Lenin Costas

Don Ceviche is a popular new Peruvian restaurant from founder Lenin Costas. Born in Lima, Lenin grew up with a family deeple entrenched in Peru’s culinary world. To support her family, Lenin’s grandmother began selling ceviche out of a pushcart, and quickly earned a reputation as one of the neighborhood’s favorite food purveryors. In 1970, she founded a restaurant of her own in Lima’s Surquillo neighborhood and ran it successfully for the next thirty three years.

Growing up, Lenin learned all of the trade secreats in preparing the perfect ceviche when he lived with his grandmother between the ages of eleven and sixteen. His grandmother’s routines soon became second-nature to him, and when he moved to New York at the age of 16, he quickly discovered his love for the hospitality industry. Beginning as a dishwasher, he quickly worked his way to the top and began managing some of the finest French and Latin restaurants in the city.

All the while, he never let his passion for his Peruvian heritage and continued to refine his skills as a chef. In 2017, he began Don Ceviche as weekend project at the LIC Food & Flea Market and Queens Night Market. Word of mouth about the quality of Lenin’s ceviche soon spread, and enabled him to open up a permanent stall in the Essex Market in 2019, where he still operates today.