PAPA LLAMA, Orlando FL

I don't understand how this place got a Michelin star, but it's just an ordinary tasteless restaurant. He is far, far away even from the title of Peruvian, not to mention Michelin

It is such a delight to experience this type of dining. There's no menu so you trust the chef and enjoy what has been prepared for you (I love surprises btw). The experience the vibe and the service elevated the food 100% for me.

Public Service Announcement:
If you tend to complain about the way your food is prepared or send food back this restaurant may not suit you.

Absolutely delicious! Each dish was prepared with so much attention to detail and cooked perfectly. We did the wine pairing which was on point and worth the price. The fried rice was the best I have ever had and the mixture of flavors left us wanting another serving. It is the perfect place for a special occasion, intimate, inviting, but not pretentious. I can’t wait for another special occasion so I have a chance to go back.

We went and tried the tasting menu with a group of 6 people. The food was absolutely amazing. It was tasty with good presentation, spice and zest. The service was friendly and prompt. I really enjoyed everything we tasted food wise.

My only reservations are the wine list and the lack of an a la cart menu.

Papa Llama only serves natural wines. I get it that some people love these and are the rage now, but I prefer traditional style wine. It would be nice to have a choice between the two. I did not enjoy the flavors and characteristics of the Portuguese red we ordered and certainly not the prices point for these natural wines. Way overpriced for low quality wines.

My second is the inability to order a la cart. Sometimes people just want to go to a restaurant for a staple meal. The next time I’m craving a lomo saltado I’ll just have to go to another Peruvian place since the restaurant has transitioned to tasting menu only.

We spent my dads birthday with friends at Papa Llama. Not only were we blown away by the outstanding Menü, the creative dishes, the high quality ingredients, but also by the exceptional service provided by Maria and her team! Especially the selection of natural wines made the whole concept extraordinary! Thanks for a wonderful evening!

What an amazing dining experience.five courses of pure yummy-ness and a chill vibe. We had vegetarians in our group and Chef went above and beyond to meet their needs. Perfecto!

Peruvian place where they don't speak Spanish. Food is overprice and not really worth it.

Amazing food! Everything was amazing. Our server Julia was great! Super friendly and knowledgeable. We will be back

Fabulous evening! Each course was beautiful and delicious and the descriptions were amazing too. The wine pairings were phenomenal. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

It was my husbands turn for our surprise date night and I was pleasantly surprised! We don’t frequent this area and this place is very unassuming, but we had a phenomenal experience! Our server (Amanda) was attentive, entertained my husbands silly jokes, and very informative on the background of the restaurant as well as each dish, which we love. It was fun going to a place with no options to order, they just serve what they serve. I was slightly worried with only 5 courses still being hungry when we left, but we were both happily stuffed. They serve natural wines, which was interesting to try. Highly recommend checking this place out!

We came here last night for my birthday dinner.
It was my first time and most certainly will not be my last! We were blown away by every dish of the prix fixe. The combination of flavors and impeccable presentation was delectable! I respect the thoughtful attention to detail. Not only that, but they accommodated my dietary restrictions which I greatly appreciated.
Truly an amazing culinary experience.

Maria and Kevin have something so special here.
I am excited to see their continued growth and success!

The service is great but I think overall it is really overpriced. I really liked their old menu, which had great variety and you could choose how much you spend.

While the service is great, the food is not any better than what you can get elsewhere for a fraction of the price. Their prix fixe menu is not any better than their previous menu, and is overpriced for what it is.

*Updated review, 7/30/23, based on their newish chef tasting menu. *

Papa Llama, now a staple within the Orlando food scene, has brought a welcomed enhancement to their offerings with a chef tasting menu. Five courses are expertly prepared by Chef Kevin and his team.

A tiradito of red snapper starts your meal with an excellent Leche de Tigre which exemplifies all the complexity of Peruvian cuisine. New to the menu is a Royal Red Shrimp dish with a cilantro infused gel, aji Amarillo crema and cilantro water which provides depths of flavor like your tasting the ocean in every bite. I appreciate that they will adjust and change these seafood offerings based on what is available fresh along Florida coast lines.

A beef cruda has been tweaked since it’s original addition to the tasting menu. This new take is a bit more flavorful and a nice bridge between the seafood courses and main short rib course.

