Pio Pio 8

Came here on a Saturday night with a reservation. I love the rustically organic décor and lighting of this place! The seating is very cozy as well. I had a couple of glasses of pisco sour thanks to a great recommendation by our server. He was very attentive and always made sure to check up on us. After hearing so many good things about it, I had to try the paella. It did not disappoint!

3.5
Good food, however, could’ve used a bit more seasoning. Desserts are pretty spot on. Just a little more salt and pepper for a kick would’ve been more appreciated.

Ate here last week with a large group for my boyfriends birthday. We were told on the phone that we couldn’t get a reservation and when we got there the hostess wouldn’t put us on the list until our whole party arrived. It was a Saturday night and the place was extremely crowded. We ended up sitting in the back room where I could barely even hear myself think!
The food was very good, though the portions were small. We ordered two chicken entrees that came with three sides each for 8 people. Needless to say I left hungry.
Would be happy to dine here again sometime. Perhaps on a less crowded night of the week with a smaller group.

I have walked past Pio Pio unknowingly many times in the course of my marauding shenanigans up and down 9^th over the course of the last few years. That being said, even if I had known about it I am not sure I would have jumped at the thought of Peruvian food. If only I had known better I would absolutely have started coming here a long time ago.
Walking in, I found the front desk are to be more on the chic side that expected, I guess I was expecting décor more on the traditional South American feel than contemporary New York. Past the velvet curtains that separate this check in area was the front end of what quickly sprawled out into a concrete Peruvian themed bomb shelter adorned with modern décor and a nice looking bar. This place seriously plays off the exposed concrete look, which I find cool, but it is kind of odd to be in a restaurant with no windows (reminds me of a strip club; now don’t get me wrong the lunch buffet a skins can be delightful, but it’s not exactly a pleasant place for a meal). We were quickly seated and ordered a round of Pisco Sours, which were super tasty (seriously, If you’ve never had Pisco, give it a shot ASAP), and I dove into the unknown that was a Peruvian style dinner menu.
To be honest I had no reservations or preconceptions about Peruvian food before coming here, except of course the one about hamster. …imagine my disappointment when I couldn’t have one as an appetizer (apparently its BYOH, which I’ll remember for next time). I settled on arroz chaufa (fried rice with egg onions and chicken), and we shared a few apps including calamari, causa de pollo, and beef heart. Holy hell the food was good. The calamari was perfect, the causa (basically cold mashed potato layered on top of ground chicken and avocado) was to die for, and the beef hard was really well done. My main meal of arroz chaufa was some of the best fried rice I’ve had in the city, I would recommend it to anyone (and will be going back for some soon). We hung out or a while chatting and laughing with the waiters (the staff is funny and attentive here), all in all it was a solid time.
Great ambiance, and a reasonable price, I can see why Pio has such good ratings. If you’ve never tried Peruvian or have had any reservations about it, come check out what is going on at Pio Pio.

Pretty, pretty, pretty good (now imagine me saying this in Larry David’s voice). Came here last night with a few friends to celebrate a birthday. This is the first time I’ve ever been here. I have to admit, it was a bit hidden, there’s not signage that sticks out that calls attention to this restaurant. When I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised with how modern and sleek it is. It also had a very homey atmosphere to it. Really didn’t like how dark it was though. You could catfish someone with the lighting here.
Our waiter was very attentive the entire night. He was quick to give us water when he saw we were seated. We started the night off with two pitchers of Sangria — one red, one white. Don’t even bother with the white, it’s not that great. The red is delicious however. For main courses, we got the following:
Saltado ceviche — this was a mix of seafood. I thought it was pretty good, but not the best dish of the night.
Peruvian Combo — rotisserie check with avocado salad and fries. Big portions, enough for 3 people. Salad is eh, Fries were eh, and chicken was nicely cooked, skin was perfect but overall needed more flavor.
Aji de Gallina — this was my fave dish. It was shredded chicken in a creamy amarillo sauce with rice. The combination of all the flavors worked perfectly. The sauce was the best part, it really brought the dish together.
Jalea — this was also delicious. If you’re into seafood, you’ll like this.
Papa a la Huancaina — potatoes with cheese sauce. Good, but nothing special.
Tres Leches Cake — A little too sweet for my taste, but it was good.
Alfajores — Peruvian cookies. I don’t know what the filling is, but it is incredible. This was my favorite dessert.
Peruvian Chocolate Cake — delicious. Cake was moist and chocolately. If you love chocolate, it’s a must.
Overall, had a great experience here. I’ll certainly be back when I’m in the city next!

