Panca
“Come in with an open mind, an empty belly, and a desire for great food, ambiance, and a thirst for Pisco Sour!”
“One of my best experience in peruvian food, the Ceviche shot is great ,lomo saltado is delicious and the aji de gallina my favorite.”
“For main course we ordered the Tacu Tacu steak which was excellent and we ordered the fried Yucca which was great as well.”
Panca
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Went there for a pisco porton drink and ceviche but ended up with more pisco drinks and more food. They had a special person working behind the bar making fabulous cocktails with pisco porton (my fav pisco), so the drinks were amazing. The ceviche was good, and lomo saltado and arroz con pato were delicious. The space is not large but has a really cozy & comfy vibe. I'd come back for more pisco drinks!
Peruvian specialties – rotisserie chicken, ceviche, and strong drinks. Panca hits these marks as well as attentive service for a big group.
Group of eight for a birthday dinner – able to make reservations on a Saturday night. To start off, shared the Empanadas ($10) and Anticuchos de Corazon ($12). The veal is incredibly juicy and served with a nice sauce to dip both the meat and yucca. Empanadas were crispy on the outside, and moderately plump with ingredients inside. For the main course I got the half chicken ($11) by itself. Tender meat with a dipping sauce I found to be a bit on the sweet side, so made do without it. Cocktails range from $10-14, and are all strong.
For the dinner it was quite satisfying – a little on the expensive side, but on par with Peruvian counterparts in the city. There's value to be had if you're just getting the chicken and a beer.
My friend and I stumbled upon Panca while we were roaming the West Village in search of something light to eat for dinner. We both love tapas and ceviche so we settled here after quickly reviewing the menu. Our waiter was very attentive and recommended the ceviche popular. We shared the ceviche popular, guacamole, empanada and half a pitcher of sangria. Everything was delicious and the ceviche was the bomb-dot-com. I'd recommend this spot to anyone who is in the area looking for a delicious tapas treat. We sat outside which was perfect since it was nice and still light out. Just know the empanada comes with two pieces and both had different fillings so cut it to share! They have happy hour from 5-7pm. It is $6 for sangria and appetizers.
Straight up? The very best part of this little spot is the COCKTAILS! I suggest you saddle up to the tiny bar before you head out to your dining destination. We tried & had 3rds of the
MIA PISCO-Passion fruit juice, champagne, lime juice, agave syrup, LOCURA DE AJI PISCO-
Aji Amarillo, passion fruit, cilantro, lime juice, agave syrup, CHOLO ON FIRE PISCO-
Cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, agave syrup. All were exceptional!
We were very late for our reservations so we were denied a table. We sat at the bar. It's very intimate inside. The service was basically unfriendly, hurried & unapologetic.
We had small plates only:
TAQUITOS DE PESCADO- fish tacos, house tortillas, rocoto pepper tomatillo, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo. Excellent.
CEBICHE MIXTO- fresh fluke, shrimp, calamari, octopus in rocoto leche de tigre which was good. And YUCCA FRIES WITH HUACATAY SOUCE which we ordered twice & promptly devoured. We just couldn't get enough of that fantastic sauce!
I've enjoyed many authentic Peruvian spots and although I liked this one, it didn't blow my mind.
Truth be told, aside from some Pisco Sours, I really haven't had Peruvian food, at least, not to my knowledge. So, I had to try out Panca in the West Village. Immediately, upon arrival, you feel the authenticity. This isn't a "Peruvian" restaurant, run by just anyone, it's staffed with people from Peru. And right at the entrance, you'll see a small prep/kitchen area where you can watch the food being prepared. To start, I ordered a Maracuya Sour (Pisco, passion fruit, fresh lime juice, egg whites, simple syrup). So good. It's all the excellence of a Pisco Sour, with the addition of the tangy sweetness of passion fruit. No complaints on this one.
So, some places do bread baskets to start, chips and salsa, but here, you'll get a little bowl of Peruvian Corn. I absolutely loved this, these are addictive and I want a shopping bag full of them to-go. They're the corn kernels, but almost airy, crisp, and a bit hallow on the inside. Topped with coarse grains of sea salt, these were perfection.
To start, I had their Cebiche Clasico De Pescado (fresh fluke in leche de tigre). Another slam dunk. The fish was so fresh and I loved the fried squid with this, with the batter acting as a little sponge to soak up the citrusy flavors. Amazing.
For my main I ordered the Pescadito Frito (Ensalada de Quinoa, Papas Amarillas Seared fresh filet of fish, quinoa salad, Peruvian yellow potatoes). This place doesn't play. Everything I ordered was incredible, and I really loved this dish. The fish was light and flakey, with a mild flavor, that's enhanced by this delicious sauce, that, yeah, can I get a bottle of that to go with by large bag of Peruvian Corn? The potatoes were another pure delight, slightly crisp, with a crunch, on the outside, and tender and soft on the inside. It was basically like a Peruvian fish and chips, but, like, possibly better. Ok, different. But still really, really good.
A few years ago, I spent some time in Peru with a group of friends, and then stayed by myself to soak everything in. I am weak for a lot of aspects of Peru, including the cuisine. One of the rules I had for myself was when I come home, I will not dishonor my pleasant memories of Peruvian cuisine by eating in just any Peruvian restaurant; I don't think I wanted to come near Peruvian food at ALL unless I was back over there.
However, a friend of mine with who had spent some time in Peru as well and had an affinity for the country wanted to have a birthday dinner and she chose Panca. So now I will eat Peruvian food only in Peru and Panca.
I find that the authenticity was very much there; the aji de gallina felt like I had eaten inside a host family's house (except on way more bitchin' plates), the ceviche mixto was fresh with the ideal balance of citrus and herbs. I can't recall what everyone ordered but it was all beyond satisfactory. The Pisco sour was spot on too! There was tacos on the menu when we went but since returning , I no longer see them there. They were incredible, but there's no need for tacos on a Peruvian menu; there are plenty of other options that are more true to the culture.
Havent been for happy hour but probably worth a shot too. I like sitting out front as well, it's a cool spot to people watch.
I will say the service on a Friday or Saturday night is pretty substandard but not so bad to warrant a drop in rating.
Lunch was enough for me. Not needing to go back for dinner or again probably.
My friend and I thought we should be adventurous and try local Peruvian cuisine. …looked like a chill cafe but felt a little rushed as we were in a rush, staff was pushy and slow.
The Ceviche special sampler and paid $25 alone for that. ..note to future self to ask what the special price is. Also got chips and dip and two drinks.
It added up fast.
I've never had Peruvian food before but my friend chose this place for her birthday dinner so I was excited to try it. We ordered the Papa a la Huancaina as an appetizer — delicious! For my main course, I had the Aji de Gallina. Everything blended so well together and it left me wanting more even though I was full! For cocktail, I had the Pisco Mojito which was really good and fairly strong so you get your money's worth. The server was friendly and helpful and we got our food and drinks fairly quickly. I'll definitely come back here to try more!