El Bodegón: the new flavors of the cozy Lima tavern

“The rebranding was necessary to get closer to the concept of a tavern. El Bodegón, as a restaurant, is a first cousin of the classic Argentine bodegón. “You go to one of these spaces – of which there are hundreds there – and the classic thing is the banners on the ceiling, t-shirts, photos and many memories, a lot of feeling and nostalgia.”explains the chef Cinzia Repetto.

Precisely, if you visit their location in Miraflores, you get that feeling of being in a very Peruvian eatery, where the small but cozy space, the use of chairs and tables that do not necessarily match, and the succulent smells that emanate from the kitchen, They make the visit one to remember.

Next to Gaston Acuriothe cook traveled to the Argentine capital to “In one week, try to eat all of Buenos Aires”, in the words of Repetto. From that experience, came a change of letter that occurred in 2023, where everything learned and known was reflected.

“We have always had starters to share, Creole stews, sandwiches and other dishes. In 2023, the main change was adding a regular, large list of Milanese and pastas. The idea has been promoted and presented in a sharing format, as is usually the case in Argentina, and it has been well accepted.”, mentions the chef of El Bodegón.

This restaurant celebrates in style the very Peruvian ability to enjoy everything in a sandwich. “Sanguchear” is a new word that we learned about thanks to Cinzia, and it represents very well the work that she and her team have been doing. They decided to focus on sausages, to expand the sandwich menu, and the previous work included research in old archives. “Making them is a challenge, because the technology we have is good but artisanal, we do not work at an industrial level,” says the chef.

In this way, the sandwich section increased its variety, offering options such as press ham, northern ham, tongue, roast, country ham and cylinder bacon, to name a few.

Our experience

We started the meal with two generous sandwiches: one of press ham (in which they play with the textures of collagen and fat, as well as meat), and our favorite: northern ham, cylinder pig, cheese and pickles. The meats were generous, the bread was fresh and crispy enough, and the pickles balanced the flavors in the best way.

A surprising skill of the Cinzia team is knowing how to transform foods not so loved by some into delicious preparations. For example, the smart fritters They combine chard and brains in an ingenious way. The result? a soft, tasty frying that combines very well with the chili with which it is served.

One of the most delicious dishes – which remind me of eating at home – are the stuffed italian zucchini with a classic meat stew, which is grilled in the oven for a spectacular starter.

El Bodegón’s milanesas are for sharing, or at least that is the intention behind portions this strong and abundant. One of the favorites is Neapolitan, which includes a “sheet” of chicken, tomato and cheese Milanese, with creamed spaghetti. If it is about more Peruvian flavors, as we wanted, the Nikei It offers a delicious pork Milanese with a chaufa loaded with vegetables, a juicy egg omelet and pickles. We also find pesto, poor or mushroom sauce options.

The pastas are another section of the menu that grew and that we couldn’t stop trying. Our choice was Rigatoni with Huachano pomodoro, one of the tastiest and most ingenious combinations we have found. The pasta – cooked just right – is combined with a soft tomato sauce, quite light and with all the flavor and seasoning of a good huachana sausage.

The orange and mango soft drinks or the lifeguard, with hibiscus flower, complement the experience in the best way, but if you are looking for the perfect company, a good classic chilcano cannot be missing.

There is no doubt that The Still Life It is one of the restaurants that has the most refined proposal, thanks to the research and creation work of Cinzia and her team. Only in this way can a varied, interesting and well-executed menu be achieved. A must visit if it is about good food. Advantage!