Really great peruvian restaurant in nyc, very delicious food! The ceviche was delicious and so was the paella and it was BEAUTIFUL. It looked so scrumptious and it really was, especially when the juices from ceviche mixed in with it.
I also had this amazing potato dish with an amazing cheese sauce, it was surprisingly delicious.
The dessert was on another level from the tres leches, chocolate cake, and the caramel cookie. All three exceptional! My favorite was the tres leches.
Must go to this peruvian restaurant!

Probably one of my go-​to places in NYC. Located in Hell’s Kitchen, Pio Pio is a contemporary restaurant with a full bar and and two levels of seating. This establishment also does delivery, which is always convenient. Seating is sometimes cramped, mostly if you’re seated on the high chairs. The ambiance is quite dark, which is a good and bad thing.
The food here is consistently good. I always get the Peruvian chicken combo (comes with fries and an avocado salad). My most recent visit here, I tried the Nikkei, which was amazing! The tuna tasted fatty and fresh, while the avocado added a light creaminess to the plate. Wonderful way to start a meal here. The Peruvian chicken is always a hit, but the real stunner is the green sauce. I have no clue what’s in it, but I find myself dipping anything and everything in it. For those who enjoy drinks with their meal, definitely consider ordering one of their sangrias. They’re refreshing, pack a punch, and taste divine. They have both red and white options, and both are exceptional.
The service here is always amazing. The waiters are knowledgable and check-​in on you after every dish to make sure everything is to your liking. Plus, the service is especially quick, even on packed nights.
Overall, this place is one you can rely on. The food, drinks, and service are always good. Definitely check this place out and give it a try.

Not worth the time and money.
If you like to overpay for some old fries with pieces of cheap hot dog and a roasted chicken, go there.
Not going back there. The Matador combo was probably one of the biggest culinary /​visual disappointments of 2015.
Why is this place rated so high? No idea! One of Unilocal’s mysteries…

I really like this location.
Solid food and beautiful space.
It is HUGE, perfect for large parties.
The combo’s are great to share and the portions are large.
Sangria is really delicious!
One of my favorite appetizers is the stuffed pepper.

This place gets packed on Saturday night!
We had reservations one evening and arrived to find people waiting outside and in the entry area. Now granted this is likely due to lots of walk-​ins, but it makes you feel as though you must have picked the right place, because everyone can’t be wrong– right?
Upon arrival the hostess mentioned that we would have a few minutes wait and she would come to get us at the bar. I really appreciated the menu of specialty drinks that they had at the bar along with the willingness of the bartender to be creative to appease your tastebuds– #winning.
Great ambience. Somewhat on the dimly lit side, so nice for a date, but great background music too which works for your girls night out too.
Once we were seated, I ordered the lomo saltado and he ordered the rotisserie chicken. We were both hella satisfied. I would definitely return.

Trendy Peruvian restaurant with great food but sub-​standard service.
The roast chicken is terrific here, as are the fried plantains.
Well worth a visit, and good value for money (6 of us ate for around $ 80-​$ 90 and were totally stuffed).
Just don’t expect a lot of service, especially from the terribly unhelpful lady at the entrance.

Muito bom. Mais um que chegamos por acaso. Casa bonita, aconchegante e atendimento de super cordial e eficaz.

I have been here twice. My first experience here a year ago made Pio Pio almost mythical in my mind. The drinks were to die for, the food unfailingly on point. I would have given it 10 stars if I could.
Then, I came back to NYC this December, doing a happy dance just at the thought of coming back here. My experience this time around was a 2.5 star experience.
Though the first time I was here I had a bunch of different dishes, this time I had the one dish that really stood out to me last year: Corvina a lo Macho. It was still tasty (though perhaps less spicy?), but it was lukewarm. Why didn’t I complain? Because our server must have been a relation of Houdini for all of the times we saw him. When we asked for basic things like ketchup for french fries (which, I’m sorry, but should automatically be provided when the fries are), NOTHING happened. This was the one thing that really stood out to me, but there were several other instances (like our drinks coming almost right when our food did) of the service being inexcusably poor. Yes, this place was busy, but it was also very busy the last time I came, so I cannot account for the disparity in experiences.
I would still give this place another chance, but this time, Pio Pio, me has decepcionado. :(

Not good!
So disappointing. We had a Matador combo, which is far too much for 2.
We got the whole roasted chicken which was a simple plain chicken of a supermarket rotisserie quality. Nothing to write about.
As sides we got deep fried plantaines, which were so dry that they come with melted garlic butter on a side. Never has anything deep fried that needed to be dipped in more fat, quite disgusting frankly speaking.
We also got old not crunchy fries with fried pieces of hot dog, which on the menu is described as Franfurter. Coming from Europe, the difference between a Franfurter and a hot dog is quite aparent ans this kind of ‘mix up’ is unforgiveable.
The rice and beans and a salad were ok, nothing fancy.
Overall, the food felt like a canteen type of meal.
Completely disappointed with the high rating of this place.
The only notable thing is the nice interior with walls made of sticks. The level of noice and brown parchment paper on the tables killed the atmosphere, though.
Would not recommend. Waste of time.

