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Category: Latin American [Edit]
Neighborhood: Adams MorganFor Early Bird Diners we offer 3 courses for $24 daily…
Announced 2 weeks agoTue-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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My friend and I stumbled across this place in Adam's Morgan one Saturday evening over a month ago. Neither of us had ever tried traditional Peruvian cuisine and decided to give it a try! The experience was wonderful! We were warmly greeted upon entering and the host graciously answered all of our questions and offered several suggestions. We ended up settling on the ceviche classico for an appetizer (which is AMAZING!) and the Aji Gallina and Felit for dinner.
Besides the food, the charm of the place is one of it's best assets. It is a small dining room with hard wood floors, bright crimson walls and warm lighting. This place is perfect to go on a first date (guys you will definitely get cool points for bringing your date here), for an anniversary dinner, or any special occasion. To add to that--two weeks later I made a reservation for ten to celebrate my birthday there! Not only does the Birthday girl/guy get their first cocktail and a dessert on the house, I was surprised that our host and waitress both remembered me from my previous visit. This is not just a place to grab a good meal, it's an overall amazing experience.
I've also tried (and sampled off of my friend's plates) the Lomo Saltado, Quinotta, Piscojito, Flan, and Arroz con Pollo. Excelente!
Also, the classic margarita is deadly :)
This is BY FAR my favorite restaraunt in DC!
People thought this was:
My friend and I came to this place solely because it is one of the few places we know of in DC that serves pisco drinks. For those who don't know, pisco is a South American liquor made in Peru and Chile from grapes.
Las Canteras is not very conspicious. It has a small sign out front and can be easily missed. We went down, below street level, to the small bar area. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple of pisco cocktails. I forget the name of the drink I ordered but it had mango, pisco of course and I think lime in it. It was good. The bartender was really cool. We ended up chatting with him and this woman from Santiago who came for the pisco too. He gave us some advice on where to buy pisco and the difference between some of the brands. I would like to come back and try some of their food next time. It was a fun experience.
People thought this was:
great food
great service
great (romantic) ambiance
No matter how full you are at the end of the meal, order the chocolate quinoa cake... It's scrumptious.
By the way, this place is Peruvian. One day, Yelp will become enlightened enough to separate out the cuisines of Latin America.
People thought this was:
The bf and I stopped by on a rainy Saturday night. We didn't have to wait and were greeted by a kind and accommodating host. However, we ended up being sandwiched between another couple and a pretty freaking loud party. It was our choice to sit there as opposed to by the door so I have to take some sort of responsibility :) Usually that would be fine but it's a small and quiet/romantic kind of place. It was more that others were being inconsiderate as opposed to the restaurant itself but I still had a headache when we left :(
As for the food, I ordered a chicken dish and my boyfriend had grilled fish with quinoa cakes and mashed potatoes. Both were oh so very good. I wish we could have ordered more but alas it's pretty pricey price for us kids. I look forward to trying the ceviche (which, by the looks of it is amazing!) and the signature cocktails (including a foamy margarita looking one which nearly everyone had!). Over all, very nice decor and great food!
People thought this was:
The decor is gorgeous. Romantic, intimate sweet. The food is SO good. We shared the quinotto, which was the best quinoa I have ever had. The vegetarian platter was fantastic. I liked mushroom cebiche, but did not find it as tasty as the other two dishes. We ordered the chocolate quinoa cake and the sorbet, and did not enjoy either. The pisco sour was very tasty. I would for sure return to this place!!
People thought this was:
freakin' love this place--especially on Tuesday's half price wine night! the food is delicious and unique. the owner is helpful and friendly. the setting is lovely and comfortable. love love love las canteras!
This was a pleasant surprise on adams morgan. After discussing the merits of going to Lariol Plaza for Mexican, I convinced the lady to try something we'd both haven't been to. I haven't had Peruvian since I left California in 1997, so it'll give me a chance to get reacquainted with the cuisine
The place has a beautiful interior which is a pleasant surprise. The reds and black iron was warm and inviting. The servers were all on their jobs, even if we were the only ones there for a Saturday afternoon. WE decided to stick with appetizers and drinks tho'. The bread was excellent: soft and sweet, and the drinks were done well (who can go wrong with Mojitos and Margaritas?) The Antichuchos were excellently grilled, and the Cebiches looked great (something i gotta try next time) and the sauce on Papa a la Huancaina was done perfectly.
