• CLOSED: AlmaZen

  • (16)
    5

    Closed

  • White Vegan
Vegan
Organic
Western
Peruvian

Organic vegan restaurant that source fresh produce from small farms. Serves seasonal food menu and cakes and muffins baked with wholegrain flours, natural sugar substitutes, and tofu. Comfortable and contemporary set up with a small cafe at the entrance. Hours are seasonal and with lunch being the main meal of the day. Monday to Friday during lunch is when it is most likely to be open. Operates a stall at the Bioferia on Avenida 15 de Enero next to Parque Reducto in Miraflores every Saturday from 8am-3pm selling baked goods and other food. OCT 2016 REPORTED SHUT.


Venue map for AlmaZen
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16 Reviews

First Review by buddhaphilwisdom

LorenaH

Points +84

Vegan
25 Oct 2015

It was a good meal

I was there in September for dinner, and fortunately it was close to my hotel. It's a very nice place inside, and the food is good. Yes, it was priced higher than many other veg. restaurants in Peru. The service was a bit slow - I wonder if that's because the people are not payed well, as the reviewer before me noted. The menu was in Spanish and I was shy to ask for translation, but don't be shy, they will be happy to help.

Pros: pleasant atmosphere, clean & quiet, good food, easy walk from hotel

Cons: expensive, a bit slow, not a huge menu to select from

Paul H

Points +6

Non Veg
18 Dec 2014

Absolutely splendid food

I have already done a review on TripAdvisor so to avoid spam let me say simply: I am not a vegetarian. But this was the restaurant we returned to in Lima. The other fancy ones were predictable stuff we could have eaten in Europe. The tastes and friendly atmosphere of this small, well run place bowled me over. Even an unsophisticated palate like mine could tell this was something special.

Prices are low perhaps because it is not trendy with the business classes, who are very conservative in Peru and think they must eat meat with a meal.

Pros: No need to book, Novel food experiences, A starter feels like a full meal

Cons: A little difficult to find

eeyoresenigma

Points +173

Vegan
28 Nov 2014

You get what you pay for!

As with many things in Peru... Generally when you pay more you get a ton more! This is so true witht this restaurant! Yes the dishes are around S./30 but they are equivalent a restaurant that charges double where I am from. The food is excellent and complex. Each part of the dish is different but complements the other parts of the dish. The two dishes we ordered were black rice stuffed in a tomato with grilled veggies and spinach salad with a citrus miso dressing and rich olive tapenade; and a mushroom mush with quinoa falafel balls and carrots with a side of mashed potatoes and a vegan pesto. I am just drooling writing about it. We also tried the vegan lemon torte which was divine and a good size for sharing. The service was professional and top notch and the restaurant itself was nice and cozy. We will definitely make the sludge one more time before leaving Peru!

Pros: Just plain ol excellent food, All deserts are vegan!

Cons: Expensive but worth it

DaveMiami

Points +96

Vegan
31 May 2014

Really good!

It was so fresh and tasty! I got some kind of curry quinoa and tomatoes. But yea, it was expensive, 38 soles for the dish. Still, one of the best health food restaurants I've been to.

Pros: Tasty, Fresh, Healthy

Cons: Expensive

DaveMiami

31 May 2014

Patapompon

Points +534

Vegan
30 May 2014

Overrated restaurant

No doubt the food is good at AlmaZen, but even if the atmosphere is calm and nice, and the ingredients are well prepared, it is not worth the price. It is very expansive indeed (starter at S/28, main courses at S/38 and the beer at S/15) and the portions are small compared to what you usually get in Peruvian restaurants (veggie or not). I don't deny the quality of service and food, but the price for it is not fair.
May be a good place to try if you are invited by someone willing to pay.

Pros: Good food

Cons: Bad quality-price ratio

SarahLambert

Points +13

Vegetarian
29 Apr 2014

Delicious food - great ambiance

Almazen is a gem of a place. I speak (reasonable) Spanish, but didn´t understand much of the menu, but for once it didn´t matter as all was vegetarian and what came was delicious! I started with a dish of all different types of potato with different sauces, which sounds a bit dull, but was absolutely delicious. This was followed by a delicious stuffed pancake. We also tried some of the craft beer there, which was tasty if a little strong! We had no room left for dessert!

We visited in early March 2014

Pros: Big portions, Calming ambience, Delicious food

aisawesome

Points +127

Vegan
16 Jun 2013

some amazing some so so

There were many items on the menu that sounded good and it was hard to decide what to get. I wound up getting the ravioli which had sweet potato inside and some other things..my one friend got the quinoa burger and my other friend got the bean stew with sweet potatoes. I hated mine. It was waaaayyyyy too salty. I should have complained but I didn't. Both dishes my friends got were AMAZING! Mine however also had less food but was the same price as the bean stew and the quinoa cakes were less money even though they had more food than my ravioli too. I was really bummed that I picked the wrong item. (& annoyed about the price)

For dessert I got the lemon cake with orange marmalade and that was really good! My friend got the rice pudding which we both thought was gross and way too sweet.

So I guess if you pick correctly you can have an amazing meal and if you pick incorrectly..not so much.

They also charged me 7 soles for a bottle of water!

I would give it 5 stars based on the amazing food I did get to try..but since some was awful I have to lower it.
Updated from previous review on Sunday June 16, 2013

DanielAmaral

Points +707

Vegan
21 Jan 2013

best food ever

With Universo Organico, located in Rio de Janeiro, I consider Almazen to be the place where I could experience a whole different food journey.

The restaurant is quite small with a nice atmosphere. The menu changes everyday, so maybe you'll never have the same dish I did.

