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Gastronomy

Bohemia Café y Más

By Katrina Heimark
Photos by Carsten Korch

The next time you head over to Óvalo Gutierrez and are craving something to eat, don’t make that usual stop at McDonald’s or Friday’s. Keep walking past the American chains and step into a bit of Peruvian authenticity in the big glass covered restaurant called Bohemia.

Bohemia prides itself on its more formal atmosphere, and the fact that its prices are cheaper than those at either Chili’s or Friday’s. And, it doesn’t have that annoying ’s in its title either, as so many of the restaurants around the Óvalo do. Bohemia has a subtle and hidden charm about it that becomes much more apparent as you enter the restaurant. Despite its name, Bohemia is much more than just a café. It has a bar and art gallery upstairs, and the dining area on the first floor is top notch.

This December, Bohemia celebrates 14 years serving excellent food. Initially credited as the place where Gastón Acurio got his start, Bohemia has branched out and expanded its image. They are currently promoting their innovative and collaborative effort to change their menu. Called “The Chef Recommends, the Client Chooses,” Bohemia gives those who choose to dine in their local in Óvalo Gutierrez, the chance to try three original dishes, invented by the chef, each fifteen days.

From the votes and the comments received both in person and online (see more here), the restaurant will choose the most popular dishes to include in the new menu, which will be released in April of next year. Also, if you vote online, you are able to print off a coupon for your next meal at Bohemia! Chef César Gomez does a wonderful job of inventing various dishes, and it certainly speaks to his culinary abilities if he is able to invent three dishes every two weeks.

Of course, we had to try the inventions, as well as the “staples” of the menu as well. The great thing about Bohemia is that their menu is in both English and Spanish, and the recommendations for the week are included on a nice insert on the first page. The menu is cute and well organized, and has a vast variety of dishes to choose from. On average, you will spend around S/. 60 for a main dish, a dessert and a drink.


As an appetizer, we tried the highly popular “Fondue de Urubamba,” which is a fondue made up of various Andean and Swiss cheeses, combined with mushrooms and onions. The combination of melted and chunk cheeses, spread over toasted bread was an absolute delight. The smooth and salty combination was absolutely perfect, and although it was a heavy appetizer to start with, I wouldn’t be surprised if many people ordered this dish as a meal.

We started off the main courses with the “winning” dish “Costillas de Cerdo con Raviolis,” which was an excellent choice, and I could easily see why it will be included “sí o sí” in the new menu. The ribs were covered in a sweet sauce made of some sort of fruit mixed with ají amarillo, and the sweetness mixed perfectly with the pork. The raviolis, however, were my favorite. Smooth and filled with a vegetable mix, the choclo raviolis were absolutely cooked to perfection. I would highly recommend this dish, and, as you can see from the presentation, you won’t regret it.

We then moved on to the “Corvina en salsa de miel de ají,” which was excellently cooked, and served with a portion of creamed lima beans. I enjoyed the combination, but the flavors of this dish are for the much more subtle palate.

An absolutely stunning plate of “Lomito a lo pobre con tacu tacu” was served next. I was astounded by the excellent flavors, and the perfect combination of tacu tacu with the savory and juicy slice of beef. Topped with a fried egg and accompanied by “plátano frito,” I couldn’t have asked for anything else with this dish. The tacu tacu was one of the best I have ever had, and the quality of the meat made you think that this dish was anything but “poorman’s style.” By far my favorite dish, I would consider becoming a regular at bohemia to eat this every day.

We finished off the day with coffee and “Sorpresa de Chocolate,” which consisted of a Crème Brule, mixed with a chocolate truffle type dessert, and served as a huge bonbon. It was incredible, and I would be surprised if anyone could eat by themselves this huge dessert.

The nice thing about Bohemia is that you are constantly surrounded by action, due to its location within the Óvalo, but once you are inside, you immediately feel a calm and isolating presence from the noise and the rush of the traffic. And what’s more, you get great food. So don’t pass this place up on your next swing through the Óvalo. Believe me, you won’t believe what you’ve been missing.



Add a comment :
5 comments

Bernard says :
18-11-09,08:21:23

Jajaja why is it called Bohemia try Cafe Z thats more Bohemia

Danielle says :
18-11-09,02:44:43

Can't say I agree with this review. Bohemia has gone down in quality over the years and every time I return my meal seems to get a little worse and worse. For the restaurants in that area, Bohemia is best, but it is not saying much as it is the only "classy" restaurant directly in the ovalo. Next time you are there, try Danica instead - it is directly off the ovalo and an excellent fusion of Italian and Peruvian cuisine.

John Newcomb says :
18-11-09,04:19:58

Oye ¡tengo hambre!

Jejeje..those photos are just too beautiful! Having lived in Miraflores many years ago and walked most days past the Ovalo, I look forward to returning and to enjoying Bohemia's fine plates. 

Thanks for the article!

Lili says :
18-11-09,05:05:44

Bohemia is more than just a Coffee place, cant´ be compare with Cafe Z.

says :
23-11-09,02:29:38

the pictures are pretty good!

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