A food lover’s guide to Lima: What and where to eat on your next trip to Peru
Are you the type of traveler who puts food high on your list of must-dos? Do you enjoy seeking out the most memorable culinary experiences that a destination has to offer? Then you need to plan a trip to Lima, Peru’s capital and one of the planet’s premier foodie epicenters.
In recent years, Peruvian food has become incredibly popular. You may have already seen trendy Peruvian restaurants popping up in your hometown or other cities you’ve traveled to. But Lima remains the best place in the world to explore and savor the breadth and depth of Peruvian cuisine. We consider food among the most compelling reasons why you should travel to Lima. With its bustling markets, exciting street food, educational (and tasty) cooking classes, and award-winning restaurants, Lima has everything to satisfy a traveling gourmand. And our Peru tours are jam-packed with thrilling activities that will satiate every craving while giving you an insightful look at Peruvian food’s history, tradition, and flavors.
Fun Fact: Did you know that three restaurants on the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 list are in Lima? That should be reason enough to pack your bags—but before you go, here’s our mouthwatering guide to everything you need to know about Lima’s food scene.
What is Peruvian food?
You may have heard of (and tasted) ceviche, Peru’s national dish. It’s a refreshing, flavorful seafood staple beloved all over the world. It’s believed that the first ceviche was made in Peru about 2,000 years ago, when fish was marinated and lightly cooked in the juice of a tumbo, a type of passionfruit native to South America. On our Lima tours today, you’ll find countless iterations of the ceviche that reflects the vastness of the modern Peruvian kitchen. Cultures from all over have come to shape the way Peruvians cook and eat. The Andean, African, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and Latino communities in Peru have all contributed to the comida criolla, or creole food, that we know as Peruvian cuisine now.
Because of this immense diversity, it’s almost impossible to categorize Peruvian cuisine. There’s not one element or characteristic that is emblematically Peruvian. You’re just as likely to find seafood as you are meat, but there are also great veggie-forward dishes. (Did you know that there are 4,000 species of potatoes in Peru, and more than 50 varieties of corn?) The fruits of the country’s land and sea provide a fantastic foundation. And the many different cultures that have found themselves in Peru have added their own unique twists on what you can do with these ingredients. So, the best thing to do on a Lima tour is to have an adventurous palate, and try every fruit, vegetable, and dish that you come across. Because whether you’re on our brand-new Ecuador & Peru: The Galápagos, Cuzco & Machu Picchu tour or our Peru for Solo Travelers: Lima, Cuzco & Machu Picchu tour, food will play an important role in your experience.
What are some iconic Peruvian dishes you can try in Lima?
Our Ancient Peru & Machu Picchu tour starts in Lima, and right away, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for an immersive dining experience that celebrates traditional Peruvian cuisine. You’ll get to learn about and dig into some of the country’s most important culinary staples. But we bet you’d want to come prepared, so here’s a quick rundown of Lima’s food and drink to know ahead of your trip. Note that these are just some of the most popular, but you’ll come across many more dishes that you’ll likely fall in love with on your trip to Peru.
- Lomo saltado. This hearty stir-fry mixes strips of beef sirloin with tomatoes, onions, and fries. It’s usually served with white rice, too, so it’s definitely fortifying. It’s one of the most common examples of chifa cuisine, or the fusion of Peruvian and Chinese culinary traditions that blossomed as a result of Chinese immigration to Peru in the 1800s.
- Ceviche. The simplest definition of ceviche is simply cubes of fish marinated in an acid, like lime juice. But depending on which Peru restaurant you go to and who is preparing it, a ceviche can take on many forms. At a Nikkei restaurant (Nikkei is the name for Japanese-Peruvian food), a ceviche might feature more traditional Japanese ingredients, like wasabi. On our Grand Tour of Peru: Machu Picchu to Lake Titicaca, you’ll get the chance to make your own ceviche during a cooking class in Lima.
