A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to eat at the Choza Nautica in Breña. When I was 13 I remember eating there once with my family. The restaurant at the time had more of a heavier nautical-esc theme to it, now 10 years later the place has a whole new look to it. In an attempt to stay current with todays modern trends La Choza Nautica has remodeled the main floor of their principal restaurant (They have a second one just across the street that serves as an auxillary which I have not been inside). The tabletops are glass with metal chairs, the walls are painted red which add a little warmth to the cold feeling of their seating. The second floor remains fairly unchanged and still maintains it's original charm, which not surprisingly is where the majority tend to eat. La Choza also provides live musical entertainment on their main floor with excellent singers belting out today's hottest songs.



On to the FOOD

La Choza specializes in seafood and is where it really shines (they also serve criollo plates, but hey lets face it you didn't go to a seafood restaurant to eat beef did you?). They have a large list of wonderful dishes for one to choose, from the classic/cop-out Ceviche to Causa de Pulpa de Cangrejo (causa of crab meat).




I ate on a Saturday in the afternoon (which was rather full) with Zdenka and her friends. This gave me the best opportunity to sample several popular dishes. The wait time on a busy day was roughly around 25 minutes.

The plates that I sampled were the following: Arroz con Mariscos (seafood fried rice), Causa de Pulpa de Cangrejo, Tiradito, Chicharron de Calamar (fried Calamari), and Pulpo al Olivo (Octopus in Kalamata Olive Sauce). The dishes were great and the seafood were fresh and flavorful. The seafood is fresh and is prepared with care and skill that is visible in its final form. The calamari was fresh and well balanced with the breading giving it a light and cruchy flavor. The proportion size of the plates are the perfect amount to satisfy the palate and justify the investment.

The service was good and the overall experience was pleasant, definately a good spot to have lunch with the family or friends. I would not recommend it as a romantic date spot due to the multiple tv's playing sports or music, not to mention the loud music from the first floor. La Choza Nautica is a very social dining experience with great food.

One negative might be the price ($$) which ranges from S/. 15 a plate to S/. 35, which might make eating here a bit pricey for some.




Overall the food is well worth those few extra soles and I would definately recommend those who have not eaten there to try it out. Reservations can also be arranged in advance for those with large parties.

Location:

Av. Breña 204/211/213
located on the first block of the Av. Arica - to the back of Plaza Bolognesi
511-423-8087