Peruvian Tapas Bursting With Flavour at Zuaya

South American tapas at Zuaya London

Bursting with flavour and fun, Zuaya in Kensington is a unique dining experience that hits all the right spots.

Zuaya is an exotic Latin American restaurant that fulfills its tagline promise and really does seduce the senses.

Brought to you by the brains behind Mayfair favourite El Norte and tucked away in a courtyard just off Kensington High Street, this vibrant venue offers an exciting culinary journey of Latin America with a mouthwatering menu of fresh, exotic and inventive Latin American tapas.

Influenced by Brazilian, Peruvian and Mexican cuisine, leave your inhibitions at the door and explore unique and imaginative flavours.

Welcome to the Jungle declares a neon sign as you descend the stairs into an underground garden room, and everything about Zuaya has a raw, edgy feel to it, from the dishes to the decor.

The menu is vast and offers an array of starter dishes, as well as larger meat, fish, chicken and salad bowls. The recommendation is three to four small plates per person, and maybe one or two larger to share.

Interior Zuaya London

Food comes when it is cooked, so we settled back with a glass of cava and a bowl of homemade guacamole with sweet potato chips to get us in the mood while browsing the menu.

Dishes we decided on included a creamy burrata on corn cakes, two types of tacos – one with feta ratatouille and one with slow-roasted lamb which really did melt in the mouth. We also enjoyed homemade Brazilian cheese-stuffed dough balls, milk-fed lamb chops, the most delicious patatas braves and a juicy and fresh tomato and pomegranate salad.

Margarita cocktail at Zuaya London
Could this be London’s finest margarita?

Every mouthful was enjoyed, and some perfect cocktail pairings – a tangy lime margarita and refreshing Old Fashioned were particular highlights – were recommended. Service was relaxed and friendly, and were it not for the commuters hurrying past the windows one would be forgiven for thinking that Zuaya was set in a south American market square, not just off one of the busiest shopping streets in London.

Dishes start at around £3.75 for starters and sides, and around £20 for a meaty main, and there are also set menu options for those sticking to a budget.

Zuaya is fresh, funky, and a refreshing addition to the London dining scene. We recommend booking ahead as tables fill fast during busy periods.

A treat for the eyes as well as the belly, each dish was bright and vibrant with obvious attention to detail down to the edible flowers accompanying them.

  • Zuaya restaurant, 35b Kensington High Street, entrance in Kensington Court, W8 5EB.

  • Emily Cleary

    After almost a decade chasing ambulances, and celebrities, for Fleet Street's finest, Emily has taken it down a gear and settled for a (slightly!) slower pace of life in the suburbs. With a love of cheese and fine wine, Emily is more likely to be found chasing her toddlers round Kew Gardens than sipping champagne at a showbiz launch nowadays, or grabbing an hour out of her hectic freelancer's life to chill out in a spa while hubby holds the babies. If only!

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