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By Melanie Bayly

Fiesta is a restaurant that specializes in Chiclayo cuisine; family run restaurant started by Alberto and Bertha Solis. It’s not your common Peruvian food restaurant. Located on the Av. Reducto in Miraflores, a large golden sign welcomes you. There is valet parking, so don’t stress out about where to park. Once inside, you’ll find yourself in a lobby and you’ll be seated promptly.

The bar is straight ahead. This is a new locaton for it, since it used to be on the right-hand side. On the floor there is an interesting representation of the Tuma del Señor de Sipan, made by the same sculptor that made the one in El Museo de la Nación. The bar seats around 20 people. It is a nice comfortable environment where you can have a drink or wait for your party. They have a signature drink called El Capitán del norte made with macerado de mamey. On the second floor they are making a Ceviche and Champagne bar, where you can only have ceviche made on the spot and drink champagne. I’m looking forward to trying it. There are two private rooms as well, one seating 10 and the other 30 people. If you have a large party it is best you use one of these rooms.

The dinning room has changed since it first opened; it is always stylish according to the tendencies. It seats about 90 people in very comfortable chairs. The decoration is sober with colorful orange chairs. Plenty of mirrors give the impression of a larger room, and therefore you won’t feel as if in a crowded, small place. There is a small terrace area where they have a grill, used only for special events. This is not a restaurant to have a quick lunch. Most lunches usually last about 2-3 hours, not because the kitchen is slow, which it’s not, but because it is the kind of place and kind of food where you take your time enjoying. Maybe you have a coffee afterward and then maybe a pousse cafe which make conversations rich and flavorful like the food you’re eating.

At the table we tried pisco sours and algarrobina. The fun part is when the bartender comes with a small wooden table and mixes the drinks on the table. He’ll ask if you like it sweet or sour and he’ll make it just the way you like it. The mouth opener is a Choclo tortilla with a cube of mero ceviche. It definitely opens up your appetite and you have a taste of the wonders that are about to approach your table.

Then came the Tiradito de Mero al Gourmet: Thin slices of mero with lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and sprinkled with oregano, served with a creamy rocoto sauce. A nice and smooth dish in which you can taste the freshness of the fish; the lemon and olive oil had a nice balance. This opened our appetites even more. Hector decided to bring out a new invention, which his customers love: the Mero a la brasa. They wrap the fish marinated with chicha de jora and yallow ají the panka (the leaves from the maize) then placed on the grill. It is served with huacatay sauce and a delicious yucca. Even though it was made with chicha de jora, it didn’t have that strong flavor. Spicy yet soft, the fish melted away in your mouth. The yucca was excellent, sweet and delicate, one of the best I’ve ever had.

Don’t be fooled by its name. The Causa Chiclayana is no ordinary causa; served with either crispy jumbo shrimp or the original salty fish. As it arrives to your table it will leave you speechless. We had the jumbo shrimp which was about the size of a small lobster. After the delicate flavors of the previous dishes this one made itself known in your mouth. There was mashed potatoes, some onions, a wonderful yucca, a bit of sweet potatoes and corn half a hard boiled egg. I would definitely order this again. Then came the Costillar de Cabrito a la parilla, served with Loche puree (a type of squash) The baby goat is cooked with chichi de jora and cilantro. These juices are then reduced, they add some white wine and served with the meal. The meat came off easily from the bone. You could eat it with a spoon.

By now we were a bit full but Héctor insisted we try the lomo Saltado with tacu tacu. Huge chunks of tender meat sautéed to perfection with all the original ingredients of the lomo saltado, served with a decent size tacu tacu, made with white beans; delicious.

As if we hadn’t had enough, he surprised us with two desserts. A Crepe with fig syrup served with home made ice cream. The syrup was warm and not too sweet. We had mint ice cream, which was creamy and airy. You can choose between Grape, Banana split, Lucuma, and Mint. The other one was an Albaricocada. Layers of warm cocada filled with apricot jam and served with home made manjar blanco. Un Broche de Oro, as we say in Spanish.


Something I’m going back for is the Arroz con Pato, made in small amounts throughout the day so you’ll have it fresh and not reheats. There is a special person who only makes this, something worth trying. If you feel you want to try everything there is the Menu de Degustación which serves 1 drink, 4 entrees, 3 main courses and 1 dessert is a good choice. The portions are small and it is a nice way to have a bit of everything.


A family business

Fiesta began 27 years ago at Alberto and Bertha Solis’s house in Chiclayo. One day Alberto got tired of working at the bank and decided to open a restaurant at home with his wife Bertha.

They moved their home to the third floor and turned the first and second into the restaurant. Up until then every restaurant in Chiclayo was a picantería, a completely informal restaurant where food is cheap and served as one would eat at home, and let’s not forget in huge portions. Alberto had one thing clear in his mind: he wanted to offer something different, a restaurant with nice tablecloths and a smooth ambiance where you could come in and stay for hours enjoying a wonderful meal. His friends could not grasp the idea. Why would people eat there if they could get the same across the street and pay less. They said it would not work; however Alberto had a vision and stuck to it. Once they opened they were a hit. What they offered was unique and well accepted. They preserved the flavors of the meals but improved its disposition on the plate.

They were such a hit that five star hotels in Lima invited them to make buffets with food from Chiclayo. They stayed for around 15 days cooking their delicacies and hundreds of people came to eat at the buffet. This is when they decided to open a place here in Lima. They used the house where their five children stayed while studying here. The first three months were slow, but once the word got out they were packed. La Fiesta has been in Lima for 11 years and still going strong. They renew the restaurant every couple of years to keep with the trends and always improving what they have.

They opened one in Tacna three years ago, a restaurant visited by many Chileans and part of a gastronomic tour “Have lunch in Peru”. A couple of weeks ago they opened another in Trujillo, and it hasn’t stopped since. They are hopeful that by the end of this year they’ll open one in Cusco. In international waters, they are remodeling a place in Santiago that will open in 2009, and plan on opening one in Bogotá and Quito.

This is a family business run only by family. Héctor is in charge of the food area and travels to all the restaurants making sure quality never changes. They treat their employees like family and most of them have been here since they opened. They not only rotate throughout the chain so they get a break from the same kitchen but some of them are sent to study so they can improve themselves. This gives them a sense of family.



The Facts

La Fiesta

Address: Av. Reducto 1278, Miraflores

Phone number: 249-9009

Hours: Monday – Friday 12.00 pm – 12.00 am ; Saturday – Sunday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Website: www.restaurantfiestagourmet.com

Online Reservation: Yes

Valet Parking: Yes

Menu in English: Yes (on web page as well)

Reservation recommended: During lunch hours and for large groups.

Cards accepted: ALL major cards.

Business friendly: Yes.

Handicap accessible: Help available

Catering for special dietary needs: Yes.

Take out Available: Yes, Delivery as well.

Service Charge: S/. 7.00

Full bar: Yes

Outdoor seating/terrace: Yes