In a quiet corner in the heart of Miraflores is Festivo, a friendly neighborhood restaurant with a mischievous spirit and a fun menu designed by chef David Uman under the gastronomic direction of Renzo Mignano, owner of Cumpa, Cumpita and Almacén, establishments that save the concept of tavern, cebichería, huarique and a corner of worship, being none of them in the strict sense of the term.
Festivo follows this line, though it’s less ceviche and more of a coastal restaurant with a nod to northern cuisine (the cradle of Mignano), featuring quality produce dishes that are somewhat baroque in their execution but full of color and flavor.
The pursuit of popular and accessible cuisine is the concept that unites the menu, even the liquid one.
To begin with, the creative cocktails designed by bartender Andy Valderrama are based on soft drinks and distillates produced mainly in Peru: vodka made from local Andean potatoes, black whiskey made from purple corn, altitude gin made with tropical fruits, limoncello , made from cane and citrus from the Concepcion and Yanatilla valleys in Cusco, and of course pisco in all the pisco grapes. These distillates are infused with the freshness of seasonal fruits such as aguaymanto, cherimoya, sachaculantra, purple corn, chion, coconut, passion fruit, camu camu and flowers. The result is a different, fresh, creative and festive cocktail.
On the first stage, the ceviche undoubtedly shines, both classic and what has been dubbed “mysterious and offensive”, because it actually includes the catch of the day, crispy squid, corn and sweet potatoes in two structures closer to a truck ceviche . Manifestation of Reason follows a similar but more complex route with fried fish tartare, crispy seafood, avocado cream, octopus biscuits and tiger milk racato. Offensive. Highly recommended are the northern tamales, one green with varnish and the other with a dry-fried strip, served on charcoal-grilled corn buns. They put personal versions of parihuela and jello in the dish, as well as rice with duck, beef cheek and loma saltado. However, what captivates visitors is the chupe flavored rice and conkolon.
Renzo’s refined technique is present in every dish, whether it’s in the often-overlooked flawless halakita present in several dishes, the points of doneness of fish and the tenderness of meats subjected to long hours of slow cooking.
There are no mysteries in the desserts: upside-down cream, custard apple meringue and lemon cheesecake.
The place is very pleasant, with handmade ceramic tableware specially created for the festival, lamps and simple wooden tables, colorful tiled floors and salsa music at a sensitive volume that allows for conversation.
DANA
- Address: San Fernando 320. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 12 noon. to 11 p.m. Sundays and holidays, lunch only. Monday off. Reservation: 999700808. Ig: festive.peru