At Atico Cocina (the name, Spanish for Attic Kitchen, evokes a cosy nook, which is not really what the open-plan, wooden-floored space delivers) excellent eating wasn't quite what we got, but they had been open barely a week and I sense that they are capable of better than they were delivering at that stage.
The menu focuses on food from the northern end of South America, with an emphasis on the Caribbean. The empanadas - those delicious pastry triangles - are billed as Colombian-style, meaning the pastry is lighter than the Andean version, and there are beef, chicken and meat-free versions; jerk chicken, prawns in a coconut batter with chipotle (chilli) sauce and deep-fried plantain all derive from a coastal, tropical cuisine, rather than the heavy, corn-and-pork based food from the highlands.
I was instantly drawn to the ceviche (marinated raw fish), of which they offered three choices, all billed as Caribbean. This may explain why neither of the two we ordered had any of the characteristic chilli-and-onion bite of the Peruvian version I first met. Of the tuna-and-mango one, that may be expected but it seems to me it would be better to ratchet up the "ole" factor a bit.
We also shared brochettes of jerk chicken, which were perfectly nice with a honey mustard, but again tame as hell. The skin of jerk chicken, Jamaican in origin, is meant to be eyewateringly hot, but Atico's version would not have raised the eyebrows of the vicar's wife at the church supper. Some bruschetta with tender roasted peppers were quite acceptable.
The only reason I can't get too cross about the dryness of the chargrilled pork chop ordered by my companion is that I am not sure it is possible to chargrill a pork chop without making it as dry as wallboard. I never have, which is why I always slow-roast pork. I chose what they called their signature dish - a fillet of beef. Its name included the Spanish word for "breaded", but no bread or breadcrumbs were in evidence: it was a standard piece of quality fillet with a potato gratin and a brandy sauce. I could not fault it, but you might it find on a menu in Houston, Hull, Hamburg or Hamilton.
In short, I reckon this place will be better when it lets its hair down a bit. The field it enters is not crowded, but it gives a bland impression of food that can be genuinely exciting.
Need to know
Value: $$$
$ = $20-$40; $$ = 40-60; $$$ = $60+.
(Price guide reflects three courses for one person without drinks.)
Also try
The grandly styled Victoria Park Quarter has plenty of dining. I've had good experiences at Sale St, Clooney and La Zeppa and heard nothing to suggest they've gone downhill.
