Well heres just an update i actually went back to the restaurant to have dinner since i had a nice experience during the last visit but to my dismay i actually think that its kinda hit or miss with service and wait times with this restaurant coz this time around as i arrived, was seated right away which was good but after i ordered my food, it took almost an hour for the food to arrive and the wait staff does not seem happy and did not ask if i wanted refill on my drink or not, i was not so impressed anymore with this visit and my company found the food a little too spicy but i cannot complain about the food since I am ok with my choice but yes i also tasted the food to make sure and i agree it was spicy but not in a good way, well i guess i still need to give the restaurant a chance but just also wanna write an honest review about my experience. read more

Llama Restaurant - Mar y terra my delicious entree - Peruvian Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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I moved from New York three years ago and live in the area and have tried all the top 10 restaurants from Jacksonville down to Daytona Beach and with the exception of one was sorely disappointed. I had tried to get a reservation at El Llama for over a year but every time it was booked and suddenly yesterday there was an opening at 815 and I decided to jump in my car to check it out. Without a question it is the best restaurant within a 90 mile radius. This is Michelin rated cuisine lovingly presented for a fraction of the price. We arrived 15 minutes before our reservation and I had hoped we could get seated but the restaurant was packed. We sat outside while we waited for a table to clear up. Although it was a little chilly the fantastic culinary experience and service was worth the wait. Our server a young man named Gabriel S. brought out these plaintain chips and corn kernels as a starter and I knew we were in for a special treat. At one point my daughter struggled to choose an appetizer and Gabriel S was outstanding. He didn't act like a waiter but a friend making suggestions regarding the menu. My daughter ordered the yucca fries and sweet plaintains and he brought it out plus three unique sauces for us to sample with our order. Totally unsolicited but very much welcomed. The presentation was delightful and the yucca fries were the best we have had in years. I ordered the Mar y Tierra or Surf and Turf after a fellow diner turned to me raving about it from the next table. She mentioned that she comes every 2-3 weeks to the restaurant just for this dish. Many of the diners are "regulars" and have been coming for years. Back to the entree, the hangar steak was very flavorful and I was impressed. The pasta was a little bland but it was made by hand and the quality and freshness of the ingredients was outstanding. My daughter ordered the Tallarines Verdes with creamy pesto sauce with the hangar steak and it was out of this world. I am originally from Latin America and my daughter and I are serious gourmet foodies and we are very discriminating when it comes to Latin food. So I am not exaggerating when I say it was fantastic. We saw other orders coming out that looked like art on a plate and we overheard other diners claiming their dishes were amazing. Gabriel proceeded with bringing out a palette cleanser - coconut/brandy concoction in these tiny bronze cups. I would have ordered a whole pitcher of the drink if it was available When we were ready to order dessert Gabe S told us most of them were sold out. We were so disappointed and looking forward to ordering the flambé, The S'More is on Fire, or this smoky dessert, La Luna Llena. We had seen the desserts come out earlier and we were so sad that our culinary journey was over. Gabe noticed our disappointment and recommended the last slice of the Passionfruit Tres Leches. I ordered it to take home and he added some ice cream at my daughter's insistence. Later that evening when we sampled it once again we were surprised. It was light and slightly sour and delicious. It was the best Tres Leches that I have had made in a restaurant or at home. Before we left the restaurant we got the bill and it was $118. Given the amazing service and quality/taste of the food it was a steal. I have been to 5 star restaurants in Miami and New York City that have charged $500+ for something comparable. Gabriel mentioned that he didn't charge for the Passionfruit Tres Leches as he wanted to make it up to us that El Llama ran out of their other desserts. I was touched and if I could I would have left $100+ tip for him alone. Instead I am writing this review to praise him for a level of customer service that we have not experienced in years. He works three days a week at the restaurant, Tuesdays, Fridays and another day I can't remember, so please ask for him to be your server if you can My only complaint with El Llama is that it's a very small restaurant and it's impossible to get a reservation unless u make it 3-4 weeks beforehand. Under no circumstances should you drive over to the restaurant in the hopes of getting seated. They are packed and deservedly so. The only positive is that Marcel Vizcarra, the owner and chef, has had such success with El Llama that he is building a larger place close by in 2025. I rarely write restaurant reviews because I find few restaurants in Florida that exceed my expectations. If you are a serious foodie and looking for a delightful culinary experience make that reservation and wait. This restaurant is best appreciated by people who are willing to be slightly adventurous and sample something out of the ordinary. This is nouvelle Latin cuisine at its finest and I look forward to returning next month. If you are visiting Jacksonville or Daytona Beach it is worth the drive. I regret not having made a reservation sooner ! read more

