeout meal or order for delivery. it's on the street level of the market. this colorful stand serves a variety of Peruvian dishes from ceviches to rice platter combos.

stopped here recently to grab dinner to go. ordered the quarter rotisseries chicken + rice + fries. you can sub the rice or fries with salad. total cost: $7.25 + tax + tip. the roasted chicken was cooked nicely. you get a heap of fluffy rice and a pile of crispy-on-the-outside-and-fluffy-on-the-inside fries. all of the foods were well seasoned and tasted good together. there also was a small container of green sauce (huacatay) which was full of herb flavoring. the combo platter is an ample amount of food for the price--a perfect winter meal of comfort eats. i would definitely order this combo or try one of the Peruvian-inspired grain bowls. once indoor dining is back in effect or the weather gets warmer, i want to try the ceviche.

the service was fast and the food was prepared...