D.C.’s Splashy New Peruvian Import Pisco y Nazca Arrives Next Week

In one of late summer’s biggest blockbuster openings in D.C., Miami’s glitzy Peruvian chain Pisco y Nazca is expected to land in Dupont Circle in early September with ten ceviches, empanadas, pisco cocktails, and a daily happy hour.

The anticipated 200-seat restaurant inside Hotel RL (1823 L Street NW) comes from Centurion Restaurant Group, which opened two restaurants under the same name in Miami over the past three years.

The Peruvian saying “Entre Pisco y Nazca” essentially translates to boozing in a social setting, so cocktails at its 20-seat central bar are naturally a big focus. Mixologist Joel Mesa’s Moscow mule features cardamom and currant-infused syrup, and a daily happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. includes discounts on pisco sours, sangria, beer, and wine.

A 100-seat main dining area will be accompanied by a 37-seat outdoor patio, and two private dining areas, outfitted with built-in screens and LCD projectors, can pack in another 40 guests.

The executive chef is Miguel Antonio Gomez Fernández, a Peruvian native who was most recently cooking at San Francisco’s famed La Mar on the Embarcadero. Its D.C.-based chef is Victor Lopez, who helped helm the kitchen at Pisco y Nazca’s Miami locations.

The brand’s NYC-based architect Celano Design Studio inserted lots of earthy copper tones, teal and orange accents, walnut wood flooring, and handmade concrete tiles across the D.C. space, along with a huge chandelier-like bottle display at the bar.

Celano Design Studio/Elizabeth Renfrow

Its shareable seafood-driven menu is divided into ceviches, small plates and large plates ($7 to $44). Two of its best-selling starters appear on D.C.’s opening menu: a seared salmon with cucumber, smoky leche de tigre blanca and rocoto, and a tomato salad with crispy quinoa, ají amarillo, and burrata. Here’s a look at the opening dinner menu:

The restaurant is projected to operate daily for lunch and dinner, with brunch on weekends. Stay tuned for an exact opening date and exclusive interior shots.