Llama Lips Restaurant Pure Peruvian Home Cooking

I genuinely wish I could give zero stars. This place is an insult to Peruvian cuisine and a masterclass in how not to run a restaurant. Let me walk you through the disaster: First, the food. Bland. I’ve had frozen dinners with more flavor. The pork tasted like soap. What should have been a celebration of vibrant Peruvian spices tasted like someone Googled “Peru” and gave up halfway through the recipe. But the food was nothing compared to the service. The owners are shockingly rude — dismissive, condescending, and unapologetically arrogant. When I calmly pointed out that a dish was inedible, I was met with “that’s how it’s supposed to be” Right. Because every Peruvian grandmother serves soapy pork drenched in sadness. And now for the best part: no refunds. Not even a credit, not even a gesture of goodwill. Just a flat, smug “we don’t do that.” Apparently, once they have your money, customer satisfaction is optional. Save yourself the time, money, and stomachache. There are plenty of fantastic Peruvian restaurants run by people who actually care. This is not one of them. Run — don’t walk — in the other direction. _______ Hey Bill, 4.4 stars speaks for itself. Your waitress is a liar and we told her multiple times the hot dog fried rice was completely inedible. Including before she brought the bill and she opted to keep it on. We took the food to go because we have multiple raccoons that won’t leave us alone and seemed to solve the problem.

My husband and I have been to Llama Lips three times so far. The menu is very unique. We love their food!!! It is very fresh and full of flavor. The portions are very filling. The staff is super nice and friendly. The restaurant is clean and quiet. There is a great atmosphere. We will definitely keep eating there. Delicious dishes: Chaufa de salmon, Seco de Lucy, Osso buco a la cerveza, bisteck a lo pobre, Tallarin verde with rib eye steak, Lomo filet mignon. Their chicha morada is so delicious and refreshing. Highly recommended!!!

All the times I’ve been to Llama Lips, the food has been delicious. Being raised in a Peruvian family and having stayed in Peru several times for vacation months, there are times when one craves the “real” Peruvian flavor. Not that other restaurants are not “good”, it’s just that they don’t “hit the spot” for someone that knows what authentic Peruvian flavor tastes like. Yes the cost to eat here is higher than other fusion restaurants, but it is 100% reasonable when you take into account that they are literally working hard to bring to your table what they would offer you in Peru. Details like, the “cancha salada”the minute you sit down, the specific yellow potato that is used in the Caldo de Gallina, the real “yellow sauce” that’s robust and not watered down by mayonnaise, the “yuyo” (Peruvian seaweed) that dresses the ceviche, and many more things that gives you the real authentic Peruvian flavor. Every time I eat there it’s like I have been transported back to Peru. The fact that they now offer a lunch menu is a total gift. I highly recommend giving at least the lunch menu a try. My only reason for not rating the service a perfect 5 stars is that the wait time for your food to get out during the lunch menu hours (from the menu of the day), can be a little longer than expected. For someone going there to eat lunch during their lunch break, you may be rushed to eat due to the time or have to take it to go. Other than that, the servers are clean, friendly, informative and polite. The space is spotless and the ambiance is great to eat in peace.

First timers. Parking great!. Very welcoming. Food was delicious with a touch of homemade. Comfortable and cozy. Great cappuccino.☺️👍😋

New favorite spot! The food was exceptional. Great ambiance. The drinks were also excellent. Absolutely delicious and the servings are good size for both food and cocktails. We couldn’t get enough of everything we had. Prices are a little high but I’m a firm believer of quality over quantity. Worth every penny. Enjoy!

This local Peruvian restaurant is the "real deal". Authentic food prepared by a Peruvian native in a small, lovely storefront setting charmed my friend and I, who recently returned from a trip to Peru and were craving food that reminded us of our trip. (Helpful hint: Park in the strip mall next to the restaurant.) First, drinks were tall and flavorful--my sangria was delicious and fresh, and my friend's Pisco sour was perfectly blended. The menu is quite large, including beef, chicken, pork, shrimp and fish dishes, all using authentic ingredients and cooking techniques. (they have a happy hour until 6 or 7pm that includes cocktails and beer) We tried the chicken wonton appetizer, even though I'm not a fried food fan--and it was light and delicious and NOT AT ALL greasy. For our main meal, we shared causa de pollo on the appetizer list, and chicken in a creamy cashew sauce. Both portions were large enough for sharing and a bit of leftovers. The causa (a potato-based dish) was full of flavor, and the chicken dish was savory and very smooth. We were way too full to even think about dessert, but next time we eat there we'll save some room since the desserts all looked yummy to us. We met the owner, who stopped at our table to chat. His wife is Peruvian and she is the chef. Everything is made from scratch, using Peruvian ingredients and spices. Clearly this restaurant is a labor of love for them, and Stamford is lucky to have this restaurant in our town. (make sure you ask the owner where the name Llama Lips came from--interesting story.) DO patronize this wonderful gem of a restaurant and try some real Peruvian food. It's a pleasant change from other restaurants that line Bedford St.

