One of the things that attracted me to travel to Peru was the food. My love affair with Peruvian cuisine began ten years ago when I met my friend Jimmy in Brussels. He grew up in Lima and would have us for dinner and teach us how to make Peruvian dishes. From the tangy ceviche to the rich causa rellena, there are so many great Peruvian dishes to sample. We were recently in the Peruvian capital and got to indulge. Here are five places to eat in Lima:
Astrid y Gastón
Gastón Acurio is known to many as the chef who introduced Peruvian cuisine to the world. My first experience at one of his restaurants was in Santiago, Chile almost ten years ago and I was taken away by the food. Needless to say when I was looking for places to eat in Lima.
Although the tasting menu is available, we went for a la carte order given that we were dining with a group of ten friends and we wanted some flexibility on the menu options. The creativity of the dishes was superb. Everything from the scallop sashimi to the pandora’s box of chocolates to end the meal was memorable. Dining Traveler Tip: make sure to make time to have a pre-dinner cocktail at the beautiful bar.
Central
Ever since watching Central’s chef Virgilio Martinez episode on the Netflix show Chef’s Table, I dreamt of eating at this legendary restaurant. Sometimes I’m skeptical when it comes to over publicized and overhyped restaurants but believe me: Central is worth the hype. It took us a while to make a reservation and booked it a month and a half in advance. Everything was booked when I made the initial request. However, Central’s website allows you to get on a waitlist. I took a chance and put myself on the waitlist. A week and a half later I got the confirmation. If you can’t get a reservation, consider walking into the restaurant. I have two sets of friends that did walk-ins and were able to get in for lunch service.
Their elevation menu is one of the best culinary experiences I’ve ever had in my life. If you love food and travel, this is for you. The menu is a culinary Journey throughout Peru. We had unique dishes such as crispy piranha skin sitting on Frozen pearl onions heads to Andean potatoes cooked in a mini mud oven. It is evident that to dine at Central; you have to go with an open mind as the dishes are unique. The experience does not come cheap. However, the service, food, and attention to detail make it completely worth it.
El Perroquet
If you are looking for a classic yet elegant place to eat in Lima, El Perroquet is for you. Located at the idyllic Country Club Hotel in Lima, this restaurant gives you a glimpse of Peruvian high society with its old-world dining room, its dapper waitstaff, and their perfect presentation to classic Peruvian dishes.
We opted for one of the classics: the lomo saltado. This traditional Peruvian dish consists of tender slices of beef, french fries, and peppers sitting on a bed of white rice. Although this dish sounds simple, it is an explosion of flavors that this cuisine is known for.
Social
There’s a reason why Social is consistently ranked top 10 on Trip Advisor restaurants in Lima. We had the chance to have breakfast and dinner at this restaurant and we were equally pleased with the service and food. I highly recommend the breakfast service: instead of a buffet, you can order a la carte. One of the breakfast highlights were the Inca waffles made with quinoa. Delicioso!
If you love pisco sours as much as I do, make sure to order the many variations of the famous Peruvian cocktail. My favorite was the passion fruit pisco. No trip to Peru will be complete without ceviche! The ceviche options are abundant at social, from the classic ceviche mixto, a mix of raw seafood cured in citrus to a more modern take of ceviche: raw fish with crispy squid, drenched in leche de tigre. If looking for a place to eat in Lima, specifically Miraflores, I highly recommend.
La Vista
If you are looking for the most decadent brunch buffet in Lima, La Vista restaurant at JW Marriott would be it. Where do we start? We started our brunch with piscos (when in Peru…) and moved on to the decadent buffet. My two favorite things: the ceviche bar and a roasted suckling pig. The chef has several options of ceviche to choose from and the dish made right in front of you. It does not get fresher than that. Make sure to save some room for dessert, especially for some favorite Peruvian desserts such as suspiro limeno and mini tres leches.
This decadent brunch at JW Marriott has a fabulous view to go with it: you get to see the waves of the Pacific ocean from the restaurant. Brunch service gets quite busy so I recommend to make a reservation in advance. When looking for places to eat in lima, make sure you add brunch to your list!
Places to Eat in Lima, Peru: The Verdict
I only listed five places to eat in Lima, but there are so many other places we wished we had the time to dine in. Other places that are recommended by local friends were:
– Isolina Taberna Peruana for traditional fare
– Amaz for dishes of the Amazon region
– El Mercado for seafood
Have you been to Lima? What was your favorite dining experience?