The food is outstanding and the service is perfect. Llama is our favorite celebration restaurant and my sister, my wife and I reserved a table . It was way overcrowded with no social distancing or requirements to wear masks. The folks at the next table were 2 feet away and insisted on a table next to us. They didn't appear to own a mask. We have all decided to spend our COVID $ on small businesses in our area and are honestly trying to help others. I am 76 with heart disease, my wife is 74 and my sister is 73 and we all are very concerned about our safety. I wish Llama well and hope for their continued success. If you are young, hungry, healthy and feel invincible, enjoy. I hesitated to write the review but felt others ought to be able to make their own decisions. We love Llama and will return when safer read more

Best food by far in St Augustine that we consumed on our trip there. Every dish our group of 4 ordered was delish! It does not look like much from the outside, but the food and service is fantastic. read more

Consistent, beautiful presentation with unique flavors make this Peruvian dinner spot magical. Open Table is booked between 1 to 1.5 weeks out for the most common dinner slots, so for special occasions, plan accordingly. If you don't have a reservation, the bar is open, but it only seats five. There are roughly ten tables of varying sizes in the restaurant. We always order the Lumo (seared hangar steak that is actually very tender) and the Paiche. The fish is smoked and wrapped in corn husks. It's extremely juicy and flavorful and the tiny mild red peppers complement the fish well. Service was attentive and personal as our waiter was knowledgeable and helpful. He extended the same level of service to all tables. We will be back again and again! read more

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An intimate, delicious, and authentic culinary experience to remember. Friends invited us to try this restaurant, and we are grateful. The food, ambiance, and service was to be remembered. Unique and exquisite food and drink creations that make you want to freeze the moment transport to South America. It is that good! Do yourself a favor and save room for deserts. Yes, you need multiple of them. Stop by here and live happily ever after. We can't recommend this restaurant enough. We'll be back soon. read more

Llama Restaurant - Desert - Peruvian Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

I consider myself very knowledgeable of Peruvian food. This place is like if you were in Lima. I had the ceviche clásico and the surf and turf lomo saltado. There are no adjectives that could describe the flavor of the food here. The flavor is coupled with an excellent services. Our server, Peter, went above and beyond to make us feel at home. You can't miss this place if you come to St. Augustine. Even if you have never tried Peruvian food, you can break the ice in this place. Keep the good work team!! read more

On a trip to St. Augustine, we stopped by Llama Restaurant for dinner on a weekday. What a great decision that was! Llama is a small Peruvian restaurant. The restaurant was close to being full when we arrived but we were able to get a table promptly. After being seated, they brought out some complimentary salted kernels (not really sure what it was but it was delicious). It was nice to have something to munch on while we waited for our food. Always a fan of restaurants that provide you with a starter on the house. But this was just the start. They brought us out a complimentary small plate served on a rock. The presentation was exquisite. Again, not really sure what it was but we enjoyed it. For our main dish, we shared their house special lomo saltado. We also ordered a bottle of wine. If you've ever been to a Peruvian restaurant, lomo saltado is a staple. And it's my favorite Peruvian dish. But this was lomo saltado on steroids! Rather than your typical rice and sides, the lomo saltado was served with creamy pasta. In addition to beef, there was shrimp as well. And not the sad excuse for shrimp you get at somewhere like Red Lobster. Plump, large, and juicy shrimp. This was hands down the best lomo saltado I've ever had. A+ for creativity as well. Service was great. If we ever return to St. Augustine, we will stop by again without a shadow of a doubt. Added bonus: they're known for their desserts. While we were too stuffed to try any of the options, we did see several tables that ordered dessert. This is the type of place where the dessert looks like art. read more

Llama restaurant was smaller than I realized, but the food, the service, the experience was magnificent. I would most definitely recommend a date night here, but make reservations read more

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Small restaurant but amazing food. Booked this place around 8pm over the weekday and there was only one empty table given the place is so small. Highly recommend making a reservation before hand. We started of the octopus appetizer and the potatoes appetizer. Both were great and was very impressed with the presentations. The octopus was not chewy as many places serve but had a nice texture. The sauce that came with the potatoes was great as well. For the main dishes I went with the seafood soup which was yummy and spicy. Although you need to do some work to reach some of the meat but still worth ordering. My wife went with the fish wrapped in leave, she liked it and fell in love with the sauce they had with it on the side. For dessert we went with the custard dish. It was a piece of art, beautifully presented. Liked the combination of the sugar and the custard. read more

