Start revving your tastebuds as you navigate the cobblestones of ACDC Lane – Pastuso will put them into overdrive, from the first cloud-like Pisco Sour to the last spiced pumpkin and sweet potato doughnut. It’s a smart (and sometimes noisy) space: the neon art, fire in the open kitchen and separate ceviche bar all adding to the palpable buzz. Fleet-footed staff guide you through the tight Peruvian menu and complimentary wine list. Get started with beef carpaccio or ceviche de langostinos – buttery prawns in a yuzu broth, with cones of purple kohlrabi and smoked caviar for a next-level umami boost. Taste the fire on the barramundi or the smoked and roasted half-chicken, the skin lava-black, the tender flesh a contrasting white, served with a citrus salsa that makes your tongue vibrate like a tuning fork. Toasty vegetables get similar kicks from charred olives that taste like a savoury sherbet. This is an exhilarating culinary trek.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Wine: ★
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
