Andina, Shoreditch, London: Peruvian breakfast review

Five colourful smoothies lined up in a row at Andina, Shoreditch, with a purple blueberry smoothie in the middle

You’ll have to wait until the weekends to be able to tuck into ceviche for breakfast, but the weekday menu is still undoubtedly Peruvian (don’t worry, there’s a glossary provided). For the virtuous, there’s an intricate granola of quinoa, amaranth, pumpkin seeds, rolled oats, coconut, almonds, maca root, goldenberry honey and seasonal fruits and yogurt, and a selection of superfood smoothies including the very green, green vayeho; avocado, pear, mint, spinach and lime and chaska: kiwicha, banana and hazelnut milk with lúcuma, an Andean fruit rich in all kinds of goodness. It’s the savoury options that caught our eye, though. Order Peruanazo, a dish of tacu tacu (a hash of rice and Peruvian beans), belly bacon and sautéed vegetables, or go straight in for the chicharron sandwich; meltingly-soft pieces of confit pork belly in a sweet brioche bun piled high with red onion and tomatoes and served with camote (sweet potato) ketchup. You can keep your bacon sarnie.

If you’re still on your New Year health kick (well done, you, we gave up long ago), Andina also offers a ‘replenish’ menu available until the end of March. Created with personal trainer and fitness specialist Harry Jameson, it’s designed to help provide you with all the nutrients you need pre- or post-workout without compromising on flavour with dishes such as claras claritas; egg white omelette, sweet potato toast, Amarillo chilli, mozzarella, spring onion and coriander, and spicy baked eggs with green corn tamal and salsa criollo.

Written by Sarah Kingsbury, February 2016