I am reserving my final star until i try the Cebiches, but until then, it'll be worth a repeat visit. Top notch eats and service will have me returning
People thought this was:
Everything was fantastic. Great atmosphere and ambiance, the waiters were really good and were seated quickly.
First off - The free bread was AWESOME! It's sweet, and when it's fresh ohhhh soo good! They also give this free spicy sauce that goes with it and butter.
Cebiche Mixto - I really do believe this is one of the best Cebiches I've ever had. It was really fresh and sour from all the lime.
Papas de Relleno - Yummy. Fried potatoes stuffed with beef, cilantro, onions...can't go wrong.
The dish that I had was the Seco de Carne, I liked it so much I ate it twice in two days.
I don't think you can go wrong with this place. Everything seemed really good.
People thought this was:
I had a very good meal, a kind of food I hadn't experienced before, and an excellent time. A few complaints which subtracted a star (or maybe a half a star), but overall quite enjoyable.
It was pouring rain and I entered through the bar (not realizing the restaurant was one floor up). However, since I was alone I decided to eat at the bar. The bartender explained the menu and helped me make a selection.
I ordered the chupa camarones: a soup of shrimp, potato, corn on the cob, and chili pepper. It was yummy, and the bread they served on the side was delicious too.
For dessert I had the quinoa chocolate cake. It was a nice fusion of Peruvian and western tastes. Quinoa flour is substituted for some of the white flour in normal chocolate cake, and coarsely ground quinoa is added for texture. The honey and malt sugar sauce gave it a little extra sweetness.
Turned out the bartender wasn't the bartender at all--he was one of the owners of the place. We had a great conversation throughout the meal.
Now for my few minuses: The bar was not that comfortable to sit at. The chairs were too low, and they had cushions that kept sliding off. My knees had to bend more than they would had I been sitting at a higher stool, and so they were pressed up against the face of the bar.
Also, although the soup was overall very pretty and very good, the shrimp were whole, and the non-meat insides of the shrimp (in lobster it's called tomalley, I don't know what it is for shrimp), added a bitter taste. But I could work around it.
People thought this was:
3.5 stars, but I'm rounding down because its Yelp score is too inflated.
I recently ate at Las Canteras and didn't know what to expect. I haven't had a ton of Peruvian food, but I had read the reviews, so I was somewhat familiar with the menu. Feeling like a salad, I ordered the avocado, red onion, tomato, and white cheese salad. It tasted like avocado mashed with red onion, tomato, and white cheese... I wouldn't order it again. It was like a bland guacamole that didn't resemble salad.
For entrees, my bf had the Lomo Saltado and I had the Trio of grilled meats (actually duo, because I was too chicken to try the beef heart). I knew I would like the Lomo Saltado more than my chicken and beef, but I couldn't bring myself to order it since it was a stir fry with french fries and it seemed too gluttonous.
The trio was good; chicken and beef had a nice marinade, though I liked the chicken better than the beef, which was a bit overcooked. The mashed potatoes that came with the Trio tasted like there's a generous helping of butter hidden in there. So much for ordering the healthier entree...
Service was okay, but the food was slow to come out. A+++ for serving diet coke out of the bottle. Oh, and the bread was not good. It was cold lifeless slices of hawaiian-esque bread that seemed too sweet for the spicy sauce. Maybe it's better when it's fresh, which begs the question, why was it not fresh? Gross disappointment.
People thought this was:
Passionfruit Pisco... for $8. Avocado Pisco... Mango Pisco... after the Pisco Sour filled with foam... like walking on clouds with your tongue.
We had to wait an hour for dinner so we headed down to the Los Andes Bar, in the basement... and let our diplomat for all things Peruvian advise us... starting with Pisco, the national liquor of Peru. Pisco Sours are a great introduction to this "next hot thing" cuisine. We had almost everything on the Pisco menu... we slurped on mussels on the half shell covered in sour salsa... we nibbled on giant roasted corn kernels.
After much giggling, at 10ish we got our table and again let the expert guide the newbies. I ordered "Sudado de Pescado" which was the BEST dish! The cod was poached, white and flaky, and covered in cream sauce. Ahhhh! All the food was good from the "pulled" style beef to the cod with seafood and the appetizer of Anticuchos (grilled meat). The price range was $16-26 for main dishes and the appetizers were under $10. As for dessert, I've tried them and I'd skip them.
