LA ROYAL
Peruvian restaurant · Neighborhood Nine ·
Peruvian fare with regional specialties and creative cocktails
Peruvian fare with regional specialties and creative cocktails
"We generally try to avoid having the same restaurant group make multiple appearances on the Eater 38, but in the case of La Royal, from the same folks behind the award-winning Peruvian stunner Celeste, it’s really just that good. JuanMa Calderón and Maria Rondeau didn’t miss a beat at La Royal, which cultivates their signature transportive, fun-night-out energy in a larger space. The tart, punchy ceviches sing here, as do regional plates that nod to different aspects of Peruvian culture and food, including Peruvian Chinese, or Chifa, plates like stir-fried noodles with seafood or vegetables. A bar tip: On the drinks side, the pisco martini has won fans from all over, and the classic pisco sour hits the spot every time." - Erika Adams
"La Royal is the restaurant equivalent of cashmere loungewear. The space, with its low lighting, exposed brick, cozy two-tops, and handsome copper bar serves Peruvian comfort food dressed in party clothes. It feels a bit like a grown-up version of the supper club the owners, Maria Rondeau and chef Juan Ma Calderon, ran out of their home before opening their first brick-and-mortor, Celeste, in 2018. Stew, stir-fries, and ceviches are the backbone of the menu, along with Chifa cuisine, a mashup of Chinese and Peruvian flavors, including the classic Lomo Saltado, an umami-bomb of steak, tomatoes, onions, and soy sauce. If you’re looking for a special dinner that never veers into stuffy, La Royale is just the place. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - tanya edwards, megan zhang, dan secatore, catherine smart, jonathan smith
"La Royal is the restaurant equivalent of cashmere loungewear. The space, with its low lighting, exposed brick, cozy two-tops, and handsome copper bar serves Peruvian comfort food dressed in party clothes. Think tender gratineed scallops in their halfshells, bracing ceviche spooned into cut-glass stemware, and branzino steamed in a banana leaf heaped with sweet onions, peppers, and herbs. The restaurant feels a bit like a grown-up version of the supper club the owners, Maria Rondeau and chef Juan Ma Calderon, ran out of their home before opening their first brick-and-mortor, Celeste, in 2018. Stew, stir-fries, and ceviches are the backbone of the menu, along with Chifa cuisine, a mashup of Chinese and Peruvian flavors, including the classic Lomo Saltado, an umami-bomb of steak, tomatoes, onions, and soy sauce. If you’re looking for a special dinner that never veers into stuffy, La Royale is just the place." - Catherine Smart
"A Cambridge restaurant opened in 2022 by the same partners behind the acclaimed Boston-area spot, this project continues the duo’s trajectory from informal dinner parties to multiple dining ventures. Led by a team that blends culinary and creative backgrounds (one partner is a chef-filmmaker, the other an architect-producer), the place functions as a sibling operation to their earlier restaurant and reflects their incremental, experimental approach to building a small restaurant family." - Bettina Makalintal
"Opened by the team behind Somerville’s Peruvian standout Celeste, this Huron Village spot retains its sibling’s culinary strengths while adding a glamorous atmosphere, a larger cocktail program, and kitchen space for a fryer that turns out a notably excellent jalea." - Erika Adams