Barranco Cocina Peruana

The server, Manuel, was excellent and made delicious recommendations as it was our first visit. All the food was outstanding and especially the beef empanadas and the Langostinos small plate. We ordered small plates and cocktails and really enjoyed it all. It was pricey though as 4 appetizers and 4 cocktails for 2 people was over $100 per person. Watch out for the water, we ordered ice water, but received a bottle of sparkling water which cost us $10.

What a delicious surprise! I was traveling from Oakland to Walnut Creek and decided to stop somewhere different for a meal. The service was quick and efficient. The ginger lemonade was refreshing. The food will prepared and excellently presented. And it tasted great. We sampled the Roasted beet salad, Palta Rellena, Empanadas platter, salmon and the Chicharrones de la Casa. Worth the stop if you are in the area.

We really enjoyed the food here, lots of flavor, meat was tender and the sauce were delicious. We sat outdoors which was comfortable, our server was very attentive and checked in on us periodically which we appreciated.

The food was excellent. I had the roast beet salad which was delicious. The outdoor seating is great, especially in the summer. The service was a touch slow, but friendly and helpful.

Great food and friendly service, surpassed my expectations! Went on a Sunday evening and was surprisingly busy, think they may have been understaffed as our waiter was clearly busy at work! Regardless, lead times on food orders took a while (30ish minutes) but our server made it up to us with a round of drinks on-the-house. Dishes were savory, with lots of value. I’d say it’s “Peruvian” with an American spin. It’s nice to see a place that puts the customer experience at the forefront! Will definitely be returning!!!

Great service with outdoor seating. Ordered the Lomo Saltado. It was a bit salty for me but I'm sensitive to salt and get migraines. My friends enjoyed the fish ceviche and short ribs. Expensive but it's typical for the area. Pet friendly.

Service was great, food was good, but nothing stood out as amazing. Decent drink selection though and nice outdoor atmosphere so it’s a great place for a quick dinner with friends.

Yummy food with good service. The ceviche was delicious (loved the spicy/sweet tuna variety in particular) as were the pork ribs and well, everything!

Excellent menu selection! Grilled Octopus was fantastic; easy to chew and nicely spiced! It was served with purple mash potatoes which complimented octopus. Seafood Rice Paella wonderful flavors and rice was perfect good amount of calamari but could have been more mussels, clam & shrimp. Next time I will ask for extra! The server was helpful and efficient. The dining area was spacious and plenty of tables. Looks like there was a full bar with good alcohol selection.

Found this Peruvian restaurant in Lafayette and has a great outdoor patio with a lot of space for seating, you also can find street parking, restaurants is right in downtown Lafayette great location!! Really nice host, good music, bar area, and indoor seating also available. I think the best dish that we tried was churrasco and the empanadas 10/10!! The worst main course that we got was the anticuchos, no flavor, dried, over cooked, just not ordering that again. Desserts were awesome, what a flavor! My favorite was alfajores!! Service was friendly

We were so excited to go here, and prior to making a reservation I called and talked to someone on the phone about gluten free options. They reassured me they had options, and as I was looking over their online menu she let me know of options I could eat, having celiac disease (gluten free). There were lots of options for me (over the phone) but when I got there I was heavily disappointed. When we arrive we were greeted and seated. I asked for a gluten free menu and she said the server could go over the options with me. They bring us some chips, that we're not GF as they are made in the same fryer as breaded/floured items. Yuccas, plantains, and other items (especially sides) I could not have either. (Which also meant if I got ceviche I would be eating it with a fork). Many meats had wheat in the marinade, the avocado salad option was not Gf, and I was told the chicken and rice dish could be made gluten free. We were taking Bart into SF and I was so scared I would get sick on our way to see the show (or during the show) at the Orpheum Theater. So I ordered that and a GF Ceasar salad. Reading the menu, the chicken and rice dish was cooked in Peruvian beer. Beer has barley (what, malt, barley and rye are the items people with celiac can NOT consume). The survey reassured me they would make it not with the beer. I was nervous to try, but nothing else was GF. The waiter even said that he could use better training on why gluten free is, as they really don't know. They bring out the salad with croutons on it. I told the food runner that I needed GF, no croutons. She asked if I ordered it that way, she went and confirmed with the server that I did order it that way. I told her a new one has to be made or I'll get sick. We could see the kitchen from where we were seating and the chef looked at me and saw I was watching and made a new salad with no croutons. They brought me my salad and it was good. The rice dish was good too. Very saffron forward. Would I eat here again? Probably not becuase they were unaware of GF food and why it would be considered Gf or not.