Ask for bread (to soak up...) and be wary of the spicy green dipping sauce which is delicious but high enough on the Scoville scale to make you cough.
With the red walls and wrought-iron chandeliers, this is an elegant and casual restaurant, as much as a paradox as that may seem. It is good without pretension. A self-confident restaurant.
People thought this was:
best cebiche i've had in dc.
the hubs and i wandered in to las canteras' upstairs dining room out of desperation...mostly hungry, discouraged by the lack of unique admo dining options, and in an effort to wait out a freak rainstorm... and we were so glad we did. here is what we've found...
dining room is dark red, medium-dark wood and wrought iron. it's not gloomy, but it is an 'atmosphere' and it's intimate (ie: a little small but the tables aren't uncomfortably close so you can easily have your own conversations without involving other diners).
food is fantastic - cebiches classico and mixto are amazing - succulent, big, fresh pieces of fish and crisp, clean palate-popping flavors. get one or the other, though, or both, but not the combo - they skimp on the portion a little if you try to split the diff with the duo option. the cebiche comes w/ fresh mangos, avocados and peppers and if i recall, soybeans, mixed in, with a cool accompaniment of the peruvian equivalent of a corn nut (fava beans), which the hubs really likes. a lot. hubs gets the sampler every time, which we share (read: i pick at the tamale b/c i love it and he eats the rest). parents recently tried the lomo saltado - v tasty, they said - and the aji de gallina - which was the least favorite dish amongst all, but still got good feedback from mom.
wines list's dec - spanish, arginitian and chilean. pisco sour's solid, mojito's surprisingly good (not sure why i was surprised but i was), and the macchu pisco (i liked the name so i finally gave it a try) was tasty but dessert-like-sweet... i switched back to a mojito after my moment of daring had passed.
overall, a win. a little pricey but not ridic and decidedly good for anything from a cas date to a romantic anniv moment. hit 'em up tues-thurs from 5-7 for their early bird 3 course $24 prix-fix dinner (also features $5 cocktails and $4 wine by the glass) OR halfprice wine on tues all nite.
Las Canteras is really nice on the inside. It has dark hardwood furniture and quiet Peruvian music playing, and the food is very good.
I came here with a Peruvian and a Japanese friend, both seasoned seafood lovers. Our waitress was very nice, and we all ordered based on her recommendations. We had two kinds of ceviche, both delicious, and several seafood dishes, including squid and mussels.
The waitress brought us a pisco sampler of assorted pisco sour, mango etc, which were a generous size and very sweet. We ordered margaritas as well, which were pretty average.
What stands out most from my experience here was the server nearby at all times, so no matter what we needed, we got it right away. She was probably one of the most attentive servers I've ever experienced.
People thought this was:
There are lots of restaurants in DC with great atmosphere but mediocre food. Las Canteras, a relatively new Peruvian restaurant, is a great place both for its space and for delicious food you can't easily find just anywhere.
It's just a warm and inviting atmosphere-... Red interior, flickering candle light, beautiful table settings. It would be nice for a date but also casual enough for a dinner with your close friends. Need another reason? It's quiet and not crowded.
Love, love the ceviche classico-- white fish marinated in lime juice. I only wish there was more :) they also have ceviche w/ shrimp and other seafood.
Aji de gallina-- so, so good. i will get this next time. chicken cooked in sauce made of with peanut, bread and yellow pepper. really really delicoius.
trio de Anticuchos--- the chicken was marinated and seasoned perfectly... not always easy to do.
causa-- traditional peruvian dish. also good... layers of potato, chicken and corn.
Lucuma ice cream-- a peruvian fruit.. a lovely, mildly sweet flavor.. reminiscent of mango. texture is unusual.
drinks--- for my friend's birthday we easily took over the bar on the bottom floor during the week. they have peruvian and latin mixed drinks, like pisco sours, mojitos, and they may also have capirinhas but I'm not totally sure. i also liked their pomegranate mint sour.. which sounds weird but is really good.
I can't wait to go back!
People thought this was:
There are two Peruvian places on 18th Street within a 5 minute walk from my house. A Peruvian coworker raved about Peru's food, so I wanted to try it out. I was not disappointed. It is in the heart of Adams Morgan, but somehow it managed to provide an air of seclusion.