The bone in short-rib Al Carbon is grilled to perfection providing a nice charred exterior while maintaining a juicy interior. The lomo reduction sauce topping it takes all the flavor of PL’s OG Lomo Saltado and concentrates it to provide an explosion of flavor.

The Picarones are a nice touch to finish the meal. Crunchy on the outside with a soft interior the honey sauce drizzled on top will have you considering if you want to lick the plate.

Along with the food is a well curated list of natural wines. A wine pairing option is available to take the guessing game out of the equation while you can also choose a bottle or one of a half dozen or so by the glass options.

I look forward to my return to Papa Llama as they continue to be an exemplary example amongst the Orlando food scene and a great highlight of Peruvian cuisine.

*Original review below*

Papa Llama is a great new edition to the Curry Ford Restaurant and a welcomed enhancement to the area’s dining options. I have tried their meals a few times during their curbside service soft-opening in the midst of the pandemic. Ordering is very easy using the Tock app and pick up has been smooth and quick each time. The staff is also very friendly. Dishes have held up well while I get them home to eat.

Since we’ve ordered a few times already we have made it through almost their entire menu which is currently limited. I appreciate that they’re focusing on perfecting a few dishes instead of having a bunch of mediocre dishes.

I really enjoy the Lomo Saltado. The steak is perfectly tender and deliciously seasoned. Every bite of steak, veggies and fries is incredible. ⁣The Shroom Saltado is the only dish we have not tried but since it’s substituting the steak for mushrooms I can assume it’s a tasty option for vegetarians.
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Ceviche is a lovely starter. I was a bit curious as to how take home ceviche would work but they got it figured out. Full of flavor and a nice tangy bite.
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The Papa Rellena is one of my absolute favorites. I love the seasoning on the meat and the egg inside. The sauces that accompany it are awesome, I try to save a bit to use on my own!
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The arroz con mariscos is a very close second to the Lomo Saltado on my favorites list. If you’re a seafood fan or like Spanish Paella I would definitely recommend it, absolutely wonderful dish with a generous portion of seafood and perfectly cooked and seasoned rice.

I can highly recommend Papa Llama. I anxiously await the day we can safely eat out to enjoy the meal fresh from the kitchen and look forward to watching their offerings expand!

3.5/5 stars

Let's get this out of the way - I'm rating harshly because this received a Bib Gourmand award. It increased its price significantly after receiving this "great value" award, and the food was not worth the $85 price. Service was quite nice, and the atmosphere was friendly and inviting. But the food wasn't worth the price by itself. Only you can say if that's worthwhile to you.

The wine pairing was another $60, which included five pours. The quantities were fair, and the tastes were unique enough.

As a frequent purveyor of Peruvian foods, there were some good bits, and some Okay bits. The dessert, picarones, were.fine? The honey topping was good, but it didn't make an impression against the sweet potatoes. The steak was the best bit, but you could get much more tender meat at Gyu-kaku for half the price. The "soup" was unique, a nibble of ceviche was was a good taster. The fish was fine.

So everything was fine. Nothing was exceptional. It's a unique experience, and a great opportunity to try five new things. But there are better meals out there, for less dollars. So. It's a fun and fancy date night. But it's neither a great value or an exceptional taste. Maybe it was better when it was a la carte?

My partner and I loved our dining experience and will absolutely return in the future. The vibe is amazing, down to the music selection! And the menu celebrates Peruvian cuisine in fresh, modern, exciting ways. Couldn't recommend this place more highly!

I was dragged here by my wife and friends although the price got me a bit bitter but after tasting it was worth every penny all the food is full of flavor I will definitely come back again

My wife and I enjoyed the 5 course price fixe menu last night. All the dishes were presented beautifully and delicious. Service was attentive. The restaurant was very clean and decorated tastefully. We also made note of the restaurant being run by 3 young women and 3 young men working well together and obviously passionate about their craft. We will definitely go back and wish them great success.

Papa Llama is a gem! The atmosphere, the people, and of course the FOOD! The new 5 course menu is delicious! Here’s a photo of their latest short rib al carbon dish… Need I say more?

They take the time to curate dishes with flavor, sustainability, and so much love. You can tell as soon as you taste it.

Great experience! Everything has details and exceeded our expectations! Don’t come if you’re looking for something traditional, here everything is contemporary and cutting edge. Kudos also for the great and friendly service.