So I have ate 2 times at llama lips. I have tried the shrimp causa very good dish the price is $19. Then the pollo asado a bit dried not my fave $19 as well. The mahi mahi a lo macho super yummy I could said my fave $35. The shrimp ceviche is delicious too $26. My boyfriend got the a lo pobre ribeye and def not worth to pay $39 for a piece of steak like that. Also they didn’t inform that the dish changes its price if you get another type of steak or cut. I think is a good place to eat the authentic Peruvian dishes but super overpriced for what you get. The ambience is alright not a wow place. We had to ask for ac 2 time bc we were sweating in there. I was a bit annoyed paying 39$ for a steak that was overcooked. I ate the same cut for cheaper price and delicious in other places.

We dropped in as I was looking for peruvian food and how could I resist the name, Llama Lips. The restaurant is clean, the staff lovely and attentive. We got the lunch specials, Estofado de Pollo and Filete de Pescadi Frito. It came with a glass of Chicha Morado - yummmy and refreshing-and a generous bowl of soup. They also offered bread and olive oil, butter and their version of pio pio sauce. The entrees were super generous. And they have a hot sauce that is 🔥- make sure you ask for some! What a lovely restaurant- highly recommend! (Sorry forgot to take photos BEFORE eating and drinking😂)

Just had an amazing lunch at Llama Lips! Love their $15 lunch special but we also ordered off the Dinner Menu (Pro Tip, they will let you!). Ceviche and Grilled Octopus for me and a steak wrap for my friend. Chef came out and told us about the food and ingredients, she is lovely. Great table service, amazing food...will definitely be back.

I hate leaving these kinds of reviews, because I'm big on supporting small businesses. However, this was one of the worst service experiences I've ever had at any restaurant, ever. I arrived at 7:40pm for a 7:30pm group dinner (for a birthday). Let's just say, my dinner came out at 9:53pm, over TWO HOURS after I arrived, and 53 minutes after the restaurant itself was officially closed! After all that waiting, food was also lackluster. The list of missteps was long, and I will be editing this review shortly with all that went wrong. For now, suffice it to say, from the experience of a patron, this visit was embarrassing.

Three of us showed up around 5pm on a Sunday so it was pretty quiet. We started with 3 Pisco Sours, followed by sharing the ceviche pescado, then 3 entrees: pollo soltado, the grilled octopus and fried chicken. We followed this by a shared dessert of some very nice dulce de leche pastries. Additional drinks were one sangria and a white wine, with one espresso with dessert (we ordered two and received one). Overall, the food is good (other than the chicken), drinks were decent, but it just felt very expensive for what it was.. the place is pleasant, what you would expect in a strip mall, and service was just ok. The dessert pastries at almost $25 for 4 and $6.50 for an espresso (double?), and $16 a pop (+tax +tip) as per the menu for the opening cocktails...it's a little rough. (The check with a 20% tip was more than $250 for the above) Again, the food was very decent and there are many things on the menu I would love to try, and I would love to go again, as would everyone in my party, but the prices for me are just a little steep at present. Maybe it is just the cost of living crisis or, maybe I just don't appreciate what things cost right now!

Absolutely delicious lunch was enjoyed at Llama Lips! We ordered fish and rice (pescado saltado), and the most perfectly prepared chicken and rice. We were served a complimentary glass of De chichi morada. The executive chef Lucy came out to ask if everything was to our liking. What a great place for a very filling gourmet meal!

Upon the restaurants recent opening my dining partner and I were curious to try this appealing eatery. We met the owner and his wife (the chef) who were personable and provided delicious food. Our dinner was lomo Saltado with an appetizer of calamari complete with a delicious Peruvian sauce. Both were delicious and the owner was kind enough to share a complimentary tres leche cake with us free of charge. We'll definitely spread the word and will be back again soon.

