19 Best Restaurants in Lima, Peru

The beach-shack decor at this family-run cebichería leaves no doubt as to the eatery's focus: fresh-caught seafood at budget-friendly prices. You can't go wrong with any of the cebiches or tiraditos, but an even better option is to put together a combo that mixes cebiche with a cooked-seafood dish like chaufa de mariscos (seafood fried rice). Don't overlook the hearty soups redolent of fish, crab, and shrimp: they're among the kitchen's many fortes. In the fierce battle royale that is Lima's restaurant scene, this joint punches way above its weight.

Set in a colonial finca (farm house) that dates from 1780, this Lima institution offers some of the heartiest down-home cooking in the entire capital. Criollo classics such as seco de cabrito and costillas de cerdo con tacu-tacu (ribs with pan-fried rice and beans) are especially well done, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a weak spot anywhere on the extensive menu. After 11 pm on weekends, the back room turns into a festive dance hall.

Chalaco is an affectionate appellative for natives of Callao, Lima's rough-and-tumble port, and this lively seafood stand is chef Gastón Acurio's love song to the district's culinary heritage. As always, Acurio's genius is evident in the menu's mix of tradition and creative flair: jalea chalaca throws together fried fish, two types of squid, and abundant pickled onions, while the unusual tiradito chucuito combines raw fish, olives, and avocado in a Parmesan-based broth. Don't overlook the piqueos: the seafood empanadas and croquettes are heavenly. At this point, Acurio has shown that when it comes to showcasing the gastronomy of ordinary Peruvians, there's nothing he can't do. 

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.

Long lines outside this wildly popular chain, whose name translates to "Seven Soups," are an indicator of just how avid limeños are to slurp up its hearty broths. Those craving something more filling than the rotating soups of the day can also try the pollo a la brasa (chargrilled chicken), pastas, and other Peruvian classics. Believe the hype: this place is worth the wait.

This Italian eatery is the place to head on a cool night, offering a rustic but warm ambience and great food. The extensive menu includes a wide array of salads and fresh pastas served with your choice of a dozen sauces, but Antica is best known for its pizza: more than 50 different kinds baked in a wood-fired oven.

The San Isidro branch of this restaurant, located on Avenida Dos de Mayo, offers an even cozier atmosphere.

This open-air eatery in Parque Intihuatana is a great spot to grab a crepe, coffee, or fresh juice. Sit at one of the tables that line the back of the park for a sweeping ocean view. There are other branches around the city, including one at Parque del Amor.

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.

The green-and-white-striped awning ensures that you won't miss this café, which is a favorite among young couples and harried parents with children in tow. Although its menu includes pastas, sandwiches, and economical lunch specials, most people come here for one thing: ice cream. The more than 50 varieties of gelato include sassy tropical flavors like tamarind, coco (coconut), and the local fruits chirimoya and lucuma.

This is a good spot for a break after visiting the nearby archaeological site of Huaca Pucllana.

Don't let the unremarkable facade fool you: the food at this historic chifa can hold its own with the best in Lima's Barrio Chino. Soups are a standout, as are delicacies such as chancho asado (roast pork) and pato al ajo (garlic duck). Locals typically refer to this joint as "Chifa Unión," after the street on which it's located.

Just when you thought Gastón Acurio couldn't possibly do anything more for his country's gastronomy, he opened this nostalgic homenaje to Peru's home cooking of yesteryear. In a corner tavern filled with dark wood and old photos, he polls his customers on their favorite dishes from their childhoods, and then makes them new. Oven-baked chicken with papa a la huancaína, juicy meatballs like grandma used to make: it's all here. This is his love letter to Peru's common people, at prices just about everyone can afford.

Born in a run-down barrio in central Lima in 1960, this chain of sandwich shops has exploded in recent years to become a Peruvian institution. It's a business that focuses all its energies on a single goal: making first-rate chicharrón (fried pork) and turkey sandwiches slathered with zarza criolla. The result is a shining example of Peruvians' genius for turning humble ingredients into culinary art. Look for other locations in Miraflores and Barranco.

On a quiet street a block and a half from the busy intersection of Avenidas Larco and Benavides, this small restaurant in a renovated house is known for its southern Italian cuisine. The Peruvian owner worked at one of Miami's best Italian eateries before setting up shop in Miraflores. The menu includes pasta dishes such as linguine in pesto with gamberi (shrimp), a small selection of risottos, and traditional osso buco. The restaurant recently added a handful of Peruvian specialties, but don't be fooled: Italian cuisine is still the star here.

Peru's sandwiches haven't yet attained the iconic status of Mexico's tortas or Louisiana's po' boys, but the revolution is coming. You can see what the fuss is about at this wildly successful Lima chain, which has branches all over the city, and whose Parque Kennedy outpost is inevitably thronged by nighttime partygoers looking to chow down. Here it pays to stick with the classics: chicharrón or lechón a la leña (wood-fired ham) both come heaped with zarza criolla, and the accompanying fries made with huayra potatoes are a revelation. Makes you wonder how the McDonald's up the street stays open.

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.

Generous portions of quality seafood at reasonable prices are the reason there's usually a line at this Miraflores standby. Classic Peruvian fare such as cebiche, arroz con mariscos, and parihuela keep the locals coming back. The kitchen also offers some original concoctions, such as fettuccine in a huancaína sauce with spicy panko shrimp. Unlike many Lima cebicherías, this place stays open for through dinnertime.

Hearty, no-frills criollo cooking in classy digs: that's what this wildly popular downtown eatery is all about. Seafood and piqueos (appetizer samplers) are standouts, but those looking for something lighter will find a broad array of soups and sandwiches. The muted, upscale ambience, in particular, is a welcome refuge from the chaos of Lima's Centro.

The best chifa in Chinatown, Wa Lok is known for such memorable dishes as calamares rellenos (shrimp-stuffed squid tempura), taipá (wok-fried chicken, pork, shrimp, and vegetables), and pato pekinés (Peking duck). It's best to go with a group and share, or ask for half orders. Vegetarians can choose from more than 30 dishes. The surrounding neighborhood is sketchy after dark, so at dinnertime you're better off heading to the Miraflores branch, on the corner of Avenida Angamos Oeste and Calle Arica.