Enjoyed my visit to Barranco sitting out on their patio sipping a drink and having a light nosh. Service was very good. Nice place to stop when you're in downtown Lafayette.

We've been fans of this restaurant since its opening. For the most part, we still enjoy taking our friends there, but it has gotten so expensive, it won't be very often anymore. Also, there is one young woman who served us twice in the past and she is lovely...personable, attentive. There is one older gentleman who has served us who seems like he hates his job. No pleasantries. Just the minimum of service. Not what you expect when paying those prices.

Great place! Food was amazing and Don Manny was just the nicest Empanadas were the best part!!

Waiting for 40 minutes - service is very slow - cannot tell you how good it is, since we only have gotten ice water so far. Given how we have been treated so far, don't think I would step food in this crappy place again

Great service, fast seating, Loved the chicken chicharrones! Like a really tasty chicken karage The tuna cebiche was the best of the cebiche tasting. The other two were the same sauce just different proteins. I would just get the squid and mussel one and not the fish one. The pico punch was OK but the non-alcoholic bird of paradise was delicious Great and speedy service.

Love dining here, food is always amazing! Today, the general manager went the extra mile with our dessert. Definitely one of my go to restaurants in this area.

Firstly, the meal, dessert , and coffee were good. My complaint is that the food portions are minuscule, especially for the prices they charge . I don't mind paying , but we all left hungry .

Haven't been to a Peruvian restaurant before, and I was pleasantly surprised. Great portions, great ambiance, and a diverse selection of dishes. We ordered the ceviche chino, which didn't have much flavor and was too sweet for my taste. I prefer ceviche to be more delicately sliced, with acidity and flavor. However, the fish tasted very fresh and the portion was perfect for two people. I also ordered the salmon with purple potatoes, which was my favorite dish! Every component was perfectly cooked and delicious. The purple mashed potatoes were hearty and creamy at the same time, and the tomato and onions were crunchy and tangy. Perfect balance of sides to a perfectly crisp and flaky piece of salmon. Highly recommend this place!

Everyone and everything was amazing . Sat at the bar and had the greatest experience with staff . Food was flavorful and good portions .. drinks on point ! We will definitely be back !

I say this place has the potential to be a solid 5 stars if they get some kinks worked out. The food was really good. Very rich and flavorful..... and you definitely feel like you're getting what you pay for. We had quite a few items this evening: Seafood paella: super rich, I couldn't eat the whole thing. There was a ton of seafood which was AWESOME. Sweet potato fries: please stop dusting these in sugar. It's so unnecessary and fries are good as is. Seco de res: we LOVED the cilantro sauce the beef was braised in. The portions are really good and you don't feel like you're shorted. The rice was also exceptional - cooked perfectly! Asparagus: unfortunately there were some woody ends, but this can be improved upon. Crab cakes: loved this! It was super meaty and delicious. I loved the tomatoes that were served in the side Beet salad: had some potatoes in it which was a little different but enjoyable. I love beet and potato salad - this was close to a deconstructed version of that Empanada platter: slightly over cooked which made the dough a little bitter but the fillings were good. I wouldn't order again but I could see how people love them Costillas: 0/10. They needed to be cooked so much longer. They were tough, chewy, and difficult to eat. The service could have also been better. We ordered wine when we sat down and it didn't come until our food was delivered which was a bummer. We also ordered appetizers which came with the food. We really wanted to enjoy our drinks with appetizers and it sucks when everything comes out at once because it all starts to loose temperature so you have to jump all over the place to try everything and eat fast. Service can be fixed and maybe it was an odd night. I do want to give a shout out to the manager (?) or owner (?). He delivered our wine for us and said "here is your sav blanc." We actually ordered the Albariño and made mention of that. He said "no problem, drink these glasses did free and I'll give you your Albariño's" - that was very unexpected and nice of him to not waste. They also brought me the Peruvian cookies for dessert. I will come back to this place... there are so many other things I'm eager to try!

