Cosme’s food is honest comfort food. Chef James Berckemeyer and his team can turn everything into a delicious and unpretentious meal. It is a place where you can go back over and over.
A concept that connects Cosme with sustainability, from the name inspired by the San Cosme Hills, one of the first famous human settlements in Lima setting the base for “neighborhood food” to the colors on the roof and the walls that Berckemeyer explains “daily, enough soda bottle caps are wasted to produce 250 walls like the one on the back of the restaurant, we decided to use them and give color to it”. Then James also explains about the vulture on the logo, “for us, the vulture (gallinazo as known in the city) is an innate recycler that contributes to the cleaning and equilibrium of the environment.”
THE FOOD
James Berckemeyer‘s food is tasty, and is a place to eat well and disconnect. The liquid experience includes cocktails made and without alcohol; we tried the lemongrass tangerine soda using their soda streamer. The Sacha Yuzu instead uses pisco torontel, sweet lime, and tangerines (that are in season).
We tried some of the menu’s staples and some new items. The starters like the tiradito with ají Amarillo, fresh and with a good presence of the yellow chili taste. One of the plates we come over and over for are the grilled angus sweetbreads, a staple on the menu with a crunchy outside and a creamy inside, plated over a cream of corn and yellow chilli cream that cannot be left on the plate. Another starter worth trying is the trout with citrus, thin slices of trout over a citrus foam with the crunchy texture of quinoa.
The main dishes like the rice with shrimp embrace you, and the fish curry has chilies to boost the fish, refresh and complement it. One of our favorites was the angus beef with lentils with a thick and savory broth so comforting that you don’t want it to finish.
FINGERLICKING DESSERTS
We can solely go to Cosme for the desserts, from the chocolate cake, one of the best in lima, a generous portion with cream, the right amount of chocolate and sugar. Their crema volteada (local version of crème caramel) is creamy, rich with light caramel, and fresh whipped cream with berries. Their most recent dessert was a surprise for us, Loche squash, dulce de leche ice cream, and brazil nut. It has different textures of the Loche, a local squash that has a nutty flavor with brazil nut ice cream, it is elegant and decadent.
We love Cosme’s sustainability concept, the idea of reducing, reusing, and recycling to care for the planet is always a plus; Berckemeyer told us that he doesn’t like to lecture, but it is part of their concept that should be more upfront.
IN THE KNOW: Cosme is located at 162 Tudela and Varela Ave, in San Isidro. They work Monday to Saturday from 12:30 pm to 10:30 pm and Sunday from noon to 4:00 pm. Reservations are recommended via this link. They don’t offer a tasting menu, but they can set something special if you ask nicely.
