Absolutely delicious food and friendly service. A unique little gem in West Bradenton.

The food here is simply amazing! We've probably been a dozen times and have never been disappointed. The Pescado a lo Macho, the ceviche, and the beef Lomo Saltado are all excellent. These are so outstanding, that we've never branched out. The owner and staff are delightful, and it is quiet enough to hear your dining companions. Sometimes, when we are lucky, they have pisco sours! read more

Very pleasant small Peruvian-themed fish restaurant in an unprepossesing location. Food was fresh, nicely seasoned and well presented. Attentive service with a very small staff. Could have skipped the mandatory 18% tip; would have done it any way but didn't need the pressure. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Central, FL, sister to Peruvian Grill in Sarasota (same owner). Been visiting both for about 7 years and will never stop going. Only drawback is this location has an 18% gratuity on ALL orders. I only ever tip to round to 20%. Pescado a lo Macho is their best dish, in my opinion. Though I have tried everything they have to offer. Highly recommend anything from their seafood menu. Also have the best ceviche I have ever tasted. They call it Leche de Tigre (Tiger's Milk), yummy. read more

Great place to eat and I must agree that the food is fabulous but I do have to say that someone with power somewhere needs to do something about the gratuity added to your bill automatically that doesn't go to the employees. I recently went there, a week ago, and noticed that the gratuity was added to our party of 3. Its done in a manner that if you don't check, you miss it. We asked our server and she said yes, the owner does it to all parties no matter the size. We left additional tip because the service was good and she was by herself trying her best to manage the restaurant after a party of 12, 8, and 2 four tops sat within the 45 minutes we were there. Still perplexed over the tip, my friend, who's knows an ex employee, called and asked about the gratuity. And please don't get me wrong, the tip added just makes it easier for me not to do the math, I got the feeling that something just wasn't right. The ex employee explained to us that the owner, which I personally do not know, has the gratuity added, he keeps that, and in return pays the wait staff $10 an hour. So our waiter had about 30 people she was attending (which included a birthday party and a family get together) to that time that we were there. I approximate that at the lower end of my calculations would be at least $450 in sales. The young gal should've at least made $85-$100 (low end). Instead this server made $15 in that hour and a half just in wages. This is a crime and because of that, I will no longer support this establishment. My review has no bearing on their food. Prices are a bit high and knowing that the owner also keeps the percentage just disgusts me. read more

as a Peruvian-American who's lived in the Bradenton/Sarasota area for over a decade there has been a shortage of quality, authentic Peruvian food in the area as long as i can remember... at one point there was an upscale place in Sarasota, but after hearing how expensive the prices were i never even bothered. anyone who has been to Peru knows that the REAL stuff is served en el mercado [market] where u pull up a bar stool on concrete or dirt floors and eat elbow to elbow with the locals, or at the small local joints that the average Peruvian can afford, not in some stuffy bourgeois high end tourist spot. so when Warike popped up within a 5 minute drive from my house i immediately had to stop in and see if it was the real deal... did they have lomo saltado? anticucho? ceviche? chicha morada? pisco??? and was it going to break the bank? the answer was a resounding YES to all but the last question: all of my favorites were on the menu, and while dinner is slightly pricier than lunch, gratuity is included in the bill and all of the prices are reasonable for the healthy portion sizes. most importantly the ambiance is distinctly PERUANO... a small hole in the wall [which is exactly what "Warike" means in Peruvian Spanish] in an otherwise obscure plaza just north of Cortez Rd., EL WARIKE feels like home, right down to the traditional huayno music playing in the background to the Peruvian manta tablecloths to the indigenous-influenced decorations reminiscent of Nazca, Chan Chan and the Incan Andes. the only thing missing were the dirt floors, which given my American upbringing is definitely a good thing. as for the food, i am a creature of habit so admittedly i have not had every dish on the menu, but those i have eaten have been EXCELLENT. my favorite dish, lomo saltado [beef tips sauteed in a red wine and soy sauce marinade w/ onions, tomatoes and a touch of cilantro over white rice and french fries], immediately passed the taste test. one must remember that Latin food is meant to be mixed together; the french fries are NOT a side item, but an integral part of the dish. if u order lomo saltado and don't get a full bite of beef, onion, tomato, rice AND french fry on your fork, you're not doing it right! the ceviche de pescado [corvina "cooked" without heat in lime juice with red onions and cilantro] is delicious, missing only the most obscure of Peruvian ingredients, which is yuyo, or edible seawead that looks like parsley but gives just that extra bit of flavor and texture. my American wife [pura gringa! jaja] was a bit squeamish to try fish that was not cooked traditionally with heat, but once she tried the ceviche at EL WARIKE she has made it a point to suggest it whenever we consider dining out. for those unwilling to take a bite of lime-cooked fish, WARIKE offers salsa criolla, which has the same lime+cilantro base with onions, corn and diced tomatoes, minus the fish. the newest edition to the menu is pollo a la brasa, or Peruvian style rotisserie chicken... every Peruvian eats pollo a la brasa as a staple, and WARIKE offers an incredibly affordable daily lunch special of your choice of breast or wing+thigh over fries with salad [dressing is a light vinaigrette which tastes awesome on the fries and chicken as well] and a cup of aguadito de pollo [Peruvian chicken rice soup with bits of carrots, peas, corn, onions and flavored with cilantro], which by itself is served in a large bowl as an entree during dinner. SABROSOOOO!! other dishes that non-Peruvian friends have enjoyed are the chaufa de pollo [chicken fried rice, a dish influenced by the significant Chinese population that immigrated to Peru in the 19th century], jalea mixto [a mix of lightly batter fried seafood-- fish, shrimp, calamari-- served with lime-onion relish and your choice of sauce], and of course the Latin staple side-dish of fried yucca, which is excellent with aji verde, or sauce made from the green aji chili pepper... not too spicy and tastes great on nearly EVERYTHING [make it a point to ask for a bit of aji verde on the side of any order]. last but not least are the beverages... Inca Kola-- Peru's famous "yellow" soda and the ONLY locally made soda in the world that outsells Coca Cola-- is, of course, readily available. chicha morada [not to be confused with yellow chicha, or corn beer], a sweet, non-alcoholic beverage made of purple corn with a touch of citrus and cinnamon, is supremely refreshing... the standard Corona and Heineken are available, along with Peruvian brands cerveza Franca [a lighter pilsener style beer] and Arequipena [a darker, more bitter ale or lager style beer]. WARIKE offers a wide array of wine, which i don't drink, but the piece de resistance is the Peruvian national beverage pisco sour, made with a grape alcohol [pisco] blended with crushed ice and frothy eggwhites. a glass costs about as much as a top-shelf mixed drink at any other bar, but it definitely packs a punch. !!!DISFRUTALO!!! read more

