This gem should probably be Michelin-listed. After my first visit, I wrote a 5-star review for doing Peruvian basics way better, and with some adventuresome direction, than any other I knew of in the Bay Area. But on our second visit, my wife and I went a different direction and were truly amazed. We had the Tiradito instead of the more familiar Cebiche, then small plates, all of which allowed us a stunning meal. Chicharrón may be a staple, but this Chicharrón confit is special (as was the octopus, and the squid). Service: it's a very small restaurant that runs with one waiter and one busser (same waiter for both our visits over a year apart). That means there were some slow gaps, but never too bothersome and when he arrived his detail was superb. I'd say just be aware that it's not running at "American speed" (and possibly a better experience all told). From explaining that the seaweed was from Monterey to how he added serving spoons to the table, this one-man show was competing with the small army that served us in a Michelin one-star in Napa a couple months ago. All this while maintaining a neighborhood feel. I think the location may have once been a sushi restaurant, based on the beautiful wood ceiling. The open kitchen is a small hive of fun activity. read more

Exploring the area and this place looked interesting, so we decided to try a few appetizers. They were just opening so we were the first customers that evening. The Cebiche Mixto was excellent, delicate with a nice citrus flavor. The squid in the Causa Negra was so tender, resting on a bed of squid ink colored potato? that was light and subtle. The Yuca Frita were crunchy on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside with a Peruvian mint sauce that added just of hint on mint to the yuca. Server was attentive and enjoyed explaining the different dishes and ingredients. He was also a good sport and wore a shark hat that a patron made for him while waiting for their food. Intimate setting with Peruvian art and pictures. Will go back and try a complete meal! read more

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The place is not clean bathrooms are outside and menu are dirty The food is expensive and small portion also very salty Service is okay read more

YOU SHOULD BE EATING HERE!! We are SF foodies & this is our favorite restaurant in the East Bay. Adorable staff (sit at the counter & watch the incredible plating); beautifully curated $60 bottle wine list; best of the bay (& elsewhere) ceviches; impeccable seafood & ingredients (filet mignon in the lomo Saltado?); & fine dining touches @ a most reasonable price point (punches "above its weight"). In short, a jewel. We leave here happy. read more

Fantastic seafood spot! Started with yucca and octopus (pulpo a la parilla) which were both fantastic- especially the green sauce with the yucca. The octopus was meaty and delectable. For an entree I had the tacu tacu , which was fish, squid and shrimp over rice and beans. Huge chunks of seafood all wonderfully seasoned and the rice and beans were perfect. My friend got the lomo saltado which he enjoyed. For dessert had the alflajores, which were perfect. Also got the sweet potato donuts which were pretty good but I would choose the alflajores over them. Fantastic service and nice outdoor seating. read more

Great experience! I was at a work conference in Berkeley with my co-workers and we decided to come here for dinner. My co-worker is Peruvian, born and raised, and she was craving for Peruvian food. We called in for reservations (party of 4) and they squeezed us in (place is tiny inside). Immediately, we were greeted and treated kindly the entire night. They also have a great wine selection. They even accommodated our annoying business credit cards/split check requests. The food was absolutely FANTASTIC! My co-worker said the food tasted like her moms and she wanted to come back with her family (that shows how truly authentic this place is). We enjoyed eating off of each others plates so much we even ordered a few desserts to try. While we were eating dinner, live peruvian music was playing outside of the restaurant. bring cash to tip the musicians! read more

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From the first sip of Chicha Morada to the last bite of dessert, everything was just perfect! The plating is beautiful, and the food tastes as delicious as it looks. The chicha morada is so, so good. It's like a symphony of flavors in a glass. The cebiche de pescado tonight was rockfish. Our entrees were the adobo de chancho (braised pork shoulder) and Plato de fondo vegetariano (Mushrooms and apples atop a bed of risotto). Definitely a vegetarian friendly spot! The plantains have a side of peppery honey sauce that give it a great kick. We finished with the bombitas- donuts filled with sweet potato and Dulce de leche with a side of pisco crème anglaise. YUM. Will definitely be returning. My friend and I already have 2 more reservations! Snag a seat at the counter if you can. The chef and staff are so friendly, warm, and kind. It's such a treat to watch them cook. read more