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Excellent restaurant. Very high food quality and the service is some of the best in St. Augustine. Creative menu with a variety of things to choose from. read more

OH SWEET BABY JESUS! thought that would get your attention OMG! keep reading MY LLAMA CAN BEAT UP YOUR LLAMA this review is stupid awesome WHY ALL THE SHENANIGANS MARKOS???? BecausThis is without a doubt the best restaurant in St. Augustine . Hands down, hands up, who cares what your hands are doing- this place is the shiiiiiiz. Ok- so it is a Peruvian themed restaurant that has only 10 tables. Suuuuuuper intimate setting, the service is impeccable, though the wine selection could use some work... but.... WHO CARES WHEN TGE FOOD IS THIS GOOD. Guys, there is a reason this place has almost 120-130 5 star reviews. This is one of those times to believe the hype. The price point here is about 100 for two people that includes two entrees an appetizer and something sweet after it's all over. It is Worth every penny too, I don't care if you have to cash your social security check and can't pay the light bill. Regular food just isn't the same after you have tasted the ambrosia that comes from this kitchen. It is really that good. Get the "Lomo". It is the best thing on the menu for beef eaters. Anyway, I have said what I needed to say, enjoy the photos . read more

My mom and I were in town visiting and decided to try Llama Restaurant and SO glad we did!! The restaurant was so small and cozy...kinda felt like we're in NYC. The servers were so delightful and helpful in explaining the many delicious offerings. The drinks looked amazing, but I was not drinking this trip and I'm so sad I didn't get to try one of their mimosas! I opted for the surf and turf and my mom ordered the pollo...WOW!! Flavors were hitting me left and right! I ate that entire plate and enjoyed every second. I cannot wait to return next time I'm in town. Make sure to give this local gem some business!! They are amazing. read more

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We enjoyed our experience at Llama. The food was the star of the show both in taste and presentation. We started with the mushroom ceviche which was very good, fresh and beautifully presented. For entrees I had the Peruvian surf and turf and my husband had the Arroz Con Pollo. Both were excellent though I actually would order the Arroz Con Pollo next time. The surf and turf was tasty but it was in a very heavy sauce. The rice in the Arroz Con Pollo was probably the most flavorful I have ever had. For dessert we shared the custard which was beautiful and tasty with a spun sugar top. The restaurant was cute and small. The only reason to not give it 5 stars was the service was okay but not great. There was one server and while he did his job he was not overly friendly. In terms of Covid procedures- we didn't see too many. He did not wear a mask, they had regular menus and the tables were fairly close together (and a rather loud one next to us). Overall though, we had an amazing and unique dinner and will look forward to returning. read more

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We ate here our first night and it was hard to find another place that could beat it. The food was amazing, the wine and mimosa drinks were amazing, the staff was a so friendly and gave us great suggestions for places to surf and explore. This is probably the best restaurant in st augustine read more

Llama Restaurant - Peruvian Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Chosen to celebrate an early Valentines Day Llama once again was the scene of a wonderful and casually elegant experience. The delicious Peruvian and Spanish inspired dishes are mouthwatering and beautiful. Reservations are suggested. This small intimate venue fills up quickly. The Anticuchos appetizer is excellent. Char-grilled panca pepper marinated beef hearts skewered into Peruvian corn and delicious golden mashed potato cake with a drizzle of scallion and pepper mayonnaise. It is brought to you smoking under a glass top and as the top is lifted you are encouraged to smell the wafting smoky scent of the beef. It's quite the event! We shared a lovely bottle of White Crios Argentina wine. The chef sent us a little shot of something to cleanse our palette prior to the main course. I chose the full on Cheviche Classico and enjoyed every single taste. I even used the spoon provided for the juices! I sampled the Arroz Con Mariscos which is a Criollo version of Paella. It was superb. Bursting with flavors and delicate juicy bits of shrimp, octopus, calamari and scallops. We left no room for one of the fabulous desserts but I have tried the LGarrobina Custard with spin sugar on top, the Chocolate Mousse Cake passion Fruit Cake and the ice cream. Each dessert is delicate and flavorful. In addition to the excellence of the dishes served here, the staff is unsurpassed. The atmosphere is so warm and enjoyable! Ten Stars! read more

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Great spot. Great service, aps and wine. Recommend, 100%, but you must have a reservation. Try everything!

