9 Best Restaurants in Lima, Peru

Situated on a quiet Miraflores side street, and featuring a wood-burning oven and a cozy lounge where locals linger over cocktails late into the evening, this understated eatery serves up comfort food, Gastón Acurio style. Nearly everything on the menu is good, but standouts include the anticuchos (kebablike skewers, usually of beef hearts, but here also with more imaginative options such as swordfish) and codillo de cerdo crocante, pig's knuckles with meat so juicy you won’t need the accompanying zarza criolla. Go late at night, when the mood is mellow and romantic.

Sequestered inside the walls of the colonial palace that houses the Museo Larco, this is one of the most charming places in Lima to enjoy a meal. The Peruvian-fusion menu offers everything from empanadas to ravioli stuffed with squash to beef with wild mushroom sauce. Tables on the terrace overlook a lush garden with blazing bougainvillea, ancient statues, and tinajas—Peruvian amphorae.

Owner Isabel Álvarez has authored several cookbooks on traditional Peruvian cuisine, which is the specialty here. Start with one of several cebiches or the 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).

The sushi chefs shout out a greeting as you enter the teak-floored dining room of this Miraflores standout, which dates back to the early '70s. 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.

At this bistro run by an Australian Peruvian couple, the emphasis is on sustainable, locally sourced, organic ingredients. Lofty sentiments, to be sure—but it also helps that this pair can really cook. Their cebiche is a fresh take on a criollo classic, combining bonito with avocado, pickled papaya, and watermelon, while the pulpo mediterráneo features octopus tentacles atop a bed of ratatouille and rustic potatoes. Vegan-friendly options abound, as do scrumptious desserts.

This vast, whitewashed restaurant with a laid-back vibe is popular with limeños, who flock here for its inventive recipes and fresh seafood. The name is a play on the Spanish term for the seven deadly sins, and gula (gluttony) is one of many sins worth committing here—think fettuccine with a mix of scallops, shrimp, and squid in a spicy cream sauce. Another is avaricia, or covetousness: the paiche (jungle fish) fillet served with tacacho quinoa and the salad made of cecina and chonta (smoked pork and heart of palm) will have your palate lusting. Forget morality, and just dig in!

On a sunny afternoon, the view of the malecón and its graceful paragliders from the upper floors of this restaurant is as good as the food—which is excellent. Dishes include classic cebichería fare such as tiradito criollo (thin slices of marinated fish in a yellow-pepper sauce), conchitas a la parmesana (scallops on the half-shell smothered in garlic and toasted cheese), or pescado a la chorrillana (fish fillet in a tomato, onion, and chili broth). Piqueos, platters of appetizers, are fun to share. This place has another, less crowded (but also less scenic) location on Avenida Conquistadores in San Isidro. Arrive before 1 to get a window table.

This small corner house is inconspicuous at first glance, 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.