18 Restaurants You Shouldn’t Miss in Peru

 

Destination Peru : Lima & Cusco

18 Restaurants You Shouldn’t Miss in Peru 

If you’re wondering where to take your next vacation, may we recommend Latin America?  Peru is home to 84 of the 103 existing ecosystems and 28 of the 32 climates on the planet, a combination that produces ingredients that simply cannot be found anywhere else. Peru is also home to one of the seven modern wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. From an adventure-cuisine-climate-perspective, Latin America has a leg-up on the rest of the world.

Given the eco-diversity, Lima has become quite the culinary capital.  Fortunate for us, we had an opportunity to set up a home base in Mira Flores for almost an entire month as we roamed between Lima and Cusco eating at Latin America’s Best Restaurants, a few of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and discovering lesser known gems along the way – 18 restaurants in particular that we cannot wait to share with you!

We have put together this quick reference guide with of all the most noteworthy spots to eat, drink and be intrigued.  There’s something in here for everyone – all types of diners will thrive off of this line-up. We didn’t include detailed reviews of the food – fact of the matter is that if it made our list, we’ve vetted it, and it’s worth a visit. The food is well above par, we assure you.


Before Scrolling Down, Read The Dress Code Interpretation 

Where you see “Sophisticated Dining,” our recommendation for ladies includes dresses, slacks (if you do jeans, then pair with a dressier blouse or blazer) and for gentleman, collared-shirts, button downs and/or sport coats are appropriate.

Where you see “Moderately Sophisticated Dining,” it’s appropriate to take more liberty with your attire.  You would not be out of place if you chose to dress up a bit more nor would you be out of place if you chose to dress more casually.

Where you see “Casual Dining,” anything other than gym clothes or lounging-around-the-house clothes would be appropriate.

Where you see “Chic,” you’ll want to make a small effort here to be either ironic or trendy. Ladies, maybe wear some smoky eye makeup and guys, go for the skinny jeans.  🙂

Lastly, where you see “Come One Come All,” anything goes – so long as you’re not naked, you’re probably dressed to code.


18 Restaurants in Peru that You Shouldn’t Miss Starting With…

Location: Mira Flores

(In No Particular Order)

Lunch or Dinner: Papacho’s (a repeat spot!)
Cuisine: American Food/Burgers
Vibe: Come One Come All
Occassion: family-friendly/energetic/casual lunch or dinner
Can’t Miss: Pobre Burger & Mini Burgers
Tip: If you’re looking for a down-to-earth version of Gaston Acurio then Papacho’s is delicious, fun & relaxing with huge portions.

Papacho’s

Lunch: Fiesta Chiclayo Gourmet – Mira Flores
Cuisine: Northern Peruvian Cuisine
Noteworthy: No. 46 Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017
Vibe: Sophisticated Dining
Occasion: Business event/date/family-friendly/special occasion
Can’t Miss: Chiclayan Duck Rice & Gourd Ice Cream
Tip: Create your own abbreviated tasting menu (servers are very accommodating and will help you create the perfect tasting)

Fiesta Gourmet

Lunch: La Mar Cebicheria (Ceviche)
Noteworthy: No. 15 Latin America 50 Best Restaurants 2017
Vibe: Casual Dining
Occasion: Date/business event/family-friendly
Can’t Miss: Classic Ceviche

La Mar

Dinner: Central Restaurant
Cuisine: Forward-thinking Peruvian cuisine drawing unique ingredients from the Amazonian Rainforest and Andes Mountains.
Noteworthy: No 02 Latin America’s 50 Best & No 05 World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017
Vibe: Sophisticated Dining
Occassion: Date night/Special Occassion
Can’t Miss: Tasting Menu
Tip: Ask for a tour of the herb garden, snap a picture in the kitchen with Chef Virgilio Martinez and ask to see “The study.”

Central Restaurant

Dinner: Maido
Cuisine:Nikkei (sushi)
Noteworthy: No 08 of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants & No 01 Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017
Vibe: Moderately Sophisticated Dining
Occassion: Date night / business event/special occasion
Can’t Miss: Tasting Menu
Tip: Opt to enjoy the Nikkei Experience at the sushi bar to see all of the action and talk to the chefs.

Maido

Dinner: Malabar
Cuisine: Amazonian-Peruvian
Noteworthy: No. 30 Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017
Vibe: Sophisticated Dining
Occassion: date night/ business event/ special occasion/family-friendly
Can’t Miss: Sand Dollar Foie Gras

Malabar

Lunch or Dinner: ámaZ
Cuisine: New World Peruvian
Noteworthy:  Newly added to the Latin America’s World’s 50 Best List for 2017 placing at No. 47!
Vibe: Moderately Sophisticated Dining
Occassion: business event/special occasion/family-friendly/date night
Can’t Miss: Mushroom Patarashca & Avocado Tart
Tip: Opt to sit in the terrace by the bar, it’s more relaxed and great for people watching. The further inside the restaurant you decide to sit, the more the vibe changes from terrace (casual) to main dining (sophisticated) to private dining (business event).

