No passport needed
My husband and I had the great good fortune of traveling to Peru earlier this year, so when we learned that San Antonio had a James Beard-nominated Peruvian restaurant in our midst, going was a no-brainer. When we learned that it’s listed in the Michelin Guide, too, we ran!
We decided to treat ourselves on our wedding anniversary, and a kind server greeted us with glasses of champagne and a bowl of giant Inca corn to mark the occasion. Needless to say, the bubbles and the airy, artsy vibe–thanks to a vibrant mural above the cebiche bar by local artist Hailey Marmolejo–gave us a fantastic first impression.
Horas felices
We were there during Leche de Tigre’s Hora Feliz (Happy Hour, Tuesdays through Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.), so we decided to order two chilcanos (pisco, ginger ale and fresh lime juice), a drink we grew to love in Lima, and each one of their piqueos (Peruvian tapas): yucca frita (fried cassava root), tequenos (wonton wrappers filled with cheese and/or meat), choclo frito (fried Inca corn topped with vegetables) and the eponymous Leche de Tigre (raw fish cooked in a citrus marinade). All of the dishes brought Peru to San Antonio. During this Hora Feliz window, cocktails are $7, beer is $4 and the piqueos are $8 each. Need I say more?!
Go ahead and gild the lily
For dessert, we had a flan and an helado (ice cream) de lucuma, a fruit known as the “Gold of the Incas” that looks almost like an avocado and is native to Peru. Both were yummy.
We sat next to another couple who was celebrating a birthday, and we all agreed that Leche de Tigre is a welcome addition to San Antonio’s culinary scene. Three brothers, who spent their childhood in Peru, opened the restaurant in 2023. We’re happy they did because it’s a lot closer than Lima!
Leche de Tigre is located in small, renovated cottage at 318 E. Cevallos in Southtown. Public parking is available at 242 E. Cevallos. Their hours vary, and reservations are encouraged.
Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June 2010. Follow facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!
