80 Carmine St

"Llamita — the casual West Village offshoot of the acclaimed Williamsburg Peruvian restaurant Llama Inn — will close after service this Friday following more than a year of business at 80 Carmine Street, at Varick Street. Restaurateur Juan Correa and chef Erik Ramirez, who together run restaurants like hit Peruvian-Japanese Llama San, have decided to refocus their efforts on running Llama San and Llama Inn, Correa says. They may also potentially open restaurants in other cities and reuse the Llamita name elsewhere. “It ultimately became hard to justify our investment of time and effort into Llamita,” Correa writes in an email to Eater. The company will try to relocate most of the Llamita’s staff to the company’s other two restaurants following the closure. This marks the first closing for Correa and Ramirez, who opened Llama Inn in Williamsburg, in 2015 and have quickly skyrocketed to prominence in the culinary scene. Both have been heralded for expanding the definition of Peruvian food in NYC and have earned plenty of accolades at both their Williamsburg restaurant and Greenwich Village’s Llama San, which opened last year and is one of the hottest reservations in town right now. Llamita came to fruition in between those two ventures, starting off primarily as a counter-service sandwich restaurant when it opened in July 2018. Its hearty sandwiches got some good buzz and reviews, but in May 2019, the restaurant revamped, adding tables and full-service dining in the evening to feature more small plates. But all’s not lost for Llamita fans: Correa hasn’t ruled out the possibility of re-opening something similar to Llamita in the future." - Tanay Warerkar

"The counter-service West Village spinoff of acclaimed Peruvian restaurant Llama Inn is getting a little fancier. Llamita, located at 80 Carmine St. at Varick Street, closed earlier this month for a revamp, and when it reopens, full-service Peruvian dinner will be added." - Serena Dai

"Llama Inn is one of our favorite restaurants in Williamsburg, and Llamita is a counter-service spot in the West Village run by the same people. They serve smoothies and a few breakfast items in the morning, as well as rotisserie chicken and Peruvian dishes (like tamal with red onion and quinoa with roasted red pepper) throughout the day. But our favorite things here are the sandwiches. Get the one with chicken thigh, pineapple, and bacon the next time you’re looking for a quick lunch or early dinner in the West Village." - Matt Tervooren

"Llamita, a counter-service restaurant in the West Village, offers Peruvian sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and smoothies. The 14-seat spot serves a casual menu of sanguches, or sandwiches, with prices ranging from $13 to $20. Dishes include a duck sausage sandwich with Peruvian corn and chimichurri, a pork shoulder sandwich with sweet potato, salsa criolla, and rocoto crema, and other Peruvian dishes such as rotisserie chicken and beef heart skewer. Veggie options feature a quinoa dish with tomato and roasted red pepper, and a baby gem salad with avocado, pistachio, radish, and cucumber. Breakfast options will eventually include a sausage and egg dish, oatmeal, and an egg wrap with peppers, rice, and lentils. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday." - Serena Dai

"Llamita, the counter-service offshoot of acclaimed Peruvian restaurant Llama Inn, will make its way to the West Village next month. It will serve sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and other Peruvian dishes. Options include a rib eye sandwich with charred onion, gruyere, and lomo saltado sauce and a duck sausage sandwich with potato, chimichurri, and choclo. Ramirez’s acclaimed Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken is also available. The 14-seat restaurant will have a small retail portion offering prepared foods and Peruvian-themed books, t-shirts, and cups. The space is lushly dotted with plants and is expected to open the second week of July." - Serena Dai