For a table of two we were charged an automatic 20% gratuity with the option of leaving an additional tip after that. Are you hiring? I've worked as a server and would be taking shifts every night if I had the automatic 20% on every table, no matter the size.

My hubby and I came here on a Friday date night as we heard good things and glad we checked it out. We did make reservations so we were seated pretty fast. My hubby and I ordered the cheese filled fried won tons and those were so freaking delicious! It was like a sweet and savory thing going on but definitely a must get! The octopus with the purple mash potatoes was also very tasty and one of my favorites. We also ordered their version of the chicken paella and i can honestly say we weren't a fan of it. Normally I love me some paella but this one here just didn't hit the spot for me. It almost seemed to runny and watery almost. On the weekends I believe they have live music going on at night in front of their doors which is cool. The only thing that irked me is that the not only are the tables and aisles very close together but when we were done eating and trying to leave the establishment there was so many people outside surrounding the live band and the exit for the restaurant! They should have signs saying to not block the door for patrons who are trying to leave the restaurant. I guess if you're in Lafayette then there are some kinds of people who just don't want to move or get out of the way (if you catch my drift).

The service was OK, but the food was amazing. The atmosphere is nice. We went for Valentine's Day and we were happy with the food and drinks

Went on a weekday and not To busy , the food and atmosphere was great , very cool Looking Place , cocktails and the mocktail my lady ordered was awesome

Tried Peruvian food for the first time! Service was quick, friendly, and attentive! Our server also gave us really good recommendations. The atmosphere was good. The interior had nice decorations, and was a little loud inside but that's because there was live music that day. The food was really good! My personal favorites of the night were the Tuna Novo Andina and the Tequeños. The Tuna Novo Andina was a personal recommendation from our server, since I couldn't decided whether to choose that or the Aji Gallina instead. I was surprised how tuna and fried plantain can taste good together! Highly recommend and will be returning!

Barranco is a great gem in Lafayette...authentic and delicious Peruvian food, yummy Pisco Sours (try the passion fruit), friendly atmosphere. We've returned time and again. We've never been disappointed.

Same ownership as Parada in Walnut Creek so you will see the same tasty Peruvian food! I like the Parada location better for better service / ambience. We came as a group of 8 on a Wednesday night. It was pretty busy, we had reservations though. Our server seemed tired and like she didn't really want us there. 20% gratuity was included already, so maybe she just didn't care? At least the food is good and consistent, the buser was fast too. No bowls and no hot water which is interesting... they also ran out of sangria so we could not get pitchers. I ordered the pescado a lo Mancho (butchering the spelling!) which is my fav dish, very creamy seafood stew chock full of tasty seafood. Octopus was tasty. The short ribs were not that tasty, a bit salty so avoid if you're there. Appetizers like empanadas, yuca fries, and beet salads are always a winner too. Cocktails are $16, the matcha one is tasty! And the others, can't go wrong depending on your preference. Street parking, meter runs until 8pm.

Barranco is surrounded by beloved restaurants - Social Bird, Batch & Brine, Pizza Antica, etc. They really need to at the top of their game to not lose customers to these neighboring restaurants. The first visit for me was not great. I thought the food was just okay and service was rushed. Second visit was just okay for me as well. So I haven't been there in a couple of years. But my friend really wanted to try it and she was going to be driving through Lafayette so I obliged. I am happy to report that the food has improved and the service was much better. We had Andres and he was helpful. We started with some Pisco Sours which were made perfectly with frothy egg white on top. The paella was delicious with shrimp, mussels, clams and chunks of fish. Definitely order that dish! Yucca fries tasted like just big thick cut french fries. Asparagus was cooked to perfection. Quinoa covered langostino were great too! So glad my friend suggested Barranco. It's great to have a Peruvian spot closer to home! A huge thanks to ANDRES for taking good care of us!

Arrived for dinner and the host was very welcoming and seated us quickly. We did notice there was only one server but she was friendly and gave us good recommendations. We started with the hangover soup which they were kind enough to split into two large bowls. It was piping hot and filled with lots of chicken and veggies - it was ok but lacked seasoning. Then we tried the empanada platter which had one of each: mushroom, cheese corn, chicken, and beef. These were somewhat small because there just wasn't enough filling inside. The dough was soft and tasted good but when you paired it with the aioli it added a little more spice. Finally, we shared the chicken paella and it was a good sized portion with lots of red onions but again not that much flavor. Everything was just underwhelming and we left feeling unsatisfied...