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The Lomo Saltado was DELICIOUS, but extremely salty. My husband and I both had headaches and felt dehydrated for two days after eating here. Our friends ordered the squid ink seafood version and raved about it. We ordered two different types of ceviche and while they were good, I didn't feel wowed. The yuca fries were ok (everyone else really liked the aioli, but I detected some sort of green chili taste that I'm personally not fond of) and I got the non alcoholic blue corn drink which started out with an unique taste which eventually grew on me. Given the prices (~$65/person including drinks -- and we were left still slightly hungry), I would have expected a better overall experience. The server was so extremely nice, but service was also extremely slow. They did not give us water until the end and we had a bit of trouble flaggng people down despite the restaurant being quite small. The indoors is very small, but they did build an outdoor popup area to accommodate COVID restrictions. One bummer for me was that the bathroom was in a shared courtyard. Not really fully within their realm of control, but I think if there prices were a bit more reasonable (is not $30/plate, but maybe low $20s with ceviches being under$18), I might forgive the saltiness and slow service, but I totally understand that they need to charge what they find fair. However, due to the plethora of other dining options -- particularly in that area -- is unfortunately unlikely that I will return. read more

My work grub club voted for Peruvian food and we chose Pucquio, which had good ratings on Yelp. It seemed a bit pricey, but we decided to give it a go. The restaurant had limited seating and luckily our group of 6 was able to find a table. It looked like there were just a few people working in the kitchen and in my head wondered how long our food would take to make. Menu had some interesting items and pretty $$. Our server was jovial and welcoming but took some time before he took our order. We got some pitchers of white sangria, ceviche, lomo saltado, a chicken stew, prawns, and braised pork shoulder. The food ended up taking a while to come out and some of the portions were a bit small for the price. The food was pretty tasty, especially the lomo saltado, but the high prices and long wait for what we got just wasn't enough to satisfy us. My coworker actually went to in n out after because he was still hungry. I may come back for the lomo saltado though.... read more

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Best Peruvian food I've ever had. The chef prepares everything for you so we did have to wait a while for the food to come out, but it was definitely worth it. Overall this was a fantastic experience and while it's a bit pricey, I definitely think it's worth checking out. We got the ceviche, grilled octopus, and the chi cha ron as starters, and they were all fantastic. The beans and the meat were very well prepared. The chi cha Ron especially was a standout, as the pork belly was absolutely mouthwatering and probably my favorite dish. For mains we got the Lomo saltado, which was great as always, the adobo de chancho (pork shoulder and beans) which was great (especially the beans!) and a seafood mix which had shrimp, fish, and octopus. read more

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This cosy restaurant is good to have a leisurely meal. I love lomo saltado and their beef was medium rare with a taste that didn't disappoint. The chicken porridge was my favorite though. The dulce de leche balls were crispy and lightly sweet, too. read more

Fish ceviche - perfect Beef entree - perfect Chicken stew entree - perfect Pork entree - perfect Service today was painfully slow because the chef was also tending to the tables and that led to delays in the food reaching our table. Took over 90 minutes for the entrees hence taking off one star But we will return and hopefully when we do they will not be shorthanded and we will be able to enjoy a faster service along with an already high quality of food read more

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Pucquio is one of my favorite places to go and I love taking my family here when they are in town! The food is absolutely to die for, the ambiance is cozy and warm, and service is wonderful. read more

