Limón, Mountain View CA

Ceviche was awesome! We got the tower and sampled lots of fish, oysters, shooters, and even lobster. Very friendly staff to describe all the entrees.

Dude, amazing. The ceviche was the star. I liked our drinks- the passion fruit and lychee sour. The lengua was so soft. And just everything. Great time. Parking in the garage next door was free too.

Food and atmosphere are great, this place has a good vibe. I gave food 4 out of 5 because the dessert came in cold, and a dish and a drink came with some missing ingredients. E.g. A lychee drink without the lychee, the dessert came without the ice cream scoop, and who knows what else they've missed. The pork belly was OK, but the ceviche, shrimp, and bananas were much better. Their version of the Old Fashioned is ok if you like smokey flavor.
The service - definitely needs improvement! I'm all for the "movement" of bringing good Peruvian food to silicon valley and charging silicon valley prices, but it should be accompanied by exceptional service and here was the opposite. It took a long time to greet us at the table for the first time, about 20 mins - long time to wait for water. One dish was forgotten to be ordered. Some dish came before the cutlery. And as mentioned some food/drink were missing ingredients.
I think the server might've been new, but still - I'm not getting a discount for the learning curve and really I'm not a fussy person, my needs are pretty basic.

Food was well prepared and quite good. Lots of choices, kind of Peruvian fusion (ceviches, chicken, beef, pork). One gripe, and to their credit the server did mention this at the start: the pacing of the dishes coming out could be better. The dishes come out when they're ready, as opposed to bringing appetizers first followed by mains. For example, my main came out first, then the salad about 5 minutes later. The rest of my party exhibited the same. It's kind of offputting.

If you’re looking for Peruvian food, this place isn’t bad. The pisco sour was good. The lomo saltado & chicken were good; the sauce with the chicken was especially flavorful. The seco de costillas was okay & the mac ‘n cheese was definitely not worth it.
Most disappointing: with a reservation we stood around waiting almost 40minutes for a table on a weekday.

Great food and atmosphere! Awesome cocktails. I tried all 4 sours and they are all nice! On a Friday night there was a basketball game on TV and some people cheered, that was fun. I dined there on three different occasions. Definitely make a reservation at least a day in advance if you are planning to go on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. It is a popular place.

I ordered the arroz con mariscos and it was salty. Presentation was great, but the taste was disappointing. Limón in SF is much better.

Wait time is definitely confusing. When host tells you 45 mins, please prepare for 90 mins. Every time you lost your patience and ask them how many tables are still in front of you, they will say oh almost, you have 3 tables before you, but seriously that means at least 20 tables. Don’t trust the wait time

Pisco sour was excellent. The fried appetizers were yummy. Good oysters and ceviche. Music was a little loud and service could have done a better job getting large groups with reservations seated promptly. Reasonable prices for the quality!

Really good food and service. I had the nightly seafood special, and it was outstanding.

Service as timely friendly and made great recommendations for dinner and drink.

Hey everyone, it’s me again, your trusty gourmet guide, here to share another chapter from my culinary diary. This time, I found myself at Limon in Mountain View, a spot I’d heard buzz about for its promise of an authentic Peruvian experience. As a lover of bold flavors and someone who can’t resist a good wine pairing, my expectations were, admittedly, high.

Walking into Limon, the ambiance struck me first. The decor was inviting with vibrant colors that hinted at the Peruvian theme, but there was something amiss in the air – perhaps a lack of the bustling energy I associate with such vibrant culinary cultures.

I began my meal with optimism, eager to dive into the flavors of Peru. The first dish to grace my table was Ceviche Mixto. The presentation was decent, but as I took my first bite, my palate searched in vain for the zesty punch and freshness I so adore in ceviche. The fish, although fresh, was overpowered by an excess of lime, and the harmony of flavors I expected was noticeably absent.

Hoping for redemption, I turned to the wine list. It was comprehensive, but something about it just didn’t click. The selection seemed rather generic, lacking the adventurous spirit I was hoping for in a place celebrating Peruvian cuisine. I chose a white that I thought would pair well with my seafood, but the wine was just okay – not the flavor journey I was expecting.

Then came the Lomo Saltado. This classic dish had the potential to be the star of the night, but alas, it too fell short. The beef was tender, yes, but it lacked the depth of seasoning that makes Lomo Saltado a standout dish. And the accompanying fries were a tad underwhelming, lacking the crispness I craved.