Went there this week. Dined outside on the patio. Ambience was great...a live musician was perfect. Service and food were outstanding. This is our "go to" spot and never disappoints!

What a wonderful lunch!!! And I apologize for not making a review sooner. We love this place. Our server greeted us quickly, but not annoyingly as we were catching up after quite a long absence. His name was Andres and he was amazing. He could read ques and recognize body language to the superior level, as to give us privacy, but not ignore us. What a gem. Thank you Andres. We went through the menu and ordered delicious cocktails and then decided on foods as well. We chose to share our items and that was a great decision as the entrees are very giving and plentiful. We had/shared: Empanada platter Plantains Yuka Everything was amazing. Literally amazing. No misses. Only hits! We sat outside beneath a heated lantern and we enjoyed the foot traffic, warmth and scenery. Our service was exemplary and our food was delicious. Thank you. We will return!

We had a lovely lunch with our large family. The service was very well organized. I wish I knew the name of the lady who served our table to give her all the deserved praise! Barranco team, our reservation was for Paez family, May 13, at 12:30pm, large party - we sat outside. Shoutout to your team!! Food was VERY TASTY and fresh. The beet salad was delicious and very refreshing. The beer was served at perfect temperature! I am vegan and the chef was very accommodating. I will certainly come back!! Five stars mean a lot to me, BTW

Had a great meal with friends, birthday celebration (was noted in res but maybe they don't do anything for bdays?). We shared several items: Tuna Tartare - good fresh Scallops Carlitos - so yummy Tequeños - delish & sweet Fried Plantains - yum coconut panna cotta - omgoddess Matcha citrus cocktail was nice everything was very good, tamarind sauce sweet, serving sizes were decent for small plates, service was great. Tables are squished together so it was a bit hard not to have my crotch or butt right next to another table when I got up, and the hard wood benches are well hard. There was live music that was nice but could be quieter more vibe music since it didn't seem like a dancing spot (maybe outside when it's warm?). Overall I would like to go back and try other dishes.

My wife is Peruvian, and we've been to all the Peruvian restaurants in the Bay Area. i'm not sure why I waited so long to try this one in Lafayette. It's the best Peruvian restaurant I've tried, and like I say, we've tried them all -- this spot has the best service, best taste, best pisco sour, best ají, best vibe. This may sound funny, because macaroni and cheese is not traditional Peruvian because; however we ordered it for our toddler, and their mac and cheese puts the rest to shame.

I love me some Peruvian food but I have to say I was disappointed. It wasn't the best or the worst I've had. Would I come back? Probably not. The ambiance is cute and spacious for the most part and the bathrooms were clean, and + pts for the parking behind the restaurant. Considering we came during a time it wasn't crowded or busy, I felt like we waited extra long just to get seated and then on top of that get our order taken. They didn't have some of the items that were on the menu originally like the lobster Mac but they said they have bacon instead however, when we received this neon yellow concoction, it didn't have bacon either. We had to hunt down somebody who could bring it to us and the macaroni definitely needed some saltiness from the bacon because it had NO flavor! Again, I'd understand if the place was poppin and busy but it wasn't at the time my party was there. I ordered the pescado a la macho which seemed like the most popular dish positively reviewed on here but honestly it was underwhelming. I thought the color would have a rich flavor but it was more watery than anything. Overall, I think the dishes are overpriced. Maybe we came on a bad day? But I wouldn't go out of my way to come back and try it again. I will say though, since I'm pregnant I did not try any of the ceviche dishes.

Returned here with that "friend" for our one year anniversary and it was even better this time. Ambiance is romantic and lively. There is an open kitchen and live music. Lots of indoor seating with candlelit tables (last time it was just outdoor because of Covid), delicious tasting Peruvian food (I've had it more often since last time, so i have better judgment), and the chicas was goood! Service was attentive and I'm really glad this was our first date place because the food, people, and atmosphere are great. Will be returning at least once a year to celebrate !