The Midtown location of this tried and true favorite. Super sexy, chic décor with lots of tree branch-​looking things on the walls and some mood lighting. Pio Pio 8 has both upper and lower level dining, but gets crazy crowded on a Friday night. You will essentially be sitting in the laps of the people at the table next to you, which probably means you can sneak some of their food.
In all seriousness, the too-​close-​for-​comfort quarters that this venue offers, do not detract from the quality of the food. Matador combo, maduros, aji verde to die for! The cebiches are also top-​notch and a little spicy.
I had my first fling with Pio Pio 1 when I was probably 10 or 11 years old on the UES and it was love at first bite! Everything is full of flavor and I’ve yet to be disappointed in the execution of any dish. No matter how slammed they get, your food will arrive piping hot (and in a reasonably quick amount of time) at a fair price. I must say the Sangria has gotten MUCH WEAKER over the years, but I will forgive that one thing.
Grab a friend, get your stretchy pants, and order as much as possible. You’ll be so happy you did!
Pro-​Tip: If dining here over the other Pio Pio locations, do yourself a favor and make a reservation. Or be prepared to wait 30+ minutes.

I came here twice within 2 weeks back in April 2015. I was here for my friend’s bday dinner and my best friend’s bachelorette party. The entrée portions are pretty huge and I ended up bringing a doggy bag home. I have tried the Sea bass over rice during the bday dinner. I shared the Seafood paella with my friend during the bachelorette party dinner. Good food and it was well seasoned. There’s a bowl of green sauce that you can drizzle onto your entrée — I love the sauce! I also tried the sangria here — great, but I usually drink half of it since I’m not a big drinker.
Service was fine. The only complaint that I have is that the place is just so loud (based on both occasions). We were seated in the lower level BTW. I had a hard time hearing what my friends were saying or I have to shout while talking to my friends who were sitting next to me. The place is a bit dark so be careful while around this restaurant.

We walked in and was told theres a 20 minute wait for seating downstairs. I asked why is that when theres 2 hours left before closing? We sat at the bar for 30 seconds and the hostess came and got us. When we got downstairs it was loud and there was a great crowd. Several available tables!
We ordered our food and the server disappeared. I mean we had to ask for sangrias over and over. The food came out and my rice and beans were cold, plantains cold and my chicken was hot. I sent it back (im assuming he microwaved it) because he was back in a flash. Everything in the pictures are all my orders, so you can see they give you lots of food… You are charged separately for everything you order. I love spanish food so it doesnt matter.
3 stars because the server wasnt on point. But we had a great time once we began to eat!
I would recommend this restaurant as long as you get better servers. Because the cook did us justice.
The restroom was filthy and its unisex…

I love Peruvian food. That damn green sauce…
My friends and I came here for lunch. The space is super pretty and well decorated btw.
We got the Matador combo, which comes with: fries and hotdogs, rice/​beans, rotisserie chicken, avocado salad, and this fried thing that was really bland and dry.
The chicken was good. I love fries and theirs were good. However, rice and beans were whatever; that dough thing was not good. The green sauce could have been spicier. I expect Peruvian green sauce to be spicy and theirs was not.
We also got the seafood Paella… the seafood was huge but I’ve had better paella. Didn’t wow me.

The food here is SO INCREDIBLE. The five of us ordered 3 entrees and 1 side dish, and we were very full because the portions are absolutely massive. I definitely recommend eating family style. Our bill ended up being $ 15/​person so super reasonable!
Seafood paella — very flavorful and great consistency! There was a good seafood-​rice ratio.
Saltado ceviche — mix of shrimp, mussels and octopus. This was a more flavorful and spicy ceviche than the more citrusy ceviche that I am used to.
Rotisserie chicken — holy crap, what a great deal. Less than $ 20 for a whole chicken. Very tender and juicy meat, definitely get this to share!
Tostado — it’s fried carbs, hard to deny.
Oh and the bathroom is really scary. Looks like a dungeon, NOT a fan. Aside from that, I can’t imagine going wrong with anything on the menu! This is definitely worth trekking out to 10 ave for.