The food was good, really good. The service was good and normal. Both my meal and my dates were prepared more quickly than we expected and were delicious. I went for the Aji de Gallina; I forget the other entree.
Just go there. You'll be satiated.
People thought this was:
Excelente! We shared the ceviche clasico (soo deelish... a big portion of fish and loved the peruvian super-sized-corn garnet), and one of the prixe fix dinners ($24) which included an app, an entree, and dessert. We actually came for the quinoa chocolate cake-which was good, but not spectacular- kinda tasted like a healthyish brownie. The other food, though, was wonderful. For the prixe fix [you do have a pretty limited selection: choose from 3 apps, 3 entrees (2 chicken, 1 beef) and a dessert], we chose the Ensalada De Palta Y Queso (diced avocado, queso fresco, red onions, and tomatoes with olive oil and lemon dressing), which was AWESOME. I would definitely come back for the ensalada and ceviche and wine/cocktails. Bummed that I didn't try their pisco sour but there's always next time! Loved the hot sauce they brought with the bread (made with chilis and peanuts). We chose the beef entree (Seco de Carne - Beef stew slow-cooked in a sauce of yellow pepper, paprika, onion and cilantro, served with garlic rice and beans) and it was terrific. Half-priced bottles of wine on Tuesdays - we had a Chilean chardonnay for like 16 bux. Will def be back! Friendly service and nice ambiance, too. Great find in the Morgan!
People thought this was:
All I can really say is this place was FAB-U-LOUS! Fellow vegetarians will delight in the veg-o options - even a Mushroom Ceviche! What I love about this place was the fresh tastes and just the right amount of food. The pisco sour was just like the one I had in Peru and will certainly knock you off your feet. :) Service was great and staff very friendly and they don't make fun of you if you try to practice your spanish. :) For truly authentic peruvian cuisine, you gotta check it out!
Don't forget dessert! The lucuma(a fruit from Peru - not sure if I spelled that right) mousse with cardamom sauce and a chocolate-quinoa cake (no sugar - made with honey - according to the staff).
People thought this was:
Sunday Brunch.........................
Left me and Betty stuffed to the RAFTERS!
I didn't know what to expect going in, especially since we were looking for more of a breakfast type of brunch, but alas Yelp convinced us to try Las Canteras.
Service and Food were Excellent!
There was a note on the menu that said the plates were tapas style small plates. I asked if 4 plates was too many for just the two of us, and I said I was hungry, our server said absolutely not ......BULLSHIT !
Food was really, really great, one of the best meals Ive had in DC. We were thoroughly stuffed at the end though. Quinoa pancakes were fantastic, the scrambled eggs were cooked perfectly. Same with the Tamales. Spiced ground beef stuffed red pepper with raisins was delicious. And the lightly fried Yucca balls stuffed with cheese were absolutely amazing. So soft and delicious. Cocktails made with the Peruvian Brandy were really great too, maybe a tad pricey, but mine had loads of Mint and Avocado in it. Really great.
Only problem is that on the drink menu, they call the Bloody Maria, and Bloody Mary, substitute Vodka with their Peruvian Brandy. I always thought a Bloody Maria had Tequila. Think of a new name, me thinks?
Try it and you will not be disappointed.
People thought this was:
A friend of mine returned recently from Peru so we decided to eat here to talk about the trip. What a great restaurant this is! From the service to the decor to the wine to the food, you should eat here. Even though we walked right in, we were apparently lucky to have gotten a table that quickly. I recommend making reservations only because the place has limited space for seating. I didn't check out the bar downstairs, but my overall experience was an enjoyable one.
People thought this was:
It was Mother's Day, we wanted brunch. 4 of us, two Brooklynites, two Washingtonians, all hungover. What we really wanted was the Latin Dim Sum brunch at Atlantico that we'd had to cancel the day before as our friends' Bolt Bus was 5+ hours late. Alas, it was Mother's Day. And we were convinced everything was going to be PACKED. So we thought hard about what wouldn't be packed, that would serve brunch, and, most importantly have bloody marys and/or mimosas. BF mentions Las Canteras. Brilliant! I think. Newish, not exactly in a mom-filled neighborhood either. And the brunch menu looked good when I walked by before.