Throughout the meal, the service was polite but lacked warmth. It felt rote, and I couldn't help but miss the passionate engagement I usually look for in a dining experience, where the staff shares in your culinary journey.

As I wrapped up my evening at Limon, I found myself reflecting on the experience. It's not that the meal was bad, per se, it just didn’t live up to the vibrant, flavor-packed Peruvian journey I had anticipated. Maybe my expectations were too high, or perhaps it was just an off night for them. Who knows?

What I do know is this – dining out is more than just about good food and wine. It's about the experience, the adventure, and the stories. And while Limon didn’t quite hit the mark for me this time, it’s all part of my wider culinary journey. I left with a reminder that not every meal can be a showstopper, but each one is a learning experience. Until next time, keep exploring and savoring the myriad of flavors that the world has to offer. And hey, if you’ve been to Limon, I’d love to hear about your experience. Maybe you’ll inspire me to give it another try!

Update here: we went back to try more varieties, food was great, authentic and great flavor. But service is way under par. After sit down for more than 20 minutes and multiple tries to get attention, finally a waitress come with eye rolling and attitude to say she is sorry. We asked to have a better attitude, and she left and after a while came a different waitress, this time was better, at least not eye rolling. Food come fast, and one wrong order, didn’t bother to change anyways. Asking for check again was a bit challenging. Not sure if we should back again.
Best Peruvian style roasted chicken so far in Bay Area. Ceviche is very good as well. Nice service. Will come back to try the rice plates and fried seafood.

Great new peruvian food, we had the ceviche and it was excellent, sometimes ceviche can be too sour, not this one, the Pulpa (Octopus) was soft and flavorful. The paella was good but could have used a bit more time in the oven as I like my Paella with a crispy outer crust but the flavor was excellent. Servers were all very nice and friendly as well.

Every single dish we ordered was amazing. Layers of flavor are composed together, some are bold and some are very delicate, but in the end they all work together. The texture of the crispy pork is just amazing.

I've visited Limon in Burlingame and the other two in SF. I was looking forward to this new one in Mountain view as I read great reviews. We had a reservation on a Monday, and glad we did because it was very busy.

The good: we had the seafood platter and crispy chicken, both were great. We also had a tres leches dessert which was average. The pisco sour drink was delicious and super strong!

The so-so
1) From the beginning service was average, hostess didn't even greet us. They sat us in the small side room next to main room. This small room has big doors that open to the street (see photo) - it was very cold so we felt a bit like we were outside.
2) Another disappointing part of the evening was that I was looking forward to try piña colada, but when I ordered it the waitress said they dont have it even though it is listed in the menu.
3) It was very annoying that when dessert was served they basically threw it on the table on top of the spoons and no acknowledgement.

Overall I was expecting more from this place, but since I love Peruvian food I'll be coming back when weather is not so cold in case they seat us again in the side room.

Having visited other Limon locations (and visited Perú many times) I can honestly say it was the worst service and food. Between the waiter asking "is everything ok? " and then walking away before you can answer. And then him forgetting your food (as in over 20 minutes, after being prompted). To the kitchen having no clue how to prepare a basic dish (pollo saltado). My advice: pass. The management on duty were equally as clueless. Try Cascal across the street.

Where do I start with this "hipster" place? The food is fabulous. The drinks are creative/perfect. Our waitress was a doll. However, I will never give my business to this restaurant again! I was there with my gal pal on Fri 10/28 with a 515p reservation. I get it, a busy, Fri night. We got there about 5mins early, 3 hostess at the entrance. 1 which was exceptionally unpleasant. We were asked if we wanted out/in. We chose in. Hostess #3 was taking us to the main dining area when the other hostess asked her to take us to other dining room. No explanation.
No apology. We were the only ones seated there, along with 3 restaurant staff members having some kind of meeting there. It was very unpleasant to see this! Later a family is seated there in the very back corner of the sad dining room. I got up to walk the restaurant and to my dismay, there was seating in the main room to accommodate two middle aged women. So disgusting! Later back in our dining room, a couple, again, middle-aged gets seated. The lady walks out and the gentleman follows. To make matters worse, two ladies get seated- same arrangement. They how ever, make it clear THAT WAS NO OK! They probably went outside. So, what I perceived, sketchy hostess run by their managers. This is not OK! This is definitely not the same Limon as the original one in SF. Walked across the street for more drinks and dessert.

We were there for dinner and ended up working our way through the appetizers menu. Everything was delicious and the service was excellent. The Sangria hit the spot on this unusually warm evening for October!