Will definitely be coming back for the amazing food and atmosphere!
Service ⁵⁄₅
Food ⁵⁄₅ (dessert was so so)
Value ⁴⁄₅
Space ⁵⁄₅ (Huge downstair)
Wait-​time ⁵⁄₅
Ambiance ⁵⁄₅
Bathroom ²⁄₅
Service ⁵⁄₅ — Spectacular service: Our waiter took off charges for the fries and bottle water from the bill due to kitchen miscommunication. We had 2 waiters, both were attentive and provided great suggestions
Food ⁵⁄₅ — Fresh and FLAVORFUL (BOLD + CAPS) and has good portion. The onions in the steak was cooked to perfection. Cebiche was bursting in my mouth, super fresh and nicely marinated. I love the acidity and the sauce on the side is great for adjusting the spicy level.
Their signature green sauce — Great on ANY thing. Please what is the recipe? Because I am so hooked on the green sauce. I would buy a jar home if I can.
I highly recommend the Lomo Saltado (steak) and Saltado (cebiche) ! Steak comes with rice, sautéed sliced steak, onion, and tomato. It is a bit more on the saucy side but the flavor is great and goes well with the rice. Good portion for sharing and very hearty. Although I could use a little more rice xD. The saltado cebiche (aka ceviche) comes with pepper (Tabasco-​like) sauce on the side. Super fresh and tasty — not for people with sensitive palettes — strong kick of acidity and the play of texture (soft fish fillet, crunchy beans, chewy octopus) got me good. Must come back !
Ambiance/​Décor/​Space ⁵⁄₅ — Spacious romantic ambiance + intricate décor + insanely high ceiling (you have to check it out yourself)
Wait ⁵⁄₅ — no wait on a Saturday evening for 2
Bathroom though… very disappointing. 2 individual unisex stalls — The design and placement of things are at such weird angle. It simply felt so out of place at Pio Pio when everything was done so right.
Overall, I enjoyed my meal very much and has been planning to come back with more friends! And what are you waiting for? GO GO GO

Food: Ordered the mixed seafood ceviche and the chicken empanadas. The ceviche was drenched in so much lemon juice, that I couldn’t really enjoy the seafood. The seafood pieces that weren’t covered in lemon were good though. The breading on the empanadas was crisp, but I wasn’t impressed with the flavoring of the chicken. Overall, the food was aight.
Service: Really friendly staff. Our hostess gladly sat us down but did warn us that their kitchen was closing soon. Our server was friendly and attentive, checking up on us to see if we needed anything.
Ambiance: Wayyy too dark for me. I could barely see my food.
It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. There’s nothing special that would make me want to come back or suggest this place to someone.

Tolles Ambiente. Von Aussen ist es völlig unscheinbar. Essen top und Bedienung sehr freundlich und aufmerksam. Die meisten Menus reichen für 2 Personen. Wir hatten ein ganzes Huhn mit Gemüse. War super lecker. Empfehlen wir suf jeden Fall weiter.

Delicioso. Muy buen servicio. Muy lindo el lugar. Recomendado totalmente
Los sabores muy ricos.
Recomendado el pollo. Los ceviches. El tamal delicioso todo realmente y lo pueden acompañar con una incacola o cusqueña
Muy recomendado
El postre el flan muy rico!

Muy buena comida, la atencion excelente, el ambiente y la decoracion superior, pueden aisitir con confianza.

Great place, very good food. I went there with 2 friends, and we ordered the Matador Combo: there was more than enough for 3!
Sangria was very good and service very friendly!

Great place, good food and large portions. The restaurant is beautiful and they have nice red and white sangria.
My friends likes their meat and the fried rice with veggies was super good.
Perfect for large parties.

Sehr schönes stylisches Lokal.
Reservation ist ein Muss.
Sehr zu empfehlen
Lomo Saltado
Cebiche Limeno
Tallarines al. Pesto
Pollo a la Brasa

Tremendo ambiente. Excelente servicio. Comida deliciosa. ¡Regresaré!

Dies ist eine Kette peruanischer Restaurants. Voll wie alle guten New Yorker Restaurants und mit einem hervorragenden Angebot. Sehr freundlicher Service. Wir verbarchten zu sechst einen Abend in dieser Location an der 10^th Ave. Zu trinken gab es Granatapfel-​Margarita auf Empfehlung des Hauses. Allein dieses Getränk lasst einen Besuch empfehlen. Die Speisekarte ist nicht nur peruanisch geprägt. Vielmehr ist ganz Lateinamerika irgendwie vertreten, das ist aber ok. Zu empfehlen sind die verschiedneen Varianten von Ceviche.