Lima Cantina review: pisco sours and Peruvian classics rule at this bright eatery in the heart of Leederville

There’s long been a well-beaten brouhaha about who invented the pavlova. The New Zealand government even has a web page devoted to its insistence that the original pav was not conceived in Perth by chef Bert Sachse at the Esplanade Hotel in 1935, but at a Wellington establishment almost a decade earlier. That debate, however, is fairly fluffy compared with the furious fight betwixt Chile and Peru over who invented a cocktail. The pisco sour is claimed by both nations with such fervour that the drink and the secrets behind it were (admittedly jokingly) invoked as a motive for espionage. It’s pretty easy to understand why the pisco sour gets Latin tempers running so hot. At once fluffy and tart, the citrusy, bracing drink, made with the eponymous spirit, is outrageously refreshing. And dangerously easy to drink. One is $20. More can be quite costly. They’re naturally au fait with the drink at Lima Cantina, a bright and cheerful little eatery in the bosom of Leederville. All the good gear you’d expect of a Peruvian cantina is on the tightly curated menu card. And though Latin American cuisine has a meaty reputation, there are a few dishes to placate the vegos — including a medley of mushrooms, ceviche-style with a nori tiger’s milk (so-called leche de tigre is the traditional marinade for ceviche). It’s there in full force — pimped up with chilli — in a racy dish of tiradito de aji amarillo, $29: curls of flawless raw kingfish in that spicy juice topped with microscopically-diced shallots and adorned with cubes of avo. It’s a gorgeous-looking dish with that iridescent “milk” and elegant presentation. Vegetarians are particularly well catered for here, thanks to a corn empanada, $8 each, that you’d bolt back for tomorrow. Super-short pastry encases velvety kernels of corn mashed with cannellini beans and feta. It’s a flavour sensation only enhanced by a perfectly brought-together chilli mayo. The beef version, $8.50, is surprisingly inferior to the veggie one. A bit dry. No corn. The server recommends the beef anticucho, $29. It’s a shareable serve of chunks of marinated, tenderised rump cap atop seasoned corn with a smear of smoky carretilla sauce and cubes of fried potatoes. A slightly wobbly table in half sun on the footpath is a terrific perch from which to perve on interesting passers-by. The service, if a tiny bit flaky, is endearing. The small wine list is excellent. The food is fantastic. The verdict: 16.5/20 A bright Peruvian eatery in the heart of Leederville with great food, nice wine and a dangerously delicious pisco sour. Lima Cantina 130-132 Oxford Street, Leederville Open Noon-4pm and 5-9pm, Wednesday-Sunday Contact 0430 006 073, limacantina.com.au Bookings Yes