So, after checking with the waiter, my girlfriend and I asked for the only vegan dish they had in the menu. To be completely honest, I didn't recognized any of the ingredients of the dish (and I consider myself a "spanish speaker").
After a long time (is this the slow food concept? hehe) the plate came with something that looked like a lasagna (I'm posting a picture of it) and that's when we were amazed. At the first bite we were able to taste a very exquisite flavor that we have never experienced and, of course, I am not able to describe with words.

Maybe I'm pushing it a little, but I can't wait to go to Lima again and give it another shot.
And yes, it is a expensive, but you get what you're paying for.

Pros: best food ever

Cons: it is far away from me

vegansoul

Points +304

Vegan
14 Oct 2012

calming but a little pricey

very cute / boutiquey restaurant tea house. Everything on the menu was vegan when I visited, though they said the menu changes daily and sometimes they do use eggs, milk or cheese. I'd call before going. Though it says 11pm closing, my hotel called and was told 10:30pm and I see another reviewer say they tried to go at 8pm and it was already closed. I had a lovely and delicious vegan quiche that seemed to be made with tofu, beets, mushrooms and a delicate crust. I also tried the olive linguine which was very good, but I was too full to finish it. An appetizer, entree, dessert and a glass of wine cost $32.50 USD or 84.05 soles

Pros: Clean, Friendly, Delicious

Cons: pricey, Hours are not set

enRoute

Points +1401

Vegan
04 Aug 2011

interesting but overrated

Guess I'm the one who has to come here with a non-glowing review (one of the best restaurants ever? really?)

Sure, it's a lovely little place, with a creative, ever-changing menu. They're happy to make things vegan on request.

However, some things were a bit off for me. Maybe it was just my luck, but two separate times I came the servers seemed either righteously stoned or just not that into working. Also arrived once at 8:30 p.m. on a Monday and it was closed, several hours early - apparently because they just wanted to.

I did have some great food there, including a super "Focaccia del Campo," but also had slightly less luck with other plates... a red pepper stuffed with some alright bean stuff, with a side of... alright bean stuffing. At easily the most expensive price per-plate of any restaurant in Lima.

Creative, good-intentioned, but iffy in my experience. I had better dinners at several other places and would have to say that the place is a bit overrated. Still worth checking out for a splurge, but a lot's going to depend on your luck + the night.

Pros: creative, organic, nice folks

Cons: sometimes meh, closes early, randomly, servers a bit out of it

bryanbeca

Points +17

Vegetarian
21 Jul 2011

Excellent food and great atmosphere!

This was far and away the best vegetarian food we ate in Peru. Set in a small and very friendly cafe style setting that houses a tea shop at front, this restaurant in Miraflores had a daily menu. There were several dishes available, with one or two vegan, and they were able to customize a dish for me to be vegan and accommodate my gluten intolerance with no problem. We had a risotto that was amazingly flavourful and perfectly cooked. Presentation was excellent, as was the service. The tea was also very good, and very thoughtfully put together. We wished we'd had room for dessert.

If you are in Lima, don't miss this place.

Pros: Great food, Friendly service, Understand vegan and allergies

Cons: On the slow side

asamontpaz

Points +21

Vegetarian
01 Apr 2011

Fantastic gormet food

We ate a fantastic dinner at Alma Zen. The atmosphere was really nice and the staff was friendly. The food was the best vegetarian food we have ever had at a restaurant. A visit at Alma zen is a must if you go to Lima.

Pros: Exelent food, Nice atmosphere, friendly staff

SonjaCPA

Points +5270

Vegan
26 Aug 2010

Lovely place

While on our trip to Peru, we were able to eat at AlmaZen for dinner and it was just lovely. We arrived just after 6pm, but dinner did not start until 7pm, so we waited in their "tea shop". We ordered a chai tea, coffee and a baked apple dessert. The menu listed which items were vegan (vegano) and the waitress spoke English.

We moved into the dining room for dinner which was a small space with only 4 tables, but it was cozy. The whole restaurant has a very nice, clean and contemporary feel (with a very nice restroom too!). For dinner entrees, we chose to share the quinoa curry and the hamburger patty plate with potatoes and salad. Both were beautifully presented, fresh, colorful and tasty! We also had a pecan tort for dessert. The juices were very good too. We just loved this place and wish we could have gone back as it was the best place we ate at during our trip. The prices are expensive in relation to local prices (my chai cost more than a set lunch menu at another place), but the quality is high and we would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Lima.

Pros: wonderful food, clean lovely place, many vegan options

strawberry476

Points +38

Vegetarian
25 Aug 2010

upscale organic

Food quality was very good though I found it somewhat overpriced.

Pros: tasty food, interesting ingredients, creative

Cons: pricey

Vegan-e

Points +32

Vegan
12 May 2010

Wonderful!

What a joy to find AlmaZen in Lima! The staff went out of their way to provide us with vegan options. The food is tasty, fresh and sophisticated. The ambiance is lovely and calm respite from urban Lima. Would recommend to any veggie traveler to Peru!

Pros: Vegan options, Delicious

buddhaphilwisdom

Points +32

Vegan
23 Apr 2010

Excellent for a vegan!

Best one of the best restaurants I've ever had the privilege of eating. Especially nice after spending a month deep in the amazon! Organic local loved food. Great owners who gave me the opportunity to briefly get to know. Clean environment, friendly and helpful servers. Many vegan options, including dessert. Moby was here a week before, eating before his show.
I truly appreciated having come across El AlmaZen in Lima! Thanks for all you both do (and your staff)! Your work and food make the world a better place :)

Pros: organic, many vegan options, local foods

Lilkate

23 Apr 2014

Nope, not closed at all. July is a big holiday month in Peru so a lot of people take a well deserved break at this time. Alma Zen is open, alive and kicking. Love that place!!




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