This restaurant has been on our to go to list for several months. We were in the area recently and tried it out. The ambiance is great with outdoor seating. The day we went was slow and we were seated quickly. After being seated we were not greeted or served. It appeared there were enough servers as many were standing around the kitchen area socializing. After approximately 15 minutes we left the restaurant without dining.

Yummy!! We've loved everything we tried so far. Very kind and attentive service! We just happen to pop in when there's live music, yay! The place is also pretty and nice heat lamps as well!

Food is good but not up to Lima standards or even Florida Peruvian restaurants. Service is very good. Ambiance is okay. Prices seem on the high side but I am comparing it to Florida.

We arrived here on a recent Saturday night around 6:30pm and were seated immediately. By 7pm the restaurant was packed. So if you're planning to arrive after 6:30, I'd definitely get a reservation. We started with the Trio Platter of Chicken Empanadas. They were tasty. The sauce they serve with the empanadas has a tiny kick to it. This was the highlight of our dinner. I got the Aji Gallina, which is kind of like a Peruvian take on cassoulet. It's a very hardy dish. I was definitely full after eating it, but like cassoulet, it was pretty bland. And the jasmine rice that it comes with just added to the bulkiness of the dish. It tasted like plain old white rice to me. I glanced around for salt and pepper. Nope. But to be fair I didn't trouble the waitress about it. My partner in crime ordered the Arroz con Marisco, but with Chicken instead of shellfish. This dish was a big disappointment. There was a relatively small portion of chicken hidden under a mound of what was basically soggy french fries. This dish was also served with "jasmine" rice. Not a memorable dish by any stretch. Some of our previous visits deserved a 4 or a 5-star rating. But we didn't have entrees on those visits. We'd have a couple of drinks with a couple of empanada platters. To sum up, we're pretty disappointed in Barranco's entrees. Personally, I'd go to Limon instead, for tastier entrees.

Peruvian food which is presented very beautifully. We sit at the Bar. The restaurant isn't comfortable for us--wish they had booths. Bartender is excellent. Cocktail choices fabulous. Music wonderful. Definitely a place I would go at least once a month.

OMGoodness!! What a fabulous dinner! Great food! Each place was fresh, suprising and delicious! Sea food paella, short ribs, fish al la macho, each was fantastic. The starters, avocado filled with curry chicken, ahi tartar are each worth coming back forr, but you must try the empanadas.. The service was fantastic overall. Andres was our waiter and was worth coming back for! Friendly, enthusiastic, spot on with recommendations, truly a pleasure. After my wife fell in love with the cookies, he surprised her with two more to go! We recently said that with the recent price increases and labor shortages we have had some less than seller dinner reviews. THAT WAS REMIDIED TONIGHT! Oh yeah, great drinks and deserts as well!

I liked their empanadas but the other food I tried was pretty bland. If I go again it will probably just be for appetizers and drinks

Love me some ceviche and empanadas. Came here on a whim on a weekend night. The outside seating was packed, but the inside barely had anyone, so they were able to fit us in there. Some people have mentioned that the service is slow, and while it was on the slower side, it didn't feel like the servers weren't being attentive. I think they were just busier than maybe they had enough servers for, but the two servers the helped us were friendly and came by as much as they could. I highly recommend the corn-cheese empanadas. They were delicious! I also really enjoyed the cebiche and the Ensalada Nueva Andina, the dressing was so good. If you aren't in a rush, it's a nice change of pace to sit back, have a pisco sour and share a bunch of food with a loved one.

Fantastic food, service, and ambiance. The purple potatoes were worth it alone. Also ordered the steak with chimichurri (9/10), grilled octopus (8/10), and several more dishes. Great patio dining.

Came here on a Friday evening and was looking forward to finally trying this Peruvian place. The experience and food sadly were only ok. Took a while to get our order in and get the drink, pisco sour was good but very small. We ordered the ceviche chino peruano but clearly ended up with something else... (it didn't have wontons and was not ahi) since we were hungry and waiter was not to be found we ended up eating it... the yucca chips were mostly broken, like the remainder of a batch. Difficult to eat... Then ordered the short rib and pulpito. The baby octopus was a bit overcooked and chewy. I should've read the description better as I expected an octopus leg and not baby octopus... the short rib was okay, was lacking flavor. Our water never got refilled... just overall not the best experience. Maybe because we were sitting outside on the lower terrace, but still. Anywho, wouldn't go back and rather go to limon.

