Peruvian food has become rightly famous around the world in the last decade or so. An incredible fusion of the best of the Pacific Rim has to offer with strong influences from a large number of Japanese immigrants and great fishing, here’s our guide to the Top 5 Best Premium restaurants in Lima.
1. Astrid & Gaston
The godfathers of Peru’s New Andean Cuisine and founders of an enterprise that nowadays consists of cookbooks, culinary TV shows and restaurants across the world. Widely known, being a foodie you knew this one was coming. Meeting his wife Astrid in Paris where Gaston Acurio originally went to study medicine, but transferred to the famous Cordon Blue culinary academy after discovering his love for food. The couple specializes in mixing French techniques with classic Peruvian ingredients.
The restraint works with a tasting menu, one for the summer and one for the winter season. ‘El Viaje’ is the title of the latest winter tasting menu, the one for winter 2013. El Viaje tells the story of two remote villages which are brought together by fate. It is the story of tens of thousands of men and women, children of Liguria, who for various reasons chose to emigrate to Peru and from there initiated a brotherly embrace of cultural integration that gradually gave life to a new world of Italian memories and Peruvian soul. The story is told through a dining experience of a long sequence of courses, divided into five acts. During each of the five acts, the dishes, music, clothing, decoration, tableware and the book that accompanies the experience, will narrate the turning points that define this life journey.
‘El Viaje: A story of flavors, daring and brotherhood.’
Regularly rated among the world’s top restaurants by any number of foodie authorities. Be sure to have your Travel Specialist arranging your dinner at Astrid & Gaston Lima with sufficient anticipation.
2. La Mar
The best place to eat the national dish of Cebiche, as well as a host of other daily fresh fish courses. We recommend selecting sampling platters allowing you to try several variations of the famous local dishes ‘ceviche’ and causa’. Tess from our Marketing team visited La Mar last weekend and this is exactly what she and her boyfriend ordered. These are her comments on the tasting dishes they ordered:
The tuna ceviche with soya and tamarind sauce was surprisingly fresh and had a very unique flavor! Definitely my favorite ceviche! As for the ‘causas’ they all blew my mind, each one has something unique and the presentation on top of a fishermen boat was just perfect.
Order the Suspiro Limeno in case there’s still room or a sweet tooth for a typical Peruvian desert with a ‘La Mar’ touch!’
Part of the Astrid y Gaston (named above) empire and so popular it branded out with locations in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, this is the original.
NOTE: La Mar only opens for lunch and doesn’t accept reservations, so plan on including it during a day of leisure or a free afternoon in Lima. We advise to arrive just before opening – 12.00PM – or after ‘regular’ lunch time, which would be around 4.00PM in order to not spend too much time waiting for a table. In case you would end up waiting, order Pisco Sour and enjoy the people watching and hip atmosphere.
3. La Rosa Nautica
Location, location, location. Apart from the good food, this restaurant’s main draw is the incredibly beautiful and romantic setting on a pier extending from the Miraflores beach intro the Pacific Ocean. Just the entrance by itself feels majestic, with the lamps reflecting in the ocean, while walking on the pier to the entrance of the restaurant.
The chef’s tasting menu will give you the opportunity to taste several locally inspired dishes. All plates are perfectly presented with an explanation of your personal waiter. Expect the best of the best service in a restaurant that has one of the most unique locations of all restaurants in Lima.
4. Museo Larco Restaurant
After you’ve worked up a good appetite touring the largest collection of Pre Columbian art in the world, in the Museo Larco, it’s now time to prepare yourself for a treat – for both the eyes and taste buds. This museum cafe offers so much more than the typical café and pastries, its boasts a full menu that means to rival top spots in Lima. The food is comprised of a nice array of small bites, main entrees and delectable desserts so you can create just the post museum experience you seek.
The setting in the charming courtyard will make you want to linger long after the meal is finished. Class Adventure Travel includes a local Peruvian tasting menu in their Lima Culinary Tours.
5. Matsuei
No visit to Lima’s best restaurants would be complete without the greatest sushi bar in Peru and probably South America. Around for almost 30 years and still going strong, the restaurant was founded by Nobuyuki Matsushisa, who later partnered up with Robert de Niro amongst others to open up the Nobu chain of restaurants in place as diverse as New York and St. Moritz.
Matsuei is one of Lima’s best Japanese restaurants and specialized in sushi and sashimi.
The best newcomer – ámaZ
Let’s mix it up a bit and throw in this gem of a find. Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino worked for over a decade to bring the techniques and flavors of the Amazon to the Lima scene. He’s done just that with ámaZ, a restaurant that’s just celebrated its first anniversary, but looks to be in it for the long haul. You’ll sample dishes comprised of ingredients straight from the rainforest, prepared in the traditional area techniques. It’s a uniquely exciting experience that’s sure to complete your Lima visit.
Exprience many excellent restaurants, tastings and food markets during Class Adventure Travel’s culinary tours in Lima. Peru’s capital is considered the culinary capital of South America and it as a wealth of premium restaurants to choose from. Your Travel Specialist is more than happy to make any restaurant reservations during your culinary Lima stay.
Photo credits:
Amaz – Peru Delights
La Rosa Nautica – La Rosa Nautica Restaurante
Museo Larco Bar Restaurant – Museo Larco Cafe Restaurant