Restaurants and Typical Food

Lima's menus offer a wide variety of dishes from all parts of the world as well as the more select dishes of Peruvian cuisine, amongst the best in the world.

Whoever comes to Lima cannot leave without trying its "criollo" (traditional) food; particularly its many dishes based on fish and shellfish, which magnificently combine flavors and aromas beyond imagining. Ceviche, raw fish marinated in lemon juice and seasoned with chili, is the most representative of all Peruvian seafood dishes. Other favorites are the "jalea" (deep fried mixed fish and shellfish) and "tiradito", (strips of fish marinated in lemon juice, similar to ceviche) and "coctel de camarones" (shrimp cocktail).

Other jewels of "criollo" food are lomo saltado (stir fried pork and vegetables), carapulcra (a type of potato and meat stew), arroz con pato (duck cooked with rice), cau cau (tripe and vegetable stew) and anticuchos (barbecued pieces of meat, chicken or fish on a skewer). Desserts such as arroz con leche (rice pudding), mazamorra morada (a purple coloured jelly), suspiros a la limena (a sticky sweet classic pudding), picarones (deep friend pumpkin and sweet potato doughnuts eaten dipped in sugar cane syrup) and turron de Dona Pepa (a multi coloured cake). All these dishes are delicious enough to satisfy even the most demanding of tastes.

In Lima you will find excellent restaurants specializing in Chinese food; better known in Peru as 'chifas'. Chinese cuisine, which reached the City of the Kings with the first Asians who came to work in the haciendas close to the capital during the last century, has mixed in many cases with Peruvian cuisine, to create unique dishes such as Arroz Chaufa (stir fried rice).

One can also enjoy French, Italian, Japanese, Arab, and Argentine cuisine as well as a wide variety of international dishes at excellent restaurants within the 3 to 5-star category.

Recommended Lima Restaurants:

Restaurant	Description	Picture
PERUVIAN FOOD (CREOLE CUISINE)
Brujas de Cachiche Av. Bolognesi 460, Miraflores Monday to Saturday: 12:30pm - 12:30am Sunday: 12m - 5pm	The mystery of the south joined to the varied creole peruvian cuisine is presented in one the most complete buffets in Lima.
José Antonio Bernardo Monteaguo 200, San Isidro Monday to Sunday: 12:30 - 4pm / 7:30 - 12pm	A good election to taste the flavors of creole peruvian cuisine. If it is the first time you visit a peruvian restaurant , we recommend you to ask "Jos? Antonio piqueo" which is a selection of creole peruvian dishes. Ad don't forget to enjoy our native Pisco Sour.
Señorio de Sulco Malecón Cisneros 1470, Miraflores Monday to Saturday: 12m - 12pm Sunday: Just lunch time.	A beautiful restaurant rustically decorated that offers peruvian cuisine dishes prepared with ancient recipes recovered from pre-hispanic time.
Zeñó Manue Av. Dos de Mayo 598, Miraflores Monday to Saturday: 12m - 4:30pm / 7 - 11pm Sunday 12m - 5pm	Specialized restaurant in the ancient peruvian creole cuisine. At night the restaurant becomes a piano bar. Saturday and Sundays it offers an outstanding creole cuisine buffet and presents a folkloric show.
INTERNATIONAL CUISINE
La Gloria Atahualpa 201, Miraflores	La Gloria is a restaurant where you can really eat well and enjoy the best martini in town. The menu is very varied and conteins delicious and well prepared international dishes.
Bohemia Miraflores, Av. Santa Cruz 805 Lima: Pasaje Santa Rosa 140 y Paseo de los Escribanos. Surco: C.C. El Polo 706	It has an excellent cuisine, a first class service and a very familiar and funny environment. This restaurant has become one of the most popular at the time of going out in Lima. It has a large bar where a great variaty of drinks are served. It also has an exhibition room where different kind of pieces of art are shown. It's advisable to arrive early in order to avoid waiting.
SEA FOOD
Costa Verde Playa Barranquito, Miraflores	One of the few places that mantains the delicated and exquisite peruvian recipes flavor. It offers the excelent service that you deserve. Winner of Record Guinness because of its variaty of buffet dishes.
La Rosa Naútica Espigón 4 Circuito de Playas, Miraflores	Try the delicated sea food dishes and our native Pisco Sour while enjoying the beatiful sea view of Pacific Ocean in the most romantic place of peruvian coast.
MEATS AND BARBECUE
La Carreta Av. Rivera Navarrete 740, San Isidro Monday to Sunday: 12m - 12pm	The best place in Lima to enjoy all kind of meats and barbecue.
CHINESE FOOD
Restaurante Royal Av. Prescott 231, San Isidro	A cosy restaurant that offers authentic oriental food with a variaty of 342 dishes.
ITALIAN FOOD
Ristorante Il Postino Calle Colina 401, Miraflores Monday to Sunday: 1 - 3pm / 8 - 12pm	In this restaurant you can try all kind of pastas , fish, vegetables and desserts, all prepared mixing the modern and the traditional italian cuisine as if were made at home.
Trattoria Antica Av. 2 de Mayo 728-732, San Isidro Monday to Sunday: 12m a3.30pm y de 7pm a 11pm	This restaurant offers a warm and familiar environment with a large variaty of dishes specialized in pastas, pizzas and entries.
Trattoria di Mambrino Manuel Bonilla 106-8, Miraflores Monday to Friday: 1 - 4pm Saturday: 8 - 12pm Sunday: 1 - 6pm	An excellent place to eat a delicious paste in a nice and familiar environment. This restaurant is known as one of the best restaurants in the preparation of italian food. And don't forget to try the delicious handmade bread.
FRENCH FOOD
Astrid y Gastón Cantuarias 175, Miraflores Monday to Saturday: 1 - 3pm / 8 - 12pm	A first class restaurant that offers a large variety of dishes belonged to the 'nouvelle cuisine'. This restaurant has an elegant environment and an excellent service.

International cuisine is popular and available in the larger restaurants of Peru, but make sure you try the local dishes in the chicherias and picanterias. Spicy foods are arequipena or a la criolla,and ethnic cooking is more prevalent in the highlands.

Coffee and tea are served in mugs at the table, and you add your own milk or water. Order bottled water, either carbonated, or sin gas, non-carbonated. Imported and local soft drinks are popular. Try Inka Cola, a very sweet, golden colored soda. Juice is popular, and order it as jugo puro, plain juice.

Peruvian beer is very good. Wines are not as good as Chilean or Argentine wines, but Pisco is superb. Chicha is usually home-made and varies in potency.

Aguardiente is good, very potent and an acquired taste.

While in Peru, try these specialities:

Ceviche: cold raw seafood marinated in lemon juice, peppers and onions, served with cold potatoes
Lomo saltado: fried chopped steak with onions, tomatoes, potatoes and rice
Palta a la jardinera: avocado stuffed with cold vegetables or salad
Sopa a la criolla: roasted suckling pig
Escabeche: fish with onions, peppers, prawns, eggs and olives
Chupe de camarones: shrimp stew
Papa a la huancaina: potatoes with a spicy sauce and cheese
Causa: potatoes with lemons, peppers, hard-boiled eggs, olives, sweet potato, lettuce, cheese. Served with onion sauce.
Cuy: guinea pig
Anticucho de corazon: shish kebabs with beef hearts
Locro: soup with potatoes, corn and avocado
Rocoto relleno: green peppers stuffed with beef and vegetables
Choclo con queso: corn on the cob with melted cheese
Tamales: ground corn stuffed with meat or cheese then steamed in a leaf