After an influential trip to Peru seven years ago, chef Erik Ramirez — whose previous stint was as sous chef at Eleven Madison Park — made a decisive shift to focus his attention producing top quality Peruvian food. This dedication, further fuelled by his family heritage (Ramirez’s parents immigrated to the US from Peru just before he was born), is what sparked the premise for Llama Inn.
The 65-seat restaurant occupies a light-filled corner building in Williamsburg’s north side, in a once sleepy part of the neighbourhood that is now, thanks to a flurry or new residential buildings, quickly being invigorated with dining and retail establishments.
Even in this competitive area, Llama Inn stands out. Everything from the menu to the super-friendly wait staff could be described as vibrant. As is the décor by local outfit, JFD Studio, which includes overhead shelving packed with tropical plants and decorative textiles by local artist Betil Dagdelen that were commissionee for the space and handmade using traditional Andean weaving and knotting techniques.
With inventive, flavour-packed dishes such as quinoa with banana, avocado and bacon or red snapper tiradito with persimmon, yuzu and ginger, along with an inviting, unstuffy atmosphere — intended to feel like a corner barrio bar - it’s not surprising that this spot is packed every night.
If you can, get a seat at the chef’s counter, so you can see the kitchen in action and plot out the dishes you’re going to order over a Llama Del Rey (a not-too-sweet sangria-like cocktail made with pisco that’s available on draft). Or, when the weather warms, head upstairs to the restaurant’s newest addition: a rooftop lounge.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
50 Withers Street
-
Remembering Frank Gehry, a titan of architecture and a brilliant human beingLong-time Wallpaper* contributor Michael Webb reflects on the legacy of the Los Angeles architect, who died today at age 96
-
Lexus finally confirms the name of its all-electric LFA Concept supercarStill designated a design study, the Lexus LFA Concept should be the successor to the most unlikely of all 20th-century supercars
-
King of cashmere Brunello Cucinelli on his new biographical docu-drama: ‘This is my testimony’Directed by Cinema Paradiso’s Giuseppe Tornatore, ‘Brunello: the Gracious Visionary’ premiered in cinematic fashion at Rome’s Cinecittà studios last night, charting the meteoric rise of the deep-thinking Italian designer
-
A local’s guide to Miami by gallerist Nina JohnsonAs Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 kicks off, gallerist Nina Johnson shares her hometown essentials – from art museums to where to eat, drink and shop
-
The W New York, Union Square gets a grown-up revamp by Rockwell GroupThe noughties hotspot has reopened with a more mature – yet never muted –new look. Wallpaper* checks in
-
An around-the-world art tour with RosewoodFrom London to New York, Amsterdam and São Paulo, the hotel group showcases curated art that reflects the unique local context
-
Dior’s new Beverly Hills dining salon raises the bar for couture cuisineFrom Peter Marino’s onyx bar and faceted mirrored walls to Nicole Wittenberg’s vast, immersive botanical canvas, Dior’s first restaurant outside Paris is here
-
This new Los Angeles restaurant is a mischievous blend of dive bar and 'psychedelic honky tonk'At Marvito, small-batch tequila and a classic rock soundtrack create a delightfully nostalgic night out
-
Fantasy – and incredible seafood – await at Carbone Riviera, now open at the Bellagio in Las VegasInterior design powerhouse Martin Brudnizki drew on the Côte d'Azur and Picasso’s ceramics for Major Food Group’s latest Sin City outpost
-
At Café Zaffri in New York, history is served with a rebellious streakThe team behind Raf's unveils a new Union Square haunt that dishes up redefined Levantine cuisine in a reimagined Old New York dining room
-
Welcome to Polymath Park, where you can spend the night in a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieceA pair of determined Wright devotees have turned four endangered modernist houses into an overnight design retreat