- Causa. One of our favorite foods from Peru is causa, a type of casserole in which mashed potato is layered with veggies, seafood, and meat. Some may have eggs and avocado, while others might be spiked with spicy chilies.
- Anticucho. A popular street food, anticucho are skewered and grilled meats that have been enjoyed in Peru for centuries, way before the colonial period. Traditionally, the meat used are tender beef hearts, but today, you can find vendors all over Lima preparing anticucho with different cuts of various meat. On our Peru for Solo Travelers: Lima, Cuzco & Machu Picchu, there’s an optional street food excursion where you and your new travel friends can bond over trying anticucho.
- Cuy. In the Andes, cuy, or guinea pig, is a popular food source. And all over Peru, including in Lima, you’ll spot many cuyerias, or restaurants that specialize in serving all sorts of cuy preparations. Some are grilled, some are fried, and some are baked.
- Chaufa. Another example of Chinese-Peruvian cuisine is chaufa, a fried rice that combines bell peppers, soy sauce, egg, and any type of meat, which can be omitted if you’d prefer a vegetarian version.
- Pisco sour. You’ll need something to drink with all these delectable dishes. And in Peru, that means a pisco sour, the country’s national drink. It’s a tart cocktail featuring pisco, a brandy that hasn’t been aged. It’s said that the first pisco sour was invented in Lima in the 1920s. During the optional Traditional Peruvian Dinner in Lima on our Ecuador & Peru: The Galápagos, Cuzco & Machu Picchu tour, you can learn how to mix this iconic local drink.
Where to eat the best Peruvian cuisine in Lima?
Our Lima tours will give you plenty of opportunity to sample different foods from Peru. But when exploring on your own, here are some suggestions for where you can try to deepen your love affair with Peruvian cuisine.
- Central. A longstanding stalwart of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants lineup (holding the number one spot multiple times), chef Virgilio Martínez’s destination restaurant Central is such a draw that visitors to Lima book reservations months ahead of their trip. At Martínez’s Central restaurant in Lima, the tasting menu—which can feature nearly 20 different courses—is a journey through the massive Peruvian food universe. Expect to try it all, including species of potatoes you may have never heard of.
- Maido. The highest ranked Peruvian restaurant in 2024’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants, at number five, Maido celebrates the fullness of Nikkei cuisine. Here, you can find fantastic ceviche preparations as well as the most tender short rib dish you may ever try; it’s cooked for 50 hours.
- Al Toke Pez. Beloved as one of Lima’s best seafood and ceviche spots since opening in 2011, Al Toke Pez is a modest stop in an out-of-the-way location, but locals and visitors alike swear by the quality. Not only can you get great ceviche here, but you can also try tiradito (raw fish sliced into thin strips) and chicha morada (a sweet drink made from purple corn). If it’s traditional Peruvian food you’re after, you must add Al Toke Pez to your list of where to eat in Lima.
- La Mar. If you prefer a fine-dining take on the cevicheria experience, try to get a seat at La Mar, which is nothing short of a global icon. Its founder, chef Gastón Acurio, is largely considered the godfather of Peruvian food. And at La Mar, in Lima’s fancy Miraflores neighborhood, you’ll understand why: Open only for lunch to ensure freshness, La Mar serves the most creative takes on ceviche. You’ll have plenty to choose from, plus a few different twists on the pisco sour to make it the complete Peruvian food fantasy.
- Surquillo Market. Street food enthusiasts looking for an off-the-beaten-path food experience should explore the many stalls of Surquillo Market, where you’ll rub elbows with locals stocking up on the week’s groceries. You’ll find vendors selling every imaginable fruit and vegetable that grows in Peru. You may want to stock up on tropical treats to eat during your Peru tour. But there’s also an area dedicated to eateries serving classic Peruvian food, from causa to lomo saltado.
Do we have you craving a trip to Lima? Peruse our Peru tours now and you’re one step closer to the feast of a lifetime.