So we walk in at 11:30 and we are the ONLY 4 people in the restaurant. Eventually 4 other diners show up. In the meantime we order a bunch of tapas and champagne. Our waiters seemed stoned, hungover, or both, but they seemed to be having a good time and were happy to have us. Even though one of them almost impaled the other with the cork of our second bottle.
In any case, the food was DELICIOUS. We got the stuffed yucca, ceviche, stuffed pepper, quinoa pancackes, and some others. It was all great. The atmosphere is also really nice. That said, they have a few kinks to work out, hence the lack of full star-age. It's about $2 too pricey per dish. The dishes are true tapa sizes at entree prices. They could also stand to add a few more things to the brunch menu.
So, I really liked Las Canteras and look forward to going back for dinner. I have spent some time in Peru and could really go for a good lomo saltado.
People thought this was:
This place is delicious. As a pure-bred peruvian, I know how peruvian food should taste, and this is one of the few places in the states that gets it right. It also has the only authentic pisco sours Ive ever had here, and they are delicious.
The food is unique and reminiscent of food in Lima, the decor is great, and the drinks are yum.
While I am never in the mood to eat dinner in Adams Morgan, this place is worth the trip.
People thought this was:
This was really a surprise. I usually avoid Adams Morgan, especially on Saturday evenings, and when I want to go have a nice dinner. But last Saturday I was up for something new and after Yelping around a bit I came across Las Canteras. I read the reviews, I read what the Post had to say about it, so I thought, why not give it a try.
We went there, it was easy to get a seat, no wait like in the Penn Quarter. It already started with the menu, the dishes all sounded really good, we had a hard time figuring out what to take (I think we had to ask the waitress twice to give us another couple of minutes to make up our minds). In the end we picked two salads and one main dish (one of the chicken dishes). the salads were amazing. one was tomatoes with avocado, the other was with beans, both were really good and nice sizes. the chicken was amazing. it was in a wonderful sauce, and despite being served in the sauce, the chicken was cooked exactly right, it was still moist inside.
This is really a great find, i just wish in a bit nicer location.
People thought this was:
This is more of a 3.5 star review.
The great:
-The decor at night is really quite nice. When we sat down, my bf said "que romantico" almost immediately.
-The cebiche duo appetizer was great. The white fish could have used some coconut milk or something to cut the lime, but it was still delicious.
-The mixed drinks were good and strong.
The good:
-The Lomo Saltado and Aji de Gallina were tasty once we added some seasoning. Im not sure what's up with the chef's palette, but it was almost like they neglected salt entirely.
The bad:
-The wine glasses looked really really small. I wouldn't order it by the glass.
-There is no warning of how spicy the sauce served with the bread is. I didn't mind, but people that don't like heat should be wary.
Overall I think this is a nice place for a very moderately priced meal. I would definitely recommend it for a quiet romantic dinner. I think the atmosphere was what sold me the most.
People thought this was:
stumbled on by chance on a Sunday night. Service- great... Erickson is the man from Cali!
I had the Ensalada De Palta Y Queso... needed some acid to it, so added two limes to it. i also had the Camarones a la Limeña... awesome.
Others ordered-
Ensalada de Quinoa- was not the best way of having Quinoa, but not the worse. Vegetarian Platter- which was HUGE. the lentil cakes were like a vegetarian crab cake, without tasting like crab... so really just a cake.
Chupe de Camarones- this was a favorite of the table. soup was tasty, full of awesome ingredients, and included shrimp heads for those brave enough to do some seafood brain sucking (we are not a fearless table)
Trio De Anticuchos- another favorite of the table...
Pescado al Horno- it was mahi mahi... PLUS
all in all, a great meal with awesome friends, and a new one in server Erickson. I would totally recommend to anyone.
NOTE- ask for extra limes... Everything was made better witha little bit more lime.
and the drinks were good. I had the Playa Fresca, and others had the Macchu Pisco, and something that was supposedt o be hot with peppers, but sort of failed.
I would actually give it a 3.75 on a Cali scale, but it was still totally recommendable.
People thought this was:
I have been to this place lots of times and absolutely love it. I have even tried the heart and it is great. The bread is another plus - it is FREE and super soft and just delicious. Go now if you haven't been. I also just found out that the part owner (he is pretty much always the host - and a good one) use to work for the Washington post. He is really fabulous. I also love the redish atmosphere.
