Don Ceviche — Restaurant in New York

Don Ceviche was a small and unassuming place that I discovered during my restaurant search for date ideas and, honestly, I'm glad I found it. This was a worthy place for an anniversary brunch.

Here is what we ordered on 4/17/25: Terminal Pesqeuro Lomo Saltado - Sirloin Steak Chaufa don Ceviche Chilcanito

The total came out to around $90, give or take tax + tip.

Here's what I think of it:

Atmosphere: 4/5 For starters, we were about 5-10 minutes late for our reservation and, when calling the restaurant in warning, they were very gracious with us and said it was okay to push it back slightly. Upon entering the establishment, you will come to quickly find that the place is not big at all—quite cramped, in fact. But that's okay, it's what I would call "cozy," because the place itself is spilling with life and heritage. Warm lighting, homages to Peruvian culture, the likes. It works itself as a double-edged sword: great for atmosphere due to its size, but also very quickly packed and can get quite noisy. For reference, our (pushed-back) reservation was at 2:30 PM. The place filled up at around 3:00 PM.

Service: 5/5 In accordance with the above-story on reservations, the hospitality and service was great. They were not shy on making sure we were well-stocked with water and, even after I foolishly flubbed the menu items (I am not Spanish nor Spanish-speaking, as my name would suggest), the lady taking my order did not judge. They checked in on us to make sure our food was good and everything went without a hitch.

Food: 4.5/5 Unfortunately, half-stars are not permitted on this site for whatever reason. That said, the food was as expected to become a mainstay in a food capital such as NYC. The Chaufa don Ceviche (mixed seafood fried rice) was quite surprising, I'll admit. Very smoky, heavy on the flavors (albeit a bit too salty), and chock full of seafood to the point where I had to box it home. They do not skimp!

The Terminal Pesqeuro was also not light on the flavors: bold, extremely(!) sour, and citrus-laden. Don Ceviche is not afraid to pack a punch with its flavors, and everything was quite fresh. The shrimp were bouncy and crispy on the bite, soft to chew. All were good except for the mussels—they were small and a bit sad, in truth. Admittedly, the sirloin steak was not the most tender, but that is to be expected considering the price point relative to other steakhouses in the city. The plantains they came with were absolutely delicious though and induced a five-minute rant on why fruits should be used more often in savory foods, much to my partner's (faux) dismay.

Lastly, the Chilcanito. If the ceviche and chaufa were flavor bombs, this one was a nuke, particularly in the acid and citrus department. If you aren't a fan (or if you are!) of sour flavors, this is not for you. I love sour warheads and all sorts of sour delights, but even this was a tad much for me. Small sips, small sips.

Overall, would I come again? Hard to say. It's difficult to compete in this diverse and cutthroat market of NYC—Manhattan, no less—and even harder to stay. The numbers average out to a 4.5/5 stars, but the X-factor of 'enjoyment' warrants me to bump it up to a five. In the end, if I enjoyed my time here, then it's worth anyone else's time...

The Best Peruvian Food in Town!

Just a few days ago I told my sister that I was very disappointed with the food that was coming out of the restaurants I frequented lately. I was losing my appetite to dine at these restaurants--until I walked into Don Ceviche at the East Village on a Friday night. I was taking a stroll through the neighborhood and as the evening approached I was starting to get hungry. As I was trying to decide where to eat my disillusionment with restaurants creeped in. After walking for about 20 blocks we saw from a distance the sign: "Don Ceviche"! I couldn’t believe he opened a restaurant right when I needed it! I have eaten the food at Essex Street Market since it opened so I knew the food was very good. I made a bee-line straight to the door.

The food at the Market is very good, BUT here it is elevated to Fine Cuisine! It is Delicious!! The proprietor Lenny made suggestions that showcase the cuisine of Peru. We started out with Leche de Tigre, which was a beautiful citrusy consommé with thinly sliced delicately pickled red onions and small pieces of fish that were light but flavorful. It opened the appetite like a glass of Prosecco. Next we had another appetizer that was amazing! It was like a large fluffy potato croquette filled with chopped sirloin steak with a small amount of raisins--lightly sweet and savory—(Papa Rellena)

For our entree I ordered the grilled octopus with a chimichurri sauce with new potatoes. The octopus was grilled perfectly and was as tender as butter. My husband had the arroz marisco. It had the texture between a risotto and paella. It was topped with shrimp in a delicate cream sauce, it was amazing. Lenny suggested a white wine that paired beautifully! I was so impressed with the food that I asked who the chef was--Lenny said he was a chef from Peru, his name is Dario. The service was impeccable!

The place is small but has a nice Peruvian vibe. The music that was playing in the background was beautiful Romantic Spanish ballads that filled the room.

So if you can’t afford a trip to Machu Picchu but want a little taste of Peru, make a reservation at...

After the first true summer Saturday in the city, with a white linen shirt draped on my 5'10 174lb frame and one too many Spritzes giving my liver a heavyweight title fight, we were deliberating where to eat dinner.

My big bro was campaigning heavily for Don Ceviche as he eats here at least 4 times a week, with big cuzzo pushing for McDonalds. What a dichotomy.

I have been toying with going to Peru to do an Ayahuasca retreat over the past few weeks, so I felt like the option of going to a Peruvian restaurant was the universe's way of giving me an omen. Got to follow the omens...

Me and big bro entered the tiny interior that boasts an authentically Peruvian atmosphere, as big cuzzo veered off toward the golden arches.

The term "hole in the wall" is vastly overused at this point, but Don Ceviche embodies everything about a hole in the wall restaurant in Lower Manhattan. Squeezing MAYBE 20 total seats into a unique elongated footprint, the owner running the floor and directing traffic, the staff all smiles and seemingly genuinely happy to be there, and the food is GOD TIER.

I am on a major chicken kick these days so I ordered a half chicken with yellow rice and beans, with my big bro ordering a whole chicken with a side of plantains because he is a PSYCHO.

This chicken was unreal. It was a top 3 chicken in New York City, along with Simply Natural Grillhouse and Casa Adela. The skin is perfect, with an ideal amount of char and seasoning that makes you give a verbal "Mmmmmmmmm" on your first bite.

The green sauce that they have to accompany the chicken is something that I can't fully articulate. No word of a lie, big bro asked for 4 extra servings of sauce. The servers would just laugh and happily oblige.

I want to come back to try some ceviche and other authentically Peruvian dishes, but I'm a firm believer in being able to tell the quality of a place by how good their chicken is.

It's only a matter of time before Don Ceviche becomes a household name in the East Village, so I would go while you can still get a seat...

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