We have eaten all over the world and WOW!!! Run... don't walk to Llama!! Absolute best dining experience we've ever had. Ask for Peter, follow his recommendations and have the best meal of your life. You'll thank me #yourewelcome #bestdiningexperience #llamastaugustine #staugustinefl #peruvianfood #floridafoodie #foodporn #staugustinebeach #bestdinnerever #eatherenow read more

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Excellent. The ceviche Lima tasted like it was straight out of Peru. Can't wait to go back. Absolutely delicious.

Wife and I celebrated our 13 year wedding anniversary at Llama. Our 1st dining experience here was exceptional. It's small, quaint and cozy place. Service is good and the dishes we ordered were divine. I told our waitress to tell the chef the food was so delicious even the Incan god Virachoca would find it satisfying. We had the Causa Trio for an appetizer and knew right away after it was served we'd leave completely satisfied. My wife ordered the Mar Y Tierra and I ordered Quinotto. Each course was cooked to perfection and the presentation was very nice. To top it all I off, I bought my wife a surprise ring. I told the waitress to bring it out with our order of custard dessert to surprise my wife. The restaurant went above and beyond. As compliments on the house, they brought out a small wooden box filled with round Zen stones. In the middle was the ring box holding the ring. Layed across the top was a cut open coco bean shell with a scoop of delicate chocolate mouse and small edible flowers decoratively arranged. All I can say is the "wow" factor was huge. I highly recommend this place for lovers, couples or celebrating that special something. We will definitely be back. Thanks Llama for making our wedding anniversary truly memorable! read more

New Yorkers passing thru the coastal barrier islands of South Carolina, Georgia, and Northern Florida - sightseeing and eating some impressive dinner meals. And then we discover Llama restaurant in a town not known for the best restaurants - until now. A stunner. We have been lucky enough to have traveled fairly extensively all over Peru. Came away from that trip having fallen in love with the country and Peruvian Cuisine. Llama has taken the best of Peruvian cuisine and has elevated it to, in our humble opinion, to Michelin Star levels (or at least James Beard recognition status...). Ceviches, Lamb, Desserts, and everything we tried were so well developed with deep flavor profiles - one could taste immediately how much hard work was put in to develop these incredible flavors. Not to mention the work done by the Kitchen and wait staff to perfect the experience for the guests on the night we visited. Owners of other restaurants should send their staff to have a meal at this gem to learn how to properly cook, serve and train staff to provide an amazing dining experience. read more

We have dined at fine restaurants all over the US and Europe and we have to rate the experience at The Llama in St. Augustine as one of our top ten restaurants. To start with we had made reservations but showed up on the wrong evening (operator error with Open Table - our fault). However, they kindly offered us seating at the bar as they were full for the evening. This turned out to be a serendipitous offer as we had delightful conversations throughout the evening with the staff and the chef. Our meals and drinks were absolutely stunning and we hated that the evening had to end. If this place is not on the James Beard organization's radar they are making a big mistake. Go to The Llama now. You will not regret it. read more

Had such a wonderful dining experience here at Llama. You could just feel the passion and all the thought thats been placed into creating the dishes. Highly recommend. read more

Llama Restaurant - Duck breast and pesto pasta with pork belly - Peruvian Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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I can not begin to tell you that this is by far one of the MOST AMAZING PLACES EVER. So chic, so cozy, so intimate. DEFINITELY WORTH EVERY PENNY! The ceviche, OMGGGG. The Maracuya is AMAZING and let me tell you abou the Mar y Tierra that surf and turf was from ANOTHER PLANET! The dessert, ok the dessert was literally out of this world. AMAZING! The service is excellent, they are so attentive! Definitely coming back for more! read more

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Llama is an absolute treasure. The restaurant is small and intimate. The service is excellent and the food is exceptional. I never thought I'd have the best ceviche in my life in St. Augustine, FL. A must try if ever in St. Augustine. read more

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Omg. Fantastic dinner. I'll be honest and say that we are from out of town but visit often and think there's a shortage of really great spots around. LLAMA WAS FANTASTIC! The decor is perfect - you can dress up or down. It's a tiny spot and it was decorated so nicely. We made reservations and I would recommend that due to its size. Our server was amazing. Explained all the dishes and answered all our questions. He was really great with our five year old. I had the flower bomb cocktail - so fun when he dropped it off and spritzed it with rose water! We also tried the beef hearts - it was sooooo good. The octopus carpaccio was perfect with the olive aioli. The macho dish was great. The surf and turf and Loma steak were out of this world. The presentation was fun and whimsical - the dessert had a fun spun sugar design. We were little piggies and tried EVERYthing and did not have a bad bite. Can't wait to come back. Also - loved all the complimentary bites and palate cleansers! read more

