Lima ditches its traditional menu in response to "changing restaurant economy"

23-Mar-2018 - Last updated on 23-Mar-2018 at 14:07 GMT

Michelin-starred Lima in London is ditching its traditional a la carte menu in favour of a more “accessible” and “affordable” selection of sharing dishes.

Co-founder Gabriel Gonzalez says the “restaurant economy is changing” and Lima needs to evolve in response to customer expectations.

Lima opened in London in 2012 and was the first Peruvian restaurant in Europe to win a Michelin star.

Its tasting menu and fixed price options will still be available alongside the new sharing plates from 16 April.

Smaller ceviche dishes will include tuna nikkei with soy sauce, sesame oil and cucumber (£9, previously £12); and octopus and quinoa (£12).

There will also be a choice of larger plates such as a lamb seco (£18) and a refreshed seafood chupe (£20), alongside a new beef pachamanca (£28) re-positioned as a large sharing dish, when it was previously on the menu as a £30 main course.

“Having been open for five years and with a solid grounding as part of the London restaurant scene, we have decided to develop our offering in to a sharing, casual format rather than simply constricting diners to a starter, main and dessert format,” says co-founder Jose-Luis Gonzalez.

Lima is the brainchild of the Gonzalez brothers and Virgilio Martinez, chef-owner at Central in Peru – which was named the fifth best restaurant in the world last year.

The team opened their second London site, Lima Floral, in 2014.