Fine Peruvian cuisine has arrived in Downtown St. Pete with the opening of Aji Ceviche Bar. The new restaurant and bar is now open daily at 200 1st Avenue South.
The new Peruvian hotspot has a beautifully decorated and spacious dining room, as well as an intimate ceviche and sushi bar. Aji celebrates Peruvian heritage and culture through its drinks and food.
The lengthy menu has a wide variety of ceviche and sushi, as well as creative takes on Peruvian small plates, Nikkei cuisine (Japanese-Peruvian fusion), pastas, steaks, tiraditos, and savory rice and tacu tacu dishes.
Options on the appetizers list include a Spanish octopus bathed in Peruvian black olive aioli and olive oil, fresh Peruvian scallops, and fresh salmon tartar. Meanwhile, the menu has a full eight pages dedicated to ceviche, sushi, and other seafood dishes.
The Peruvian seafood pasta is catching our eye, as well, offering “a dramatic and flavorful taste of the Peruvian coast.”
Aji also has an impressive cocktail menu. The full bar menu includes classic cocktails, beer, and wine, but the stars are the Peruvian cocktails.
“Peru is no longer just eaten, it’s also sipped,” the cocktail menu announces. “This is Peru, served in a glass.”
Highlights include a Pisco Sour and the Chilcano. Aji also offers all-natural fruit juices.
The restaurant space is inside what used to be auxiliary indoor seating and an outdoor terrace area for Ford’s Garage, which is still open next door. The terrace has been closed in for the entrance and the five-seat ceviche and sushi bar. The main dining room is beautifully decorated, featuring tables, booths, a large bar, and a particularly eye-catching backbar.
Aji Ceviche Bar is open Sunday-Thursday from 12-10 pm, and Friday and Saturday from 12-11 pm. Follow them on Instagram to see the latest.