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Sophisticated and delicious. Family operated quaint little restaurant with amazing dishes. Wine reasonably priced. The owner and staff are attentive and knowledgable about everything on the menu. This wasn't dinner, it was a dining experience. read more

I went to Llama for my birthday in November and it was the best food and service I have ever experienced. The atmosphere was charming and all things combined created an experience I will never forget. I can't wait to go back for another incredible meal. read more

Wonderful experience and deelish food! They were able to accommodate a table of 6 even though they are a small, intimate restaurant. Reservations are highly recommended. Our waiter was fantastic! Full of knowledge and personality. Our food - THE FOOD - innovative, unique, beautifully presented, and so incredibly enjoyable. Every bite was followed by mmm's and ooohhh's. Well worth the price! If you have to wait, well worth the wait! Perfect date night location! read more

Best Peruvian food! Creative, lots of flavor, great staff. And great atmosphere. We will be back! This is my new favorite place.

Came for my birthday and the food was spectacular! Choked full of flavor, fresh and the service was crazy good. They switched out my utensils between plates to keep from the flavors mixing which was so nice! Never had this done before. The causa trio and ceviche clasico were superb Not to mention the restaurant had the cutest atmosphere - loved loved it! read more

Llama Restaurant - Causa trio, llama mule, mimosa - Peruvian Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Fabulous little gem! I have been so excited to try and finally scored a reservation. Had the surf and turf pepper pasta- lovely dish! Wine list is great and service was delightful. Just wish the entree selection was a bit broader. Absolutely recommend this restaurant! read more

I love this restaurant! Every time I visit Saint Augustine, Llama is a given dinner reservation. The food is beautifully presented, packed with flavors and displays creativity. I visited Llama before going to Peru, and I recognized majority of their staplers on local menus in Peru. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation! What to eat? I haven't had a bad experience so far, but my personal appetizer favorites are Anticuchos, Pulpo & Ceviche Lima (try the Nikkei one too!). For main course, go for the Arapaima. I was sad to see they took Lomo Saltado off the menu, but the Surf N turf pasta gives you a taste of that wonderfully grilled meat! read more

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we have been dying to come here for years! it did not disappoint. the food was delicious and the service was great too! highly recommend. read more

Llama Restaurant - dinner at the bar, best seat in the house! - Peruvian Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

One of the absolute best meals and always a really wonderful environment. Had a fantastic bottle of wine and as much food as physically possible. Recommend this restaurant to everyone who enjoys great food and great service, the best dining environment you could ask for. read more

We told our server we like to try new things. He suggested we share several appetizers and split an entrée. Perfect recommendation! So, with his guidance we worked our way through seviche, beef hearts and an entrée of pork belly over tagliatelle. Every offering came imaginatively plated. Every bite a savory morsel. The chocolate dessert was over the top interesting and a marvelous ending to the meal. Llama is definitely the place to be adventurous. No matter how exotic the dishes sound, they all are intended to delight the palate. We came away thrilled with the experience. Can't wait for our next visit. Oh, and if you want to begin the evening with a non-alcoholic beverage, have a chicha morada. Superb. read more

Excellent food!!! was there for my birthday and whta a great gift it was...will go next time I'll be on town...

This is literally the best food I have ever had . If you're looking for a true culinary experience, this is the place to go in the St. Augustine area. My wife and I went there for dessert on our anniversary, and then back a day later for dinner. I had their custard with spun sugar for dessert and a fish dish called Macho, both were out of this world. My wife had their chocolate mousse cake for dessert and fish fish called Paiche; she loved it! read more

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Wow! This restaurant is highly delicious! Starting with La Chicha Morada, flavor is amazing. For me the Best Restaurant in St. Augustine. We tried El chupe, Arroz con Marisco and Paiche ohhh my god! exquisite. The appetizers Tiradito rocoto, Causa limeña and Papas yummy. And please please , don't forget the dessert the final touch for an excellent dinner! Congratulations for La Llama an unique experience! read more

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I can't say enough good things about this place. The atmosphere was quaint, the service was perfect and the food was crazy good. I had to try the beef heart and it was really good. I mean the presentation in itself was really cool, but the taste wasn't at all what I expected and blew me away. My entrée was a banana wrapped Amazonian fish of some kind and was banging good. The wife's chicken dish was excellent as well. We both left very satisfied and happy we had checked out other Yelper comments. Y'all hit it out of the park on this one. Oh try the tres leche. You'll thank me. read more

Llama Restaurant - Quaint bar - Peruvian Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida