Piqueos

The Verdict

A South American gem in Carlton, Piqueos has been treating Melbournians to traditional fare for three years.

Inspired by the team’s travels through the continent and their love of the food that they found there, Piqueos’ menu provides an epic (and delicious!) peek in to both the street and more formal food of the region.

The dishes predominantly hail from three different countries— Peru, Argentina and Colombia. The lighter dishes—think seafood, quinoa and eggplant—are all traditional Peruvian dishes, while the heartier offerings that feature a lot of meat are from Argentina. Lastly, the Colombian dishes feature a lot of pork and rice and the stars are the leche asada and yuca fritas.

On the wine side of things, you’re in for some truly excellent drops, all of which are sourced from the Patagonia, Mendoza and Salta regions of Argentina. Interestingly, the wine list has been composed in order of altitude, a factor that influences Argentinian wine heavily.

Roasted meats and South American wine sound like the perfect recipe for a stellar Sunday lunch and the weekend wind down at Piqueos is one of our favourites in Melbourne. Sundays offer head chef, Juan, a chance to really focus on the Colombian side of things and cook his family food. It's a delicious feast and is gentle on the ol’ hip pocket too!

This little restaurant-that-could also has a private dining space tucked away. It’s the perfect spot for an intimate party of 12 to 14 peeps, but if you’re organising something a bit more raucous, you can hire the whole venue and have 90 of your nearest and dearest hang out with you! 

Image credit: Sabine Legrand for The Urban List