ALPA | Peruvian Cuisine — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

I usually don’t leave many reviews because I honestly don’t take the time, however I felt like this review was needed since I drove over an hr to try this “Peruvian restaurant”. From the start the atmosphere in there was weird but I thought it was maybe just me since I don’t live around the city. I was not greet it once inside but I thought maybe since is a small place I’ll just order at the counter not a big deal, I ordered my drinks but they didn’t have chicha and I was very disappointed but once again it wasn’t a deal breaker so I continued to order. I ordered a papa a la huancaina with lomo saltado, arroz chaufa and seco de carne since those are most of the option you are offered. They didn’t have lomo saltado (which in my opinion it’s a must in any Peruvian restaurant and it’s 1 of only 4 or 5 meal they offer), I replaced it with a kids chicharrón de pescado. Once I was done ordering ( which it was like pulling teeth from this kid at the counter) I sat down and waited for our meals. First La papa a la huancaina were 6 little balls of mashed potatoes with the sauce on the side. Now I am Peruvian and I love Peruvian food and this was not even close to huancaina sauce. The potatoes were made from causa mashed potatoes and instead of telling me they were out of the regular potatoes, they just tried to pass it as the real thing. Moving on to arroz chaufa. It was okay no much complain there but not outstanding either and for the price I was expecting to be amazed. The chicharrón de pescado was not impressive but it was from the kids menu so I let it slide however when I got to the seco de carne, it was terrible. I don’t expect the flavor to be as good as what you eat back in Peru since ingredients can be hard to get or not fresh but this was subpar to even cafeteria food. The rice was hard and not cooked and the flavor was just not there. The “chef” was some kid that barely said anything and looks like he warmed everything up instead of cooking the meal. Peruvian food is one of the world’s most acclaimed cuisine and as person who takes pride in my country’s gastronomic diversity, this experience did not give it any justice. When you lack the ability to cook something so fundamental like rice ( in a rice maker by the way) then you need to step back and see if this is your calling. Because if you put this type and quality of food in a plate and give it some Peruvian names it doesn’t make it Peruvian, it just gives the country a bad name. To end this review, I was refunded some of my money by who I think was the owner but after driving over an hr to have a little taste of my home land, a refund was not going to fix the disappointment I felt and the indignation that locals think that this is my...

“Chef’s Kiss? No. Chef’s Pick!”

I walked into Alpa thinking I was just going to have a quick dinner. I did not expect to embark on a full-blown flavor quest curated by a Peruvian sorcerer in an apron. But here we are.

Do yourself a favor and order the Chef’s Pick. Don’t ask questions. Don’t make substitutions. Just submit to the chef like he’s your flavor overlord. It’s $26 and includes a “trio of small plates” — but by “small,” they mean “rich enough to make your taste buds sing the national anthem of Peru.”

One bite of my tender Lomo Saltado, and I saw visions of llamas dancing in the Andes. Then came the Leche de Tigre served in a martini glass like a citrusy shot of ceviche espresso. I sipped it and briefly achieved enlightenment.

Just when I thought I was done, the third plate arrived — I believe it was Causa Escabechada, but I was already floating out of my chair like a cartoon character sniffing a pie on a windowsill. Seasoned mashed potatoes and shrimp in ají amarillo? I’d trade my birth certificate for another bite.

Bonus points for the Yuca a la Huancaína appetizer: fried yuca sticks dipped in a creamy sauce sent directly from the snack gods. I don’t know what was in it, but if you told me it was edible gold infused with happiness, I’d believe you.

Atmosphere? Chic and cozy. Service? So friendly I almost invited my waiter to Thanksgiving.

TL;DR: Order the Chef’s Pick, wear stretchy pants, and prepare to spiritually ascend. This isn’t a meal — it’s a...

It was my first time ordering from the restaurant through a meals app and decided to pick up the order. The restaurant called me almost immediately to let me know that one of the items I ordered was not longer available and wanted to double check if I would like to order something else or cancel the order. The app gave us a few problems, however, we were able to resolve it. The staff were beyond attentive and help us to the point that we decided to stay for a quick drink and they ask you if they could put our ceviche in the fridge to preserve the integrity of the food. The food was delicious, I tried the ceviche clásico and arroz chaufa with seafood, both were so good and delicious, with decent portion. Overall, I do recommend you to visit this interesting concept of dining.

A few things to keep in mind.

1- The restaurant share the space with 2 other restaurants, which will allow you to try different cuisines in 1 place: Peruvian, Japanese and Cuban. I suggest doing you own tapas to taste a little bit of everything.

2- Small seating area, I wouldn’t recommend big parties.

3- place is located in a centric area of the city allowing to walk to different...