People thought this was:
Ate here last night and it was from start to finish a wonderful experience. The restaurant is lovely, mixing old world details (a heavy wooden carved door, black scrollwork, leather-embossed menus) with a contemporary urban flair (deep red walls, elegant chairs and table settings, handsome waiters in all black). The cocktail menu featured pisco, a Peruvian brandy made from grapes. I had a Sour Royale (?), and it was like the cleanest, purest tasting margarita, all of the flavor of a margarita with none of the bite. My friend had a pisco mixed with mango, and it, too was incredible. For an appetizer, we got the Causa de Pollo, a cold corn cake laced with chicken. It was a beautiful presentation (three small round cakes topped with a cream) and delicious. I had the Trio de Anticuchos for dinner. Three cuts of meat (one chicken and two beef) were served paper thin, marinated and grilled. Also on the plate were an onions in a vinagrette, creamy to-die-for mashed potatoes, and hominy. All the things on the plate complimented each other perfectly and again, the presentation was lovely. My girlfriend greatly enjoyed her Cebiche. We ended with a dessert, a Caramel Flan laced with guava and a fruit mousse, and they, too, lived up to the quality of food we'd come to expect from the rest of the meal.
There was literally no down side to the experience. The only negative I can think of is it took a little bit to get our drinks. The food, however, was out lickety-split. I'm going to recommend this wonderful restaurant to everyone I know.
People thought this was:
Peruvian food is in fact interesting and tasty! We has a very nice time at Las Canteras last night, and left happy and sated. Overall a good experience.
As Bobbi said, the decor is dramatic, with intense coloring and heavy wood furniture. We were greeted pleasantly and seated immediately. Other diners were chatting and eating their food, but the noise level was refreshingly LOW. Excellent.
My husband was dubious that the food would be interesting, but from the very beginning, when they brought the bread basket with a side of the ubiquitous Peruvian "green sauce", we knew things had promise. Their green sauce had a slow but wicked build of heat, and this made hubby smile.
We started with a plate of the Cebiche Classico, which is a white fish ceviche, perfectly tangy with lime and cilantro. It was served with a chunk of sweet potato, and some roasted hominy-type kernels.
For entrees, I ordered a beef dish with tomatoes and french fries, sauteed together with seasonings (I believe it was the Loma Saltado). When I saw and tasted it, I said -- Ah, Peruvian stir-fry! Later, when we were chatting with one of the co-owners, Gary, he commented that my dish was a product of the Cantonese immigrants influence in Peru. That explains it! I liked the flavors, and the beef strips were very tender -- the dish is best described as "hearty", though, and I could not finish it.
My husband ordered a zarzuela-like entree of codfish with vegetables in a light creamy broth seasoned with saffron and some unidentifiable source of slow heat. It was served with white rice to soak it all up. I actually preferred his dish to mine -- it was light but flavorful. Less filling than mine :-)
Accompanying it all we had a pleasant bottle of Chardonnay. I didn't pick it out, so I don't know what the label or origin was (sorry!).
Our final tally including tip was right around one Ben Franklin. More than we had expected to be paying, but worth it.
A last comment -- Gary (who is from Oklahoma) co-owns the restaurant with the chef, who is Peruvian. Gary makes a fine front-man in the dining room, and he's knowledgeable about Peruvian cuisine -- ask him if you have questions!
People thought this was:
It's a cute Peruvian restaurant that has a lot of potential. The dining room on the first floor and the bar and kitchen downstairs. On a friday night the wait was horrendous, and they couldn't quite keep track of who's waiting first. We were fine because we were in no hurry and just having fun drinking Pisco sour at the bar. They make this Peruvian cocktail really well. The bartender was friendly.
As for food, ceviche is their specialty and what we had was really good. It's definitely the way to go. Oh, and the bread they bake is fluffy and nice. The beef dish I had had good flavors but the meat was super tough.
It's a nice restaurant when you are in the right mood-- when you just want to spend some nice time with your good friends, not when you want the best service.
People thought this was:
I really liked the cheesy, full-flavored, and mushroomy quinotto. The menu compared this vegetarian dish to risotto, except it was made with the Peruvian grain quinoa. I think it will be my regular dish when I return (and I will, as this was delicious).
We also shared a cold potato appetizer, but that just didn't have much flavor.
The chocolate quinoa cake got mixed reviews. All three of us liked the quality of the chocolate. And I appreciated that they used soy milk, good for the lactose-intolerant (It's not vegan because it has honey). But my husband said the grainy texture reminded him of Nestle crunch that had been left out in the car too long.
People thought this was:
everything was great. really adored the mushroom ceviche -- great idea!
however...no hot sauce? in the entire restaurant? remember to bring your own tabasco/sriracha/etc.
People thought this was:
This new Peruvian place on the main drag in Adams Morgan holds a lot of promise, based on the early experience we had there.
The long, narrow main dining area is alive with a wall color that can only be described as 'blood orange,' balanced with owner's own photographs of Peru and plenty of black iron fixtures. Modern, yet cozy and welcoming for a variety of dining types; in the time we were there diners ranged from 'dressed up' couples obviously out to enjoy a special evening, to a casually dressed family with a young child.
The service was eager and chatty when we were there at the end of April. Between the five of us we shared about four different appetizers, four main courses, two desserts, a bottle of wine and the resturant's 'signature cocktail,' a pisco sour. The standouts: Camarones a la Limena (shrimp sauteed in garlic, butter, white wine); Quinotto (quinoa & mushrooms risotto-style); a bright, delicious marinated chicken dish, the name of which escapes me; and the Guava Flan dessert -- the staff promised that it wouldn't taste of eggs the way most flan can, and they were correct.
The underwhelming eats: the house bread basket; the pisco sour (tasted rather like a warm margarita with egg whites in it); a chicken dish with a creamy, peanut sauce -- the texture of the sauce was completely offputting, and it was impossible to avoid because there was so much of it; and an appetizer called Papa A La Huancaina, potatos with a sauce that is appetizingly described on the nicely designed menu but which is mysterious and bland upon tasting.
I'll definitely be going back for a second experience once the place has had a bit of time to settle in.
People thought this was:
I've been looking high and low all over this country for Anticuchos(beef hearts). Finally I found some. They looked similar to Carne Asada but a little more red colored. They tasted very good, but with an odd aftertaste, don't know if that was the marinade or the bloody heart itself. It came with a silly little potato and some yummy marinated red onions. I'm glad I was finally able to try some.
We ate at the downstairs bar and the bartender was really cool and friendly and told us all about the food, the drinks(Pisco and peruvian beer) and his travels. The beers were $6 each! which is out of my budget. Fun to try if you got the guts.
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My husband, daughter and I stumbled upon this treasure of a restaurant today as we were looking for a brunch spot. The Diner and Tryst were full as always, so we deicded to take a chance on Las Canteras, and I am so glad we did.
First, the restaurant is INCREDIBLY clean (which is saying a lot of Adam's Morgan restraurant), and the attention to detail in the decor is nice.
The food was incredible. We started with the Cebiche Classico, which was a dish of fish ceviches with pickled onions and a side of sweet potato mash and hominy corn kernals. It was delicious and freshing. Probably one of the best ceviches we have ever had.
Next we ordered the tamales. They were amazing and seasoned very well. Incredible flavor! The tamales were stuffed with chicken, egg, olive, and nuts of some sort.
Finally, we had the Lomo Saltado, which as a previous poster noted, was a bit like a Peruvian stir fry. The sauce was very rich and had great flavor, and I enjoyed the tomatoes and fries, however, the meat was just a little too tough.
Our waitress was lovely-allowed us the perfect amount of time throughout our meal.
My only real "complaint" was that it was completely dead--we were the only three in there for about an hour and a half. This little jewel in Adams Morgan should be drawing in the crowds rather than the lousy, filthy restaurants a few paces away. But, it was nice not to have to worry about having our little one with us since we were the only ones there.
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My Dad was in town and we wanted to take him somewhere unique with cuisine that he couldn't get back home. Las Canteras was a good choice because the location was good and we had never been here before either. So, it would be new for everybody. We had read
that for parties under four (like ours) reservations were not needed. But, upon arriving we were told it would be 20 minutes as the place was packed! So, we waited for a bit and they were able to see us in about 10 minutes.
The appetizers were outstanding and really set the tone for the meal. Here's what we got:
Bread Basket: The bread was just OK but beware the hot sauce that comes with it. Very spicy.
