14 Best Restaurants in Lima, Peru

ámaZ

$$$ | Miraflores Fodor's choice
Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino (of Malabar fame) spent years exploring the Peruvian Amazon and experimenting with its ingredients before opening this low-key Miraflores bistro. The result is a world-class eatery that lets you experience the flavors of the rainforest without leaving the urban jungle. His versions of traditional dishes such as patarashca (catfish fillet cooked in a bijau leaf) or tacacho (fried plantain-and-smoked-pork balls) are excellent but so are inventions like chunks of paiche (an Amazon fish) stewed in coconut milk. Choose between the dark dining room in back or a brighter front room hemmed by foliage and tropical colors.
Peruvian Lunch Dinner $$$ Fodor's Choice
Av. La Paz 1079, Lima, Lima, 18, Peru
01-221–9393
amaz.com.pe
Known For
  • inventive Amazonian dishes
  • nine-dish "abruta fiesta" menu
  • upscale, eclectic environment
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.

Amoramar

$$$ | Barranco Fodor's choice

Amoramar doesn't look like much from the street, but step through the door, and you'll discover an oasis of poinciana trees in a restored adobe house. Seafood dominates the menu, with a selection ranging from the traditional pulpo a la parrilla to creative recipes such as atún saltado (tuna strips sautéed with onions and aji peppers), chaufa de quinua (vegetarian stir-fry with quinoa), and canilla de cordero (roast lamb in a mild chili sauce).

Arrive and leave by taxi at night.

Peruvian Lunch Dinner $$$ Fodor's Choice
Jr. García y García 175, Lima, Lima, 04, Peru
01-619–9595
www.amoramar.com
Known For
  • excellent seafood
  • eclectic dining setting
  • scrumptious pastel de choclo con mariscos (corn pudding with seafood)
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed 4–8 pm. No dinner Sun.

La Mar

$$$ | Miraflores Fodor's choice

Chef Gastón Acurio's reinvention of the traditional cebichería is one of Lima's most popular lunch spots. The décor is minimal, but the menu offers a kaleidoscopic selection of delectable seafood dishes. Start by sharing a degustación de cebiche (various types of fish or seafood marinated in lime juice) or a chalana de causas (various mashed-potato appetizers with seafood-and-mayonnaise fillings). Then try the picante de mariscos (sautéed seafood in a spicy cream sauce) or one of the catches of the day. The servings tend to be large, so you may want to share.

The place doesn't take reservations, so arrive before 1 or you'll wait an hour for a table.

Seafood Lunch $$$ Fodor's Choice
Av. La Mar 770, Lima, Lima, 18, Peru
01-421–3365
www.lamarcebicheria.com
Known For
  • amazing seafood
  • bustling atmosphere
  • large shareable portions
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner, Credit cards accepted, Reservations not accepted

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Brujas de Cachiche

$$$ | Miraflores

Though its name evokes folklore, "Witches of Cachiche" is an elegant, modern spot that offers variations on traditional Peruvian cuisine. Delicacies include as corvina en salsa de camarones (sea bass in a roasted-crayfish sauce) or cabrito a la norteña (stewed kid). The lunch buffet is an opportunity to sample an array of local dishes. An extensive wine list features top South American vintages.

The cozy bar in back is a good spot for appetizers or a light meal in the early evening, when most restaurants are closed.

Cala

$$$ | Barranco

One of Lima's surprisingly few waterfront dining options, Cala has an impressive selection of dishes to complement its ocean vistas. The Peruvian-fusion cuisine ranges from crab ravioli in seafood soup to quinoa-crusted salmon and tenderloin with mushrooms, quinoa, and spinach. You can also order from the sushi bar. The dining room is upstairs, with a wall of glass on the ocean side and tables on a narrow balcony above the rocky beach.

Lunch Dinner $$$ Seafood
Circuito de las Playas, Lima, Lima, 04, Peru
01-477–2020
www.calarestaurante.com
Known For
  • great seafood and sushi bar
  • ocean vistas
  • well-stocked bar
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations essential

El Mercado

$$$ | Miraflores
Cebiches and tiraditos made with sustainably sourced fish are the focus at this hot new seafood emporium from Rafael Osterling (of Rafael fame). The open kitchen and interior-patio design complement the lightness of the recipes, which frequently incorporate Asian accents. Don't overlook the cooked dishes: the pulpo a la parrilla (grilled octopus) is ridiculously good.

El Señorío de Sulco

$$$ | Miraflores

Owner Isabel Álvarez has authored several cookbooks on traditional Peruvian cuisine, which is the specialty here. Start with one of various cebiches or chupe de camarones (a creamy river-prawn soup) if in season, then move on to arroz con pato (rice and duck with a splash of dark beer) or huatia sulcana (a traditional beef stew).

Weekend lunch buffets offer an excellent opportunity to sample a variety of Peruvian dishes.