My wife is working a seasonal job in Bradenton and has driven past a "Peruvian Seafood" sign in kind of an unlikely location. We decided to try and were richly rewarded! El Warike is a small, comfortable restaurant with seating for 30-35 diners at 8-10 tables. On a Thursday night at 7:00, they were about 2/3 full. It appears that unless you've reserved a table, you can seat yourself. With our menus, we received a small dish of toasted Peruvian corn (think corn nuts without the powdered salt) with a light dipping sauce. We started with the papa rellena, a mixture of ground beef, raisins and spices surrounded by soft mashed potato, and fried crisp on the outside into the shape of a full-sized baked potato. The coating was light and crisp, and the potato and beef mixture reminiscent of a light weight shepherd's pie. The papa was served with raw onions in a cilantro-lime, ceviche style marinade - tangy and refreshing and a perfect complement to the dish. Entrees were the mixed ceviche with shrimp, scallops, calamari and fish and served with cold sweet potato, and the "house corvina," a large filet of grilled corvina, marinated in chimichurri, served with four grilled shrimp, a house salad, fried yuca, fried sweet plantains and white rice. The ceviche was fresh and flavorful, and we received a generous portion. The small portion of sweet potato balanced the tangy ceviche nicely. The corvina was grilled perfectly with a crisp exterior and a firm, meaty interior. The chimichurri provided exceptional flavor and made the corvina an exceptional choice. The grilled shrimp were very good, but not noteworthy compared to the corvina. The sweet plantains were slightly caramelized on the outside and very tasty. The entire plate was a very large portion, and we brought home most of the yuca, house salad and rice to enjoy with the rest of the fish and shrimp. For dessert, we tried the alfajor - three layers of biscuity pastry separated by a thick creamy caramel and pooled in sweetened milk. Excellent! We also tried the helado de lucuma (lucuma ice cream). Also very good. We had never heard of lucuma, and were surprised to find that it had a slightly pumpkiny flavor. I just read another description that compared it to a combination of maple and sweet potato. Worth a try if you like sweet potatoes or pumpkin pie. There is an 18% gratuity on every dine-in check, regardless of the size of the table - this is clearly disclosed at the bottom of the menu. Our total bill after gratuity and tax was $69, and well worth it. Service was very good and the staff was friendly. Our server's descriptions of the desserts were a little bit lacking, so we weren't totally sure of what to expect, but that was the only negative, and not worth any kind of downgrade. If you're in the Bradenton area El Warike is definitely worth a try - or two! read more

Ceviche is good fresh and flavorful. Service was attentive and courteous. Dining room is modest and simple but colorful. Definitely worth a try but as others say watch the bill it includes gratuity. They should point that out when they bring the check to avoid people feeling they got ripped off. Sadly we probably won't go back because of that practice. read more

Great paella and tuna. Never had any Peruvian food before and was very pleased. Staff was friendly and attentive.

Great food and service. Small, quiet environment. Highly recommend stopping in for dinner.

