A Little Taste of Peru

Boulevard Cafe
161 Harbord St.
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 961-7676

On a cold Thursday evening, Isabella and I made our way to The Boulevard Café , a local family run Peruvian restaurant that we have visited more than a few times.

Brightly decorated in bright and bold colours, the cozy Café offers daily specials that are presented on hand written on board, in addition to the regular menu offerings.

This time, we skipped appetizers (to save room for dessert), and ordered our favorite Aticuchos - Sea Bass on a skewer, served with perfectly deep fried potatoes and a salad. This simple fish dish is deliciously warm and light. Highly recommended if you like fish. We also tried one of the daily specials - a rack of lamb served that was served with baby red potatoes and steamed vegetables. Cooked medium rare, it was full of flavor – as a result of the meat being slightly fatty – a good thing!

The bread served with every meal comes from a local bakery down the street. While it is slightly on the heavy side (we found out it is 80% corn meal) - you can’t just have one piece when it is served warm.

Unfortunately, our highly anticipated homemade pecan pie was on the burnt side. We didn’t eat it, but they didn’t add it to our bill either. Our previous experiences with desserts here have been very positive. The wait staff are always very friendly and attentive.

While they don’t offer guinea pig on their menu (yet), the Café is a great place to go for an affordable and casual dining experience that is not corporate in any way - you walk by the open kitchen if you sit upstairs. It can especially busy in the summer when the large patio is always filled with regulars. Cost of dinner with tip was $60. Make a visit!