Lima, Peru’s Culinary Paradise

Peru suddenly popped onto every culinary traveler’s map in the last ten years – its exciting cuisine and incredible variety of ingredients propelling the city of Lima into the limelight. So how did Lima do it, and more importantly, where should you eat?

Internationally Influenced Cuisine

Anyone who has visited Lima will tell you that the city is incredibly welcoming but, on the surface, can sometimes be a little short on efficiency. The consequences of a decades long civil war pushed people from the countryside into the city, now a teeming metropolis. Where Lima was a relatively small city in, say, the mid-twentieth century, today it has exploded to nearly 10 million inhabitants, many having arrived only recently. With a wide range of ethnicities from the indigenous people with their own distinctive cultures to European interlopers to Chinese and Japanese laborers, as well as a population that’s more than half under the age of 30, the seeds were in place for the development of a varied cuisine all its own. Then you add in the ingredients, and what ingredients they are! The long coastline provides access to the abundance of the sea, while the Andes are the source of more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes. Factor in the Amazon and you have a bounty of fruits, nuts, fish and more.

Astrid & Gaston

But cuisines these days develop around chefs and in Peru, a few have stood firm in the food firmament high above the rest. Astrid Gutsche and Gastón Acurio opened their eponymous restaurant Astrid & Gaston in 1994, serving French food in a small house in the Miraflores District. Quickly growing bored with all things fanciful and French, they converted the menu to Peruvian and a star was born. In 2014, the restaurant moved to a beautifully renovated former palace called Casa Moreyra down the street from Microsoft Peru in tony San Isidro. The digs are beautiful, and you can choose to sit in a variety of rooms – there is even a lovely terrace in the warmer months. You will feel a bit like a conquistador while enjoying a tasting menu in these settings though so be forewarned. These days the cooking is still solid and overall our meal was good. Drinks are first-rate, however, and you can always drop into the bar for a cocktail rather than commit to the full meal.

Central 

These days, you can’t talk about Peruvian cuisine without its most fervent ingredient evangelist, Virgilio Martínez, who owns Central in Lima and Mil in the Sacred Valley (among other projects) with his wife Pia Leon. Central routinely tops the lists of the world’s best restaurants and is a difficult reservation to score. The restaurant moved in 2018 to a large complex in the Barranco neighborhood to the south of the city. Here you can while away hours at Bar Mayo and Leon’s Kjolle if you can’t get into Central. If you can, the menu will open your eyes to the diversity of Peruvian cuisines. The menu may read like a geography lesson but stay with it, this meal is one of the most unique in the world. Bar Mayo should not be overlooked however, with stellar cocktails and a menu that doesn’t shy away from challenging the diner to pay attention to local ingredients. Before – or after – don’t miss the nearby MATE – Museo Mario Testino, which is a showcase for contemporary Peruvian art and international photography.

Just a few blocks north of Central, Hotel B occupies a restored Belle Epoque mansion. Opened in 2013, this art-filled building has a cinematic quality reminiscent of old Explorer’s Clubs. Art permeates the space and a celebrated local chef, Oscar Velarde, oversees the dining room.

Amaz and Malabar

Amaz and Malabar are showcases of Amazonian ingredients, both run by Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. Malabar is a bit more reserved while Amaz is a full-on Amazon experience. Between the two, I’d say go to Amaz for its exciting menu, fun décor and extensive cocktail program pairing spirits with fruits and other ingredients from the rainforest. The menu features a whole section devoted to the Amazonian fish Paiche, which can grow to 400 pounds. But don’t miss the Churos Pishpirones, river snails stewed with turmeric, which was the single best dish I ate at any restaurant in Peru.

Chinese and Japanese Influences

Both the Chinese and Japanese have left their culinary mark on Peruvian cuisine. Chinese, as is common in many countries, occupies the more approachable everyday level of cuisine. In Peru, Chifa restaurants mash up Cantonese cooking techniques and Peruvian ingredients and especially abound in Lima’s Barrio Chino.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Nikkei cuisine of Maido, considered one of the finest restaurants in the world. Occupying a jewel box building in Miraflores, Maido is a gem that brings together Peruvian and Japanese ingredients in magnificent ways, more often than not in seamless dishes like a Chicharron Sandwich which is essentially a steamed bun with pork belly, kimchee emulsion and a creole sauce or Cuy (guinea pig) with cauliflower cream, garlic and rocoto pepper cream, and torikara sauce, which is usually served with fried chicken in Japan. The hits keep coming with a round of nigiri sushi, 50-hour Beef Short Rib, Sea Urchin Rice and more. This will truly be a meal to remember.

Huaca Pucllana

After days of culinary fireworks, it’s a good idea to reset and how often can you dine in full view of a stepped pyramid? Huaca Pucllana is named for the well-preserved archaeological site next door and its patio offers incredible views day or night. Here, it’s all about the classics – ceviche, anticuchos (skewered beef hearts), potato causitas, aji de gallina (chicken stew), pisco sours and more. Afterwards, head over to Carnaval Bar for a round (or two) of creative craft cocktails.

Charming Wine Bars

There is possibly no more charming spot in all of Lima than La Gastronoma, the quaint little natural wine bar owned by husband and wife team Marco Tecchia and Sabrina Chavez. Their business has evolved over the years, starting as a wine importing business in 2010 after Sabrina lured Marco back to her native Peru, followed by a shop and wine bar in 2013. In early 2019, the couple revamped the shop to be more dinner friendly. People kept stopping by wanting to eat, so they upgraded the furnishings and have expanded the offerings. The core remains true, however. Low intervention wines mainly from Italy and South America plus meats and cheeses from small producers often hidden away up in the Andes.

Just two blocks away is another natural wine bar, La Niña, which also imports wines from Europe. You can head to the upstairs bar for one of celebrated bartender Luis Alza’s cocktails or enjoy a glass of wine on their terrace.

Lima may be low on the scale when it comes to seductive surroundings but once you dig in beneath the surface, for sure you will find all sorts of charms. And the culinary scene is justifiably on fire right now.