Peruvian Lunch Dinner $$$
Malecón Cisneros 1470, Lima, Lima, 18, Peru
01-441–0389
www.senoriodesulco.com
Known For
  • cebiche
  • traditional food
  • good service
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Credit cards accepted

Huaca Pucllana Restaurante

$$$ | Miraflores

The view of the adjacent, 1,500-year-old, pre-Inca ruins is reason enough to dine at Huaca Pucllana, but the sumptuous Peruvian and international cuisine is a close second. The best tables are outside, with a view of the ruins, which are spectacularly floodlit at night.

You can combine dinner with a 40-minute guided tour of the pyramids from 7 to 10 pm, except on Tuesday.

The Peruvian-fusion menu includes treats such as grilled alpaca in a mustard sauce with corn soufflé and paiche (an Amazon fish) with Brazil-nut flakes and a spicy cocona (jungle fruit) sauce.

Peruvian Lunch Dinner $$$
Cl. General Borgoño at Cl. Ayacucho, Lima, Lima, 18, Peru
01-445–4042
www.resthuacapucllana.com
Known For
  • priceless view of pre-Inca ruins
  • quality Peruvian cuisine
  • yummy desserts
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed 4–7 pm, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential

Isolina Taberna Peruana

$$$ | Barranco
Meat lovers wait in line here for a chance to savor chef José del Castillo's slow-cooked osso buco, seco de asado de tira (short-rib stew), or costillar de cerdo a la chorrillana (crispy pork ribs with tomatoes and onions). It's the kind of food Peruvians have eaten for centuries, impeccably prepared and served in a tavern setting. The menu also includes sangrecita (blood sausage), hígado (liver), mondonguito (tripe stew), and other delicacies. Most plates hold enough food for several people, so share or order a half portion. Starters include some tasty seafood dishes.
Peruvian Lunch Dinner $$$
Av. San Martín 101, Lima, Lima, 04, Peru
01-247–5075
isolina.pe
Known For
  • traditional meat dishes
  • big portions
  • great lomo saltado
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.

La Picantería

$$$ | Miraflores
Located just steps outside Miraflores near the Mercado No. 1 in Surquillo, this rustic tavern harkens back to Peru's picanterías (country restaurants) of old. The drill is simple: you sit down on one of the wooden benches, you choose your fish (or shellfish), and you tell the waiter how you want it prepared. Fried, grilled, as a cebiche, or as a delicious sudado (soup) or estofado (stew): it's all good. The menu has a few landlubber entrees, but make no mistake: it's the seafood that makes this joint a regular on 50 Best lists.
Peruvian Lunch $$$
Cl. Francisco Moreno 388, Lima, Lima, Peru
01-241–6676
www.picanteriasdelperu.com
Known For
  • fresh-off-the-dock seafood
  • traditional country hospitality
  • great beef ribs
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner. Closed Sun.

La Tiendecita Blanca

$$$ | Miraflores

This old-fashioned Swiss eatery first flung open its doors in 1936, and little has changed since. It still serves a selection of quality European and Peruvian cuisine in a refined atmosphere, with ornately painted wooden details on the doors and along the ceiling that evoke the Old Country. Rösti (grated potatoes with bacon and cheese) and three kinds of fondue are among the traditional Swiss options. The kitchen also offers three-course meals, and the glass case is filled with eye-popping pastries. The front terrace, which faces the busy Óvalo de Miraflores, is a great people-watching spot.

Lima 27

$$$

This dark-gray mansion with a bright red foyer looks like Dracula's love shack at night, but inside you'll find a chic lounge and two elegant dining rooms. Local epicureans gather here to savor a creative fusion of Peruvian and continental cuisine, from cabrito loche (roast kid with squash ravioli) to atún costra (tuna in a sesame-pepper crust) to gnocchis crocantes (crispy gnocchi smothered in a mushroom-and-artichoke-heart ragout). The back terrace, hemmed by a wall of greenery, becomes a lively bar scene as the night progresses.

Matsuei

$$$ | Miraflores

The sushi chefs shout out a greeting as you enter the teak-floored dining room of this Miraflores standout, which dates back over 50 years. The kitchen specializes in sushi and sashimi, but if raw is not your thing, there's also plenty of hot food such as tempuras, teriyakis, and kushiyaki, a broiled chicken fillet with ginger sauce. The emphasis here is on traditional Japanese cooking, rather than Peruvian Nikkei.

Japanese Lunch Dinner $$$
Cl. Atahuapa 195, Lima, Lima, 27, Peru
981-310–180
matsueiperu.com.pe
Known For
  • ancestral Japanese cooking
  • super-fresh seafood
  • scrumptious stir-fried rice
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Credit cards accepted

Rafael

$$$ | Miraflores

This small corner house seems inconspicuous, but at mealtimes it's invariably packed with foodies feasting on Rafael Osterling's culinary creations. One of Lima's best chefs, Osterling mixes Peruvian, Mediterranean, and Asian influences in a menu brimming with innovation. There are plenty of pastas, such as gnocchi in a shrimp, scallop, and squid pesto, but the eclectic carta ranges from fish curry to roast suckling pig.

If you don't have a reservation, you may be able to grab a small table in the bar.