Peruvian restaurant Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar will open in downtown Bethesda on Monday afternoon, according to a press release from the eatery.
The restaurant, located in the 2 Bethesda Metro Center building at 7401 Woodmont Ave., will be Pisco y Nazca’s first location in Maryland and its sixth nationally. It is taking over the former home of Cesco Osteria, a Bethesda staple for 25 years that closed in 2022.
Pisco y Nazca Bethesda will open for service at 4 p.m., the release said. To celebrate the occasion, the restaurant will offer an extended happy hour until it closes at 10 p.m. Happy hour deals include $3 off the price of beers, $9 specialty cocktails, $8 house liquors, $9 martinis and $7 sangrias ($28 for a pitcher), according to the release.
“We are thrilled to bring the bold and dynamic flavors of Peru to Bethesda,” restaurant regional manager Rosa Reyes said in the release. “This community has an incredible appreciation for diverse culinary experiences, and we look forward to sharing a bit of Peru with our guests.”
When selecting the Bethesda site, the Pisco y Nazca team was impressed by the community’s walkability and the restaurant’s location on a corner, Reyes told Bethesda Today in February.
“It’s in a beautiful neighborhood and definitely somewhere that’s walkable and it just seems so charming,” Reyes said.
Reyes told Bethesda Today that the 6,000-square-foot restaurant – on the northeast corner of Woodmont Avenue and Montgomery Lane – is slightly larger than its other locations and can seat up to 200 people. The restaurant features an open bar and kitchen, a private dining room and an outdoor patio.
“We welcome Pisco y Nazca to 2 Bethesda Metro, bringing an upscale and energetic dining amenity to the tower, as well as to neighboring office and retail,” Jason Winans, executive vice president of asset management at The Chevy Chase Land Co. said in the release. “The restaurant adds another layer of quality to downtown Bethesda.”
A modern twist on classic Peruvian food
Miami-based Pisco y Nazca offers classic Peruvian dishes with a modern twist for brunch, lunch and dinner, according to the restaurant’s website.
The eatery will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Happy hour is offered daily from 4 to 7 p.m.
Among the dishes that will be offered at the seafood-heavy eatery are parihuela de mariscos, a traditional seafood soup with shrimp; a variety of ceviches; sushi with Peruvian flavors such as queso fresco and aji Amarillo aioli; and Causas, a Peruvian dish of whipped potatoes with shrimp, chicken or tuna tartare.
Other dishes include empanadas, fried yuca, burrata with quinoa, chicken stew, seared tenderloin and Peruvian-style chicken and rice, according to the menu.
In addition, the restaurant serves a variety of drinks using Pisco, a popular brandy made in Peru and Chile, and signature cocktails, mocktails, wines, sangrias and beers.