Amazing food. Amazing service. Truly authentic Peruvian food. I also enjoyed Pisco Sour

Good food and service. All menu items we tried were excellent. We liked the food with particular Peruvian style taste and the variety presented

My mom and I stopped by in for a lunch. We absolutely loved it. Definitely recommend. I went to Peru last summer and the Leche de Tigre tasted exactly like the ones I had during my time at the Mancora Beaches. The service was great everything tasted fresh and just made. For the Seco de Rez the meat was just falling off the bone. It was calm and quiet we went early Sunday afternoon.

Llama Lips is a fantastic new restaurant in downtown Stamford CT. You can tell instantly that Lucy and Bill love preparing great food for their customers. Llama Lips, although very new, was recommended to us by a handful of local folks. We learned that Lucy (chef/owner) was an accomplished chef in Peru and after tasting the food we have no doubt. Portions were huge, (see photos) fresh and delicious. The interaction between the kitchen and the dining tables really added to our experience. We can't wait to get back, menu is extensive and there's a lot more to try. - C&V

If you like Peruvian food, Llama Lips is a MUST. Some of the best Peruvian food we have had outside of Peru, and definitely the best Pisco Sour we have had outside Peru, comparable to the Pisco Sours at the Belmond right outside Machu Picchu. The restaurant is run by a husband/wife combo: managed by the husband Bill, and with his wife as the cook, so it's a mom and pop but doesn't feel divey at all. Bill is very friendly, and the food is authentically Peruvian. There's good variety to the menu items. We had the Pisco Sours, which as I said were the best we've had outside Peru. Perfect balance of fruit taste, alcohol, and creamy smoothness, which is hard to achieve. Lllama Lips knows what they're doing here and has trained the bartenders well; I've tried making Pisco Sours on my own a few times using quality fresh ingredients, and they are challenging drinks to make and I've never quite pulled it off myself, but Lllama Lips has mastered it. We also had the Ceviche, which was very tasty. The Aji de Gallina was also a winner, and glad to see that Lllama Lips does it well as few other Peruvian restaurants in the area even have it. The Lomo Classico was comparable to the best lomo saltado I had in Peru, served at a slightly upscale restaurant in Cusco. Will definitely be back, as Llama Lips is now my favorite Peruvian restaurant.

hands down best peruvian in Stamford and Portchester. Ceviche so yummy. great canary beans and beef short rib dish

A little gem in Stamford. Definitely recommend this restaurant. Even the desserts are worth it - the homemade flan is delicious.

Service is very good and ambiance was very good. Food was okay. They need to know more about cook temperature. I asked for fillet mignon medium-well. And I received it rare.

A friendly, warm ambiance. Great for families and friends. The dishes were generously portioned, plated with skill and full of flavor. It was obvious they use fresh ingredients. Servers were attentive but you could tell they had their hands full. As long as you have some patience, the meal is well worth it.

Amazing authentic Peruvian cuisine! Everything is made from scratch and very high-quality ingredients.

Nice people, cozy atmosphere, delicious fresh food handmade with love. Can't wait to return and try more on the menu.

Oversalted and deeply overpriced food, the shop looks nice but looks can be deceiving! Service was slow and seemed prone to forgetting order details. In a town like Stamford there are much better options for Peruvian like Acuario or Fiesta on main.

I recently tried this new Peruvian restaurant. Great care has been taken to renovate the interior, and the owners have succeeded in making the dining room and bar an elegant space with nice ambiance. We talked to Bill (the owner) and he was very pleasant and told us that his wife is the chef and the recipes are from her family. Our server was also extremely nice. We ordered Pisco Sours for our cocktails which were delicious. Bill brought over a basket with some bread along with some yummy Peruvian sauce. We ordered the fried calamari which had some lettuce and vinaigrette garnishing the plate, this was also served with three delicious sauces that complimented the food. For our main course we ordered Lomo Saltado, which was also beautifully prepared. At the end of the meal, Bill said he had a surprise for us. Then his wife, the chef, came out with a tres leches cake singing Happy Birthday (along with everyone else in the restaurant) Although it was not actually my birthday I appreciated the generosity of the dessert on the house. And it made me feel extremely welcomed. I will be back!