My husband and I went to Pucquio about 3 weeks ago and I'm still dreaming of it. I've been on a Latin-food kick and we've been exploring a new restaurant each week, and Pucquio is still my favorite. Pucquio is a small restaurant, and I love the intimate feeling inside. We sat at the bar and got to see all the chefs creating their art. It was busy on a Friday night, and the restaurant seemed understaffed with on 1 or 2 people managing the front of the house. Still, the service was great. Although every staff member was busy, they still managed to make us feel well-attended to. The servers were so nice and funny! We also enjoyed the little bits of interactions we had with the chefs. It was clear that although they were working hard, they were also enjoying themselves, and that made the ambiance even better. The food was incredible! We ordered the following: - Cebiche Mixto: this is one of the best and freshest ceviches we've ever had. There were large chunks of fish, shrimp, and octopus. The ceviche juice was tangy and flavorful but not too overpowering. I also loved the giant corn kernels. - Grilled pulpo (octopus): it was tender and nicely charged. The flavor is more savory and less citrusy than other grilled octopus I've had but still delicious! - Seafood Paella: this is a black-rice paella and it was delicious! Again, large pieces of grilled seafood on top and within the paella. The portion size was just right for two people. We also ordered two drinks - house white sangria and I forgot what my husband got. Both were delicious, but I especially loved my sangria. It was refreshing, not too sweet, and had pieces of pear and some thyme, which gave it a unique and wonderful flavor. read more

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Excellent food and superb service, I been wanting to try Pucquio for a long time and finally tonight I did. We started with the Ceviche Mixto, Grilled Octopus and Chicharrón. Every single item was full of flavor and delicious, we both followed with the Lomo Saltado which was again, delicious. I can't remember the name of our waiter but he was excellent, knew his wines and was very attentive. We met owner Carlos for a little bit, a fellow Peruvian! We will definitely be back! Keep up the good work paisano! read more

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Came here for outdoor dining in their parklet. A bit noisy from the busy College Street. We split the aji de gallina chicken, tacu tacu de mariscos seafood, and the adobo de chancho pork. I thought the dishes were all good and the service was fine too. Need to return to try the paella. I'd eat here again. Street parking only. read more

Food was orgasmic in your mouth! Everything was perfectly cooked and full of flavor as unique as the dishes are you can't go wrong with the menu selections. Our waiter was very friendly and conversational so it made the vibe just right. The restaurant is small but quite romantic lighting. This a really wonderful date spot. We tried the squid, yucca fries, flank steak etc read more

Pucquio - Grilled squid - Peruvian Near Me - Oakland, California

The Cebiche with rock fish was very tasty. It was spicier than some would like, but I thought it was great. The Arroz con Maricosos, "Our take on the classic Peruvian style Paella: gulf prawn, squid and daily fish with parmigiano, squid ink and Peruvian corn" was excellent. For desert, we had the BOMBITAS DE CARRETILLA, which was similiar to beignets, but not as tasty as them to me. The server was fantastic. We had 4 cars. Some of us found parking spaces 2 blocks away, and others found parking spaces on College Avenue very close to the restaurant. One of our cars close to the restaurant had a window broken right before we got back to the car. We tried chasing the vandal, but did not catch him. read more

Pucquio is one of the finest restaurants we foodies patronize in our Rockridge neighborhood. The flavors are richly unique. The portions are generous. Every dish is perfectly presented. The service is welcoming, attentive and entertaining. Sitting comfortably in a plush armchair while listening to Spanish music and sipping one of their extraordinary Spanish wines caps it off for us. Highly recommended. read more

Aggressive greeter said no reservation no services -it's Friday night. He appears to do everything- greet customers, clear tables, serve food and run the credit card machines. Very poor management style. Need to hire more people if they want to make $. This restaurant appears to want to do less with less- then when they have no business complain about Oakland. read more

I feel bad leaving this review but I wish I had know before coming. Im not very picky but the food here was almost not even edible. Ceviche and the pulpo especially, the taste of seaweed was so strong we couldn't finish it. Bummed read more

We had 3 dishes, 1 app and 2 mains. Octopus app was almost inedible, extremely chewy. The tacu tacu looked great but the shrimp was over cooked, making them slimy. I couldn't finish them The only bright spot was the shrimp bisque, which came out piping hot. So, 1 out of 3 ain't great. read more

Love everything about this place, the family that owns and runs it, the way it looks, the way it smells, food is incredible and so is the wine... Really good vibe read more

