This is a Peruvian party you definitely want in on.

Pastuso – named after Paddington Bear, who was originally an orphan bear from Lima before he was sent to England – has lost none of its energy and fun as it helps diners unlock the wonders of Peruvian cuisine.

It’d be rude not to kick off with a pisco sour as you cruise the menu divided into ceviche, street food and hearty main courses cooked over fire. Charred Queensland king prawns marinated in coriander oil or red snapper cured in lemon juice with sweet potato fly the flag for stunning ceviche, while a zingy salad of endive, pickle and apple cider vinegar sauce is the perfect foil for sweet and tender chunks of alpaca.

The parilla (grill) is pressed into service on the larger dishes, perhaps a whole baby barramundi, a half chook, or several cuts of aged grass-fed Gippsland beef. Eye fillet was cooked to text-book medium rare, rested and sliced, and paired well with a side salad of red butter lettuce with candied hazelnuts.

The wine list keeps to the region, as do desserts, including a Peruvian panna cotta, all wobbly and tasting of dark toffee, with cinnamon sponge.

Add cheeky but charming service, a hip laneway address and a buzzy room with an open kitchen, and Pastuso’s colourful take on Peru is your boarding pass to good times.

Must eat dish: Snapper ceviche
Instagram: @pastusorestaurant