Amaru Pisco Bar

Great place for pisco cocktails.. The cocktails are yummy! The gambas al aljillo was good but a bit too tangy for my taste. The boyfriend liked it. They have a huge screen and projector for sporting events and on weekend evenings the place turns into more of a dancing area! Yay! Spanish music of course which is my thing :D stop by for great drinks!.  The bartenders are hit or miss. Some are more attentive than others. The ones on Friday evenings are really nice! :)

Went here two times already. First was for Cinco de Mayo with a good friend. My friend is Chiliean and is familiar with pisco so I found this spot to have this popular Peruvian and Chilean drink. First and foremost, parking in the Jackson Heights area is difficult. Found a spot a few blocks away. Make sure to read all the signs as to not get a ticket. Upon arriving there we were carded of course. I went in with no problem, but noticed there was a delay with my friend getting in. The bouncer was giving her a hard time telling her "no weapons allowed." Apparently he thought her tampon was a knife. Off to a good start. The venue is small with a bar and tables in front  and a giant projection screen behind the bar that plays music videos. We sat at the bar and ordered 2 pisco sours, of course. Drinks were delicious. $10 a piece. A little pricey, but being from Long Island I know that drinks in any area that qualifies itself as the city will be in the $10 to $14 range. Defintiely wanted to give the food a try here. Everything looked delicious by it's names and descriptions. First off my friend ordered the empanadas ají de gallina, (chicken empanadas) and myself the wantanes. The empanadas were delicious and were served with an olive sauce. The wantanes were fried dumplings stuffed with chicken and shrimp served with a sweet and sour passion fruit dipping sauce. Very tasty food. The bartender was very friendly and gave us two maracuya sours on the house. My friend ordered the ceviche tasting which samples 3 different ceviches. I got the salchipapas which was a generous serving of sausage and french fries served with ketchup, mustard, and mayo. We also ordered the pisco punch and amaru and other drinks. At the end our bill was $80 with 8 drinks and 4 food orders. Our bartender was an angel, bc clearly that math doesn't add up when drinks are $10 a piece. Overall it was a great experience. It's funny because there is a sign that says no dancing (most likely due to the small space), but that does not stop anybody from doing it. The first time I was there I ate, socialized, and listened to the music that was playing. My second experience at Amaru was different. Went for a friends birthday after having dinner. Had a pisco sour danced for a little and left. The first time I was there was a Sunday and this time on a Saturday it was too packed for my liking. The other night I wanted to go back for some good drinks, but a friend was not up to par with the dress code. Sneakers not allowed. Oh well, til we meet again Amaru...

Great drinks, expertly made...prices really aren't that bad for the venue. Our bartender, Kevin, was extremely nice, very knowledgeable. Food was really tasty, ordered the ceviche, fantastic price. Huge sampler, fish was very fresh. Best ceviche in Queens...  Cheese plate was decent as well.

Would definitely recommend... I think they have a happy hour..