We tried Peruvian food in LA area and really loved it. Found this restaurant and decided to give it a try. We were the third table there, but it still took about an hour to get served food (without water refills). We ordered grilled octopus and it was served cold with a bitter burned taste. Apparently it waited us in the kitchen for awhile. Also ordered a pork starter and fried steak entrée. They were ok, not impressive. We complained about the super long wait, cold food and no water refills to the waiter and he said he was busy and asked us to find somewhere else. I don't usually leave reviews for restaurant, let alone an one star review. And I envy other reviews said that they had great experience here. Maybe it's just my bad luck but I really don't like the food or experience. read more

This was such a great experience. The food was delicious, the service perfect, and we walked away so satisfied! We live in the neighborhood and have never tried this Pucquio before but now that we have gone once we are hooked. Kevin was our server and he was awesome. He was able to hit that perfect balance between attentive but not constantly checking in. He was also very kind and friendly and helpful throughout our time there. The food was also amazing. We had the grilled octopus to start and it was cooked perfectly. For our mains we had the Lomo Saltaro and the adobo de chanco. Both were delicious but I'd say the adobo was the star but you can't go wrong with either. Also had a cocktail and wine and both were great. We can't recommend this place enough! read more

Food was great. Decor was fun, but the staff was rude from the first interaction, and the food late. Staff stated we must be gone in 80 minutes at 7:20 because they would need the table, but the food was so late in arriving that it arrived at 7:20... so we had to rush, eat in 14 minutes and were stressed the whole time, while every other table in the small restaurant had arrived before us and stayed after us. Extremely disappointing. read more

We just celebrated our 49th anniversary here. I've reviewed Pucauio before so tonight I'll just comment on the tacu tacu con mariscos. Wow! We make tacuwtacu at home. It's a great way to serve left over rice and beans with a fried egg or something. But Canlos"s tacu tacu is an elegant dish! The rice and beans are well balanced and the seasoning delicious and the seafood topping was perfect. The calamar was super tender. The prawns grilled perfectly. And the fish fried to deliciousness with a huacatay pesto and some rocoto. My husband ate his usual lomo saltado, as always delicious. I'd also like to thank Kevin for his caring attention to everything, including some celebratory items for our anniversary, and Carlos who's always friendly and cariñoso. read more

I had an amazing business dinner with colleagues at Pucquio tonight. It is without question one of the best restaurants that I've been to in the East Bay! The food was fresh and beautifully prepared, the drinks were fantastic, the service was perfect. Total hidden gem, and I can't wait to bring my family back to enjoy the restaurant. read more

Come here if you want to be emotionally abused. The waiter was beyond rude. He was condescending, aggressive, and dismissive. He even gaslit us twice. For reference, he looked about late 20s, small build, trimmed beard, dark hair pulled up in a ponytail/bun. Based on other reviews, I imagine the owners know and don't care. His aggressive vibe is clearly evident. The middle age waiter was more mellow, but not much better - e.g. when I nicely asked for some salt he said the food is already salted and he refused to bring me any. Btw, the food seemed good, but then a stomachache began 30 mins later, and lasted all night, despite pesto bismol. Ignore the good reviews, and pay attention the high number of 1 star reviews. This place is awful! STAY AWAY! read more

Love this place the food is excellent It's located in a nice area in Oakland Great vibe read more

Since I moved into the neighborhood (temporarily or so I thought) I found myself walking by this restaurant everyday with an intent to dine there. Then the Covid hit. Last week my hubby and I finally dined there and had a thrilling experience - spot on food and service. Menu was small but everything we ordered was delicious - the Cebiche de Pescado, Arroz con Mariscos (I love squid ink), and Adobo de Chancho. Wines came from a small and well chosen list. I started with the lighter Txakolina for the cebiche and ended on the weightier Godello that paired well with the pork adobo dish. Cannot wait to come back -- and we will! Thank you the entire team for for brightening our day. read more

Pucquio - Classy way to deliver the bill. - Peruvian Near Me - Oakland, California

This is the best restaurant in Oakland. Everything is made to perfection, fresh and with love. Carlos (the owner) is amazing and always there. Try to sit at the bar, but wherever you sit, it will be amazing. read more