Good food and I just wish live music placed longer or some sort of music after band. Food are good

Great place to go for Peruvian food. Went here back in 2019 and came back for an early Mother's Day dinner. There's now live music and outdoor seating. Empanadas we're great, though everyone ate it before I could take a picture of it. It was crowded and they were able to fit our party of 10. I got the Salmon, it was excellent. Looks like we're all coming back separately too. Parking is a little challenging, but overall great.

My second time here and my second time in awe by the food and drink quality. Great service as well. Started with the empanada trio, pollo saltado for entree, chocolate lava cake with one of the best vanilla ice creams. Drink was the guava cava. Soooo good

I was in the area for a work event so a friend and I checked this spot out for dinner. Giant meh experience for me. Service was slow on a Thursday. We didn't have a reservation but they could get us in without waiting which was nice. Maybe it was so meh since we didn't order drinks they didn't think we were worth the effort, I don't know. My friend is into Peruvian food and I let her lead. The potato dish was an epic fail. She claims the presentation was traditional but I'm sorry, why were the spuds served with a leaf of romaine and scatter of black olives, reminded me of a plating fail like you'd see in Chopped. While it was all edible what purpose did it serve to enhance the dish? Oh yeah, nothing. It was fine enough but I will never bother again most likely. She wasn't as turned off as I was, so it's all a matter of perspective I guess. Left me feeling meh at the end of it all. My company was the best part of the evening.

Best Peruvian restaurant that I ever ate at. The Tuna plate and the ceviche are perfect. I really enjoyed it.

We went to Barranco on a Thursday evening with reservations. We were greeted cheerfully and seated promptly. The drinks were refreshing and fresh. A few of our favorite dishes were the tuna cebiche with yucca chips and the quinoa crusted prawns. The food was delicious and our server Mario was attentive and friendly. We will definitely be back!

Highly recommend the empanadas. I think the best was one with mushrooms in it but they were all good. The coconut Panna cotta was delicious! I think I was there on a weekend and they also had live music. The woman singing added to the vibe.

We enjoyed this redtaraunt very well. It's a must try for sure. It's local and convenient to find. But leave time to find parking. The food is really good. We had the fish Cebiche and it was very delicious with the Yuuca Chips. Although honestly the house chips were better with it. We also had the empenaad which were so very good. Worth coming back for those. All four delish! You'll be full with just this. The entrees we had the Pedcado a lo Macho, AHH-MAY-ZING! Flavorful and full of delicious seafood. And also the NY Steak was very good. Ambiance was very nice lots of seating outside and good quality lamps. It was windy and we were warm. The live music on Saturday night was very nice and not intrusive. Service, I agree with others, after being seated the initial point to be greeted by our server took forever. But then sped up to be a pleasant experience. He was honest and we appreciated that. The food made up for it.

Man, since Fresca in SF closed down (not the one in the avenues, but the other one)... I have been craving some Peruvian food and I really couldn't find any good ones in the East Bay, until right friggin now! We went crazy and ordered a bunch of stuff, but the fried plantains were excellent same with the potato chips!! MMMMM MMMMMM!!! The yucca fries were meh as well, I wasn't into them too much. Of course you gotta have the lomo saltado, but I've never had it with an egg before on top, so why didn't anyone tell me about this? That was amazingly delicious. The chicken paella was also incredible to eat. But we also had a fried seafood platter, but I didn't think it was all that. It had mussels and clams in it but it was so overcooked it was like eating nothing but oil lol. But overall, nice lil date spot too fellas, take your lady. It's really nice, I think it might be under staffed a bit so please be patien

Came here on a Sunday night because I love Peruvian and wanted to break away from some of my usuals. Things we ordered: -Beef empanadas - fine, but I've had significantly better. -ceviche chino-peruano - really disappointing and not great -we ordered chips to go with the ceviche and I was really confused because they were tiny and not really great for shoveling ceviche in my mouth -scallops - ok, again, nothing to write home about We were still hungry so we ordered the spareribs and those were good. Overall, I would come back and try some other things on the menu, but I was definitely not impressed.

A Great place to have dinner in the East Bay. Amazing food. Fish is super fresh. Best Pisco Sour I ever had! Will go back often to the Best Peruvian restaurant in the East Bay.