Ámaz Restaurant

Dinner: Astrid Y Gaston
Cuisine: Modern Peruvian Cuisine
Noteworthy: No. 07 Latin America’s 50 Best & No. 33 World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017
Vibe: Sophisticated Dining
Occassion: Date night/special occasion
Can’t Miss: Tasting Menu

Astrid Y Gaston

Sweets: Manolo (repeat spot!)
Cuisine: Traditional Eatery & Dessert
Vibe: Come One Come All
Occassion: Quick bite or sweet tooth
Can’t Miss: All the Churros

Manolo

Breakfast: Haiti
Cuisine: Full Service Cafe
Vibe: Come One Come All
Occassion: breakfast/family-friendly
Speciality: Huevos
Can’t Miss: Crepes
Tip: A bit touristy, but a place you can count on to be open on holidays

Haiti

Can’t Miss Restaurants in Barranco

Dinner: Isolina Taberna
Cuisine: Traditional Peruvian Comfort Food
Noteworthy: No. 21 Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017
Vibe: Casual Dining
Occassion: Family-friendly/special occasion/business event/date night
Can’t Miss: Peruvian-Asian Spaghetti

Isolina

Bar: Ayahuasca Resto Lounge
Cuisine: Go for the Drinks and Atmosphere
Vibe: Chic
Occassion: nightcap/club/bar/business event/ date night
Can’t Miss: Pisco Sour y Ayahuasca Sour

Ayahuasca Resto Bar

Can’t Miss Restaurants in La Molina – 

45 minute drive from Mira Flores

Dinner: OSSO
Cuisine: Premium Cuts of Meat (Butcher Shop & Sit-Down Restaurant)
Noteworthy: No 12 Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017
Vibe: Casual Dining
Occassion: date night/family-friendly/business event/special occasion
Can’t Miss: Wagyu aged 160 days

Osso Butcher Shop & Restaurant

Can’t Miss Restaurants in Cusco –  

1 hour flight from Lima

Dinner: Chicha
Vibe: Moderately Sophisticated Dining
Occassion: Acclimating post-Machu Picchu/date night/special occasion/business event/family-friendly
Can’t Miss: Octopus and Chocolate Balloon

Chicha

Dinner: Limbus Resto Bar
Cuisine: dinner and drinks
Vibe: Chic  (very chill lounge)
Occassion: date night/hang out with friends
Can’t Miss: Peruvian Craft Beer & roof deck views of Cusco

Limbus Resto Bar

Breakfast or Lunch: Cicciolina
Cuisine: Tapas & Breakfast Cafe
Vibe: Casual Dining
Occassion: breakfast/date/special occasion/work event
Can’t Miss: Assorted Pastry Basket & Huevos on Toast

Cicciolina

Can’t Miss Restaurants in Machu Picchu –

1 hour by plane from Lima + 5 hours by train from Cusco

Breakfast: La Cabana Restaurant
Cuisine: Traditional Breakfast
Vibe: Casual Dining
Occassion: Fueling up for trekking Machu Picchu
Can’t Miss: Huevos Scrambled

La Cabana Restaurant

Dinner: The Tree House (no known website)
Cuisine: Peruvian-International Fusion
Vibe: Casual Dining
Occassion: Decompressing after trekking Machu Picchu/ date night
Can’t Miss: Kuchi Ribs & Seasonal Desserts

The Tree House

Take this guide with you as you embark on your travels to Peru. Better yet, plan an entire excursion to Peru based entirely upon the availability of these restaurants. The convenience of it all is that the majority of the “can’t miss” spots are all located within Mira Flores and even the outliers in La Molina (45 min by car) and Cusco (1 hour from Lima by plane) as well as Machu Picchu (1 hour by plane + 5 hours by train) are absolutely worth the effort.  Peru is a best kept secret along the way of perfect cuisine, perfect weather, perfect adventure, wonderful people and an amazingly diverse ecosystem.  The exchange rate as of April 25, 2017 between the Sol (PEN) and USD is 1 PEN to .31 USD.  The USD buys 69% more goods and services on a relative basis. Now is a great time to take advantage of the exchange rate – Tasting Menus just became extremely affordable hence the reason we set up home base in Peru for almost an entire month.

Thanks for reading.

E & B Woodward
Tastemakers for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
Fine Dining Lovers Across 5 Continents:
Africa, Australia, North America, South America, Europe

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