Pucquio - Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Oakland, California

Hole in the wall restaurant! Everything was extremely delicious, from drinks to food. We tried the ceviche mixto & lomo and it was AMAZING Service was great, you can tell the people that work there get along and enjoy working together. It's nice to see , you can feel the love and culture in the food & ambiance :) read more

DO NOT ORDER VIA YELP/GRUBHUB Upon arriving, it turns out Pucquio is no longer working with Grubhub but Yelp is still "selling". Not Pucquio's fault at all. They handled it so beautifully, letting us sit and dine in, while making the order last minute. If you need takeout, call it in! Wow, the food is amazing! Years ago I backpacked through Peru for a while and this is the best Peruvian I've tried since returning to the states. The chicha, ceviche, ají de gallina...so, so good. Beautiful plating, wonderful service, and cozy heaters for the outdoor tables. I highly recommend coming here! It was truly a delightful meal read more

We wanted to grab dinner so we decided in Pucquio. Instantly greeted and sat. Everything we ordered was delicious and the service was awesome. Ordered Mosaico Cebichero (mixed fish, celery, ginger and Leche de Tigre) and Pulpo ala Parilla to start. Flavor was great and the portion was perfect for starters. Then we got Adobo de chanco (braised pork shoulder, crispy lechon, beans, crispy yams) & seafood with squid ink noodles! Also a side of yucca fries and plantains. These were incredible dishes and the sides were also delicious. Grabbed a bottle of wine and also rice pudding for dessert. ''Twas a dope night out and I'll surely be back! read more

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Our first visit. Special occasion. And we leave it to Chef Carlos to curate the menu for us 3 tonight. ~Start with a bottle of Red. Ceviche (Cebiches) - requesting only fish: -Tiradito Clasico (Classic fish ceviche emulsified in aji amarillo paste) -Mosaico Cebichero (Mixed fish ceviche with celery and ginger) Appetizers: -Pulpitos a la Parrilla (Grilled Octopus yuca chips and corn) -Causa Negra Moderna (Grilled Squid with olive paste in citrus sauce) -'Chi-Cha-Ron' (Confit of Pork Belly) Main: -Limo Saltado (Beef stir fry) -Cauliflower Veggie Dish end with Sorbet~ Pucquio shines in contemporary Peruvian cuisine. It is a tiny place with an open kitchen concept. A niche menu. Chef Carlos is the Soul of this restaurant. He makes sure you feel cozy. Each dish is his sophisticated creation and has an artistic presentation, sublime flavors with fresh ingredients. They are simply dishes from a Master Chef show. It is not surprising that they have thrived among the stiff competition in a not so central location. Words cannot adequately describe the unforgettable experience tonight! One tip - the fish dish is their best. $300 total tonight. read more

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Fantastic food! We also have had great service every time we've been. One of our favorite spots.

Now that the restaurant is fully open, I just wanted to warn fellow Yelpers that the service is terribly slow. Yes we got there on a Saturday, but we got there 20 min after opening, and there was only one other table. 90 minutes passed before we got our food, and by that point, we couldn't enjoy our food as much since we wanted to just get out of there and do something else! Three stars bc the food is still great. read more

Nice small neighborhood restaurant with excellent food and service. We will definitely come back.

Would give it 6 stars if I could... Awesome food and outstanding service. Had one of the best dining experience in memory at this sweet, quaint little Peruvian spot. We are experienced Peruvian food people having traveled in Peru and can vouch for how delicious, freshly prepared and exquisitely presented all the courses were. This place totally lived up to its reputation from the ceviche to causa negra to our Adobo de Chancho, our entire 4-course dinner was fabulous. We were celebrating our anniversary. Once the server realized this, he pulled out all the stops to make it a special occasion for us. This included complimentary bubblies, free refills on our wine, and even a free dessert! Wow, amazing customer service ! Last but not least, the outside parklet dining is perfect with individual heaters to keep you nice and toasty even in cool Bay Area evening. The pace of service was perfect for our leisurely special evening. Totally recommend this place. We will definitely be back! read more