Ensalada Mixta: Fresh greens, ripe tomatoes, tangy dressing. Great start.
Papa Rellena: Crunchy potato croquette filled beef and vegetables. Outstanding.
Cebiche Classico: Very good. Some of the best ceviche I've ever had.
Main Courses:
Wanted to order the Quinotto as Yelpers were raving about it.... but they were out of it! So, if you're going on a weekend and plan to try this dish, perhaps show up on the early side.
Lomo Saltado and Trio de Anticuchos were quite tasty. Homemade french fries always a bonus!
Sudado de Pescado: This was a very tasty, creamy cod stew with onions & tomatoes. Outstanding.
Service is good. Decor is very nice, as others have noted. There is a bar downstairs so if you come with a larger group or need to wait for a table, downstairs is a good place to gather. Cost for three with only one glass of wine ($100) seemed a little high but I think it was worth it considering all that we had.
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Great place...nice atmosphere, friendly staff, awesome food. Couldn't ask for much more.
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The quinoa pancakes w/scrambled eggs are great. Crunchy and fluffy, respectively. If I only ate pancakes made of quinoa for the rest of my life, I'd be fine with that. Tamale was solid though a little pricey for just one tamale that was a little light on the filling. Stuffed pepper was very tasty. Really friendly owners. Sounds like it gets crowded weekend nights but there we were only one of three couples during a Saturday brunch.
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My first dining experience at Las Canteras was memorable due to the company, food and service on New Year's Eve. Although it wasn't packed on this particular evening, I felt that the service was attentive to our needs. The host took our coats and we were seated immediately. The wait staff answered most of our questions, except one about the preparation of a certain corn accompaniment. I would definitely recommend this for a date because of the dark candlelit mood it offers that makes you hungry for beef hearts and luuuv. The cebiche was an excellent starter and came with a side of sweet potato or yam (I have a difficult time telling the difference), which was useful in cleansing the palette. I was not disappointed with my entree of salmon, mashed potatoes and quinoa cakes, managing to eat every morsel on my plate. The triple meat platter was also arranged nicely and marinated in flavors that made my tastebuds come alive. The group next to us displayed much excitement about the guava flan and had ordered from the prix fixe menu ($50 per person).
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pretty darn tasty. especially the half price vino deal they have on tuesday nights. it was my first taste of peruvian and me likey likey. i had the vegetarian platter which was unexpectedly glorious in taste and texture, particularly the lentil cakes. i didn't hear any complaints around our table of 6.
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I sold my wares at Crafty Bastards this past weekend and I was in dire need of sustenance, but the lines at most of the food vendors were long and didn't look all that appealing (okay, they looked appealing but cookies for lunch? No.), so a friend watched my table while I walked down 18th Street. I breezed by this place, but came back to it when I couldn't find the falafel place a friend had told me to go to. The menu had some really good stuff on it, but I was intrigued by the vegetarian quinotto, so I ordered that and Ensalada De Palta Y Queso salad. The quinotto was heavenly. Creamy and mouth-watering. Every time I had a customer, I picked it up again straight away so I could devour it while it was hot. It's not gorgeous to look at, but it's hearty and satisfying. The bread that came with it was helpful for mopping up the remaining sauce. The salad was good also, but a tad too much dressing. I would definitely go here again. It's nice that more DC restaurants are becoming vegetarian friendly even if I'm not one.
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One of the worst meals I've had in years...and expensive too. Okay, the staff was relatively friendly, but also completely unresponsive despite the fact that it was a Wednesday night and the restaurant was almost completely empty. Ah, but the food... The stuffed -potato-ball appetizer would probably have been good, but the center was cold. I think the cebiche was fine, but nothing spectacular. I ordered the shrimp soup. Unfortunately, the broth was so fishy that I couldn't eat more than a spoonful. Even my fish-loving dinner partner found the fishiness a little unnerving. When I expressed my dismay about this to someone who appeared to be the manager, he checked with the chef who told him there was no fish in the sopa (which could well have been true, tho they clearly used a very heady fish stock). The grilled meats (chicken, beef, and beef heart) that my partner ordered were okay--the chicken was good, but the beef was overcooked). Our meal with one mojito came to over $80 with the tip. Sigh.
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Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
Category: Latin American
Washington, DC
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
Category: Latin American
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