Paris is a great metropolis where you can taste cuisines from different countries and cultures. Discovering new, instigating, and atypical flavors is one of the favorite programs for locals and also for “habitués” visitors.

We had the opportunity to try the cuisine of Peruvian chef José Arias in his two restaurants in the capital: the beautiful Villa Mikuna, in Pigalle, and the cozy Yora, in Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet.

Yora opened in November 2022 and has an extremely friendly atmosphere. We were really surprised by its warm service and its 100% fait maison cuisine, varied and with specialities to be tasted on the spot or to be taken home.

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A highlight was the guacamole that the chef revisited by adding pieces of pineapple confit, accompanied by homemade crispy tortillas – possibly one of the best guacamoles in Paris! The empanadas were also a nice surprise: thin, light dough and varied fillings, we ordered a portion of 4 that were quickly gone.The classic ceviche made with golden fish and garnished with choklo corn was fresh, tasty, and generous, as was the octopus with tomato coulis and potatoes – the Chef’s signature dish. Special mention for the camu-camu juice (typical Amazonian fruit, delicious and refreshing) and the pisco sour prepared to perfection by the bartender in a few minutes.

Although the excellence is the same, at Villa Mikuna, the other restaurant of the friendly chef José Arias, the experience is very different. To start at Villa Mikuna, the chef has a large space and plenty of inspiration to present the rich Peruvian cuisine. The address itself is already spectacular, a former cabaret from the 1930s, the place revives the interwar past and invites us to relive a forgotten Paris. Magnificent Hokusai-stained glass windows surround the restaurant, allowing an extraordinary light to enter the environment.

As a starter, be sure to order the excellent shrimp and passion fruit tartare accompanied by fried bananas (patacones) – it’s to be eaten on your knees, as well as the beef tataki: thin strips of meat with chimichurri sauce, slightly spicy and delicious. The chicken ají was very good, creamy and with a marked taste of yellow ají pepper – only the sweet potato fries that accompanied it could have been less soft and crispier, but nothing that overshadowed the excellent meal we had, driven by a decor inspired by Peruvian art and culture. Without a doubt Vila Mikuna makes us travel, not only for the food but also for the hospitality and the delicious Peruvian drinks like chicha morada and pisco cocktails.

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Yora Restaurant
Open every day from 9am to 9:30pm Monday to Saturday and from 11am to 8pm on Sundays and public holidays.
Galleries Lafayette Le Gourmet – 35 Bd Haussmann, 75009 Paris

Villa Mikuna Restaurant
Open every day from noon to 3pm and 7pm to 1am
2 Rue Frochot, 75009 Paris

Reservations by phone: 01 49 29 50 50
Or by website: https://villamikuna.fr