Unfortunately this restaurant has lost customer for life. We placed an order exactly 1 hour before closing through Eat24 (Yelp's Ordering service) for a pickup. The eta said 10-35 minutes so my husband left right then to wait for our food. A few minuyes later we get a call from Eat24 on how spicy we wanted the ceviche and after 15 mins receive another call that they are "out" of both entres that had ordered. Mind you I ordered the arroz con Marissa and grilled tuna and tacu tacu- two totally different items. We changed the order to the Lomo Saltado and chicken and shrimp in chimichurri - polar opposite of what I ordered. They said they were closing soon so they couldn't change the order. I understand we were cutting it close but it is your job to cook what was ordered/prepaid for and offer customer service. It is also management's responsibility to coordinate with Yelp to cut off ordering online whenever the kitchen closes. If I am able to place the order online it should be able to be fulfilled. The restaurant is open because of patrons and when you let customer service go, you lose customers. To top it off, it is a holiday weekend where the bank now has my refund a little longer. read more

Can't tell much from the outside but the place is clean and well kept. The ceviche was delicious. My daughters had the baby churrasco and tacu Tacu fish - they loved it. We will definitely be back next time we are in town! read more

I've eaten at El Warke twice and am looking forward to my next meal there. The food is flavorful and interesting with many authentic peruvian seafood dishes and drinks. A definite local's place, the food is freshly made and te portions are large. The service is friendly and helpful (especially if you've never had Peruvian food). Definitely check it out! read more

This place was delicious and highly recommend it. I had the shrimp ceviche my partner had the grilled corvina best meal we had on our vacation thus far. I personally thought it was a bit over priced but once we consumed our dinner I thought less and less about what we spent and the drive we had to take to get there. read more

Just had a terrific dinner at El Warike. We made reservations and when we arrived we were promptly greeted and seated. The restaurant was full, but it had a calm vibe. Our server was very nice and inquired if this was our first visit, how we had heard about them, etc. Once he learned we were newbies, he offered helpful recommendations. We started with a pitcher of sangria. It was refreshing, a bit on the sweet side, but filled with a nice assortment of diced fresh fruit. We chose a sampler of appetizers, ceviche, calamari, and tamal. The ceviche was really fresh and nicely marinated, calamari was perfectly cooked and the tamal, while less flavorful than it's Mexican counterpart, still tasty. For our entrees we ordered paella, corvina with shrimp and a rice and chicken dish. Everyone loved their food. The seafood was perfectly prepared. The paella was presented on a long platter with the separately sauteed seafood artfully displayed on top of the perfectly prepared rice. The corvina was also presented in a fashion you'd find in an upscale restaurant. You can tell that the owner/chef takes a great deal of pride in their food and presentation. Looking forward to going back. read more

A real find. We love this place. If you have a group, order the Jalia Mixta...a mountain of fried fish, mussels in the shell, yucca and shrimp topped with marinated red onion and garlic. My favorite is the house corvina, a light white fish grilled and topped with sautéed shrimp with chimichurri or the churrasco. Family loves seafood tacu tacu, paella and crab stuffed corvina. They're served with various sides....from beans to salad or yucca or fried plantains. This is interesting food. If you want to try an authentic Peruvian restaurant El Warike is the real deal. After reading other reviews, yes, they charge 18% gratuity for all parties, but I figure they must have had some bad experiences with cheapskates. So, since we usually give 20%, I don't find it off putting at all. Yes, water may take a few minutes to get to you, but a small, family-run ethnic restaurant can offer so much more than a breadbasket and water...go with an open mind and I think you'll enjoy. Weekends lately, they have had a guitarist playing soft acoustical music. Reservations recommended on Friday and Saturday...30 seats fill up quickly. read more

Apparently this restaurant does not care so much about returning customers as they do about getting as much as they can while you are there. My wife and I visited. The server, who appears to be part of management/ownership, talked us into the "special". It turned out to be more expensive than anything else on the menu. The biggest disappointment came when an 18% tip was added on the bill. That alone was over $8. I wanted to dispute it because there was no notice anywhere that it would be done. But I decided we would just let it go. When we left, we were the only customers there. There is really nothing about this place that justifies the cost. Stay away. read more

We found out about this place because of restaurants.com and were pleasantly surprised at the experience. The place is small, but the service is very friendly, very courteous and they were not at all unhappy that we had a coupon. The waiter was alone, so he had to shuffle between tables to take care of customers, but he was extremely efficient, very courteous and prompt. The food was very good. We did not try the ceviche, but the fish (corvina) and beef were excellent. I then tried other Peruvian places in the area, but I think El Warike is much better. I have been there twice now, and will definitely go again. The prices are on the higher side, but compared to the portion size and for what you get, it is reasonable. Great place! read more

OMG I travel the world as a airline pilot and have eaten in some of the best restuarants, Including those in Miraflores, Peru..This was one off the finest meals I have ever had. Very small but cozy place .Service was very good but not outstanding.Every patron in the place raved over the food. 5 star food without a doubt. A must visit. read more