Pisco Peruvian Gastrobar - Orlando — Restaurant in Orlando

Being Lake Nona residents, we have dined here several times now and wanted to share some observations. First, the good. Very distinctive menu options and everything we have ordered was excellent in both taste and presentation. It's not a place to eat if you're on a budget, however portion sizes for most items are fair for the pricing. The atmosphere is good, with a combination of indoor and outdoor space. On the departures from our second and third visits, the team at the front door thanked us for coming and wished us a good day. Some opportunities exist however. On departing from our first visit, three employees were working the front door area and were more engaged with themselves than anything else. No one acknowledged us on the way out. Also on our first visit, there seemed to be several employees sitting at the bar waiting for their shift to start. They weren't drinking, but they were in uniform and obviously not working. Had I entered expecting to sit at the bar, this would not have been comfortable. Also on the negative side for us is the 18% gratuity that is added onto every single check, not just tables of 6 people or more. As a member of the hospitality industry, I consider myself a very generous tipper so I don't quite understand that. This mandatory service charge was a surprise which the server for our first visit didn't mention until we noticed it. After asking him about it, he went out of his way to explain that the 18% didn't go to him, but to everyone else working in the restaurant. He explained this when we asked, he felt compelled to explain it again a few minutes later and then repeated it once again after we offered our payment. In the interest of open disclosure, his service did not merit extra gratuity at all, so we found his begging for an additional tip very distasteful. In all fairness, for our last two visits, we have had a different server. Juan waited on us and was exceptional each time. My last comment applies to the open kitchen area. I can only guess that this facility does not have an employee break room. How else to explain that while enjoying our exceptional meal, we were treated to the view of a server putting on lipstick and a cook eating what appears to be her meal, a wrap or apple, it was hard to tell. I'm used to seeing cooks and chefs tasting food during preparation, however, I'm a little taken aback when they are clearly eating for themselves and then, I can't believe we saw this, picking her teeth with her fingers, all in full view of the dining room. We were stunned to continue watching as this same employee, a few minutes later, removed her cap and ran her fingers over her head and hair. Not once while we were watching did she go to a hand sink to wash her hands. The only reason we didn't give Pisco five stars for food was because of this. These are all things that can be fixed with some education, training and active management. We plan to return here, just probably not as often as we have been...

Disappointed would be best description. The restaurant looks nice but …. Food was average and our waiter tried to upsell everything which was over the top.

We ordered drinks - so he asked if we wanted premium

We asked for food recommendations- so he recommended the two most expensive items

We asked about specials - so he got his phone out to show us photos posted on Facebook

For appetisers we had : croquettes- 4 tiny balls, pretty bland taste scallops with cheese - scallops were over cooked and minuscule and cheese was overbearing

For entree paella to share - it arrived in 10 minutes which is not possible if cooked fresh. It was full of random seafood (some tasted frozen) and he butchered the two shrimp he tried to descale. grilled octopus- not too bad, but multiple sauces and over cooked.

We had 4 different people attending our table, so 4 times I had to say “no thank you, do not take my plate as I have not finished”

When the main course was brought, I had no cutlery, and when I asked for some, Alan pointed at the spare place setting. There were only 3 in our party and they had not bothered to clear the 4th setting. Very weird behaviour. Especially when he brought another plate and cutlery after we had finished eating.

And … 18% automatically added is probably the reason the service is so poor, they do not have to work for it, and that’s before they give you the option to add even more. And no bill, just shown the total on a small iPhone device.

In general, very complicated dishes that looked impressive but not very tasty.

It’s was a shame because it was a celebration meal that left us flat

Bill was $180 which was over priced for the experience.

In summary, I would not recommend, nor return.

I just checked. It appears This restaurant open in may 2023 and already has more than 7000 reviews. That’s more than 700 per month, 20 per day ….. that’s way above “normal”.

I’d love a real reply from the owner and not his usual...

I came to this restaurant expecting a fun evening with my family, but instead we were left shaken, traumatized, and appalled at the level of negligence on display.

The restaurant puts on fire shows, but it is clear they are completely unprepared and careless in how they handle them. During the show, the staff recklessly kept pouring large amounts of liquid fuel onto the flames with no supervision or control. The fire quickly got out of hand — people’s clothes, skin, and hair were burned. I personally have a video showing that if we hadn’t quickly moved our belongings out of the way, they would have caught on fire as well.

What’s worse is the lack of basic safety measures. There were no fire extinguishers in sight. The staff froze in panic once the flames spread, and unbelievably, the manager actually walked outside instead of taking immediate action. It took 20 minutes for them to call an ambulance for the injured guests. How does a restaurant that regularly performs fire shows not have a clear emergency plan?

The aftermath was equally humiliating. Despite everything, we weren’t even given our check until I asked multiple times. When the manager finally returned to take incident reports, he promised us a refund for what we endured. Now, he refuses to honor that promise, claiming we don’t “deserve” compensation since we weren’t physically burned. As if dodging flames, watching others get hurt, and leaving the restaurant traumatized doesn’t count as a “bad experience.”

This was not just negligent — it was dangerous. It is shocking that a place operating with fire shows could demonstrate such recklessness, lack of training, and disregard for their guests’ safety. Instead of a fun night out, my family left shaken, humiliated, and disgusted by how the entire situation was mishandled.

If you value your safety and peace of mind, stay far away...