110 Best Restaurants in Peru

Almost completely hidden in a small B&B down a dusty side street between Ica and Huacachina, this criollo restaurant still manages to draw a stream of customers. On the phenomenal menu, all the Peruvian national classics are present, but even better are the hard-to-find Southern Coast favorites like carapulcra with sopa seca (nutty pork-and-potato stew with green pasta), fish with pecan sauce, and beef with butter-bean tacu tacu. The attached guesthouse is so lovely that many diners end up staying the night. You won't find better eats anywhere in southern Peru.

Step through the unassuming doorway on Avenida La Marina, descend the long stairway to the dock, and a boat will ferry you to this floating, thatched-roof restaurant on the Itaya River. The setting is gorgeous, and they prepare excellent versions of traditional dishes such as patarashca (a fish fillet topped with herbs and garlic and roasted in a bijao leaf) and doncella (Amazon catfish) fillet à la loretana (in a mild chili sauce), as well as ample other intriguing favorites. Bring a bathing suit to lounge in the floating pool after your meal.

The family that owns this restaurant pours passion into their business and their excellent food, which is made using local ingredients that are carefully sourced in ways that lend poorer communities a helping hand. To ensure that everyone who walks in gains a little more understanding of Indigenous culture, the specialty here is meat prepared on stones that are full of nutritious, flavor-enhancing minerals. There are also veggie options and a daily menu.

The flagship restaurant of Peru's most celebrated chefs, spouses Gastón Acurio and Astrid Gutsche, occupies a meticulously restored colonial mansion named Casa Moreyra. Dishes are available à la carte, but the big event here is the 16-course, prix-fixe tasting menu, which takes you on a journey through Peru's culinary regions in the span of two hours. The menu changes with the seasons to ensure fresh ingredients, but expect a good mix of meat and seafood, plus a chocolate apocalypse at the end. Reserve tables at least two weeks ahead.

Even if you don't have a reservation, you can try to get a table on the patio, where you can order from the à la carte menu.

Dating from 1905, this venerable Lima institution has served up ham sandwiches and pisco sours to Peru's presidents for over a century. Every inch of the decor—the worn wooden bar, the old black-and-white photos, the well-stocked saloon shelves and cabinets—oozes history. Try the butifarra (marinated pork with zarza criolla, or pickled onions, on a homemade roll), or, if you're famished, the bistec con tacu-tacu (steak with pan-fried rice and beans).

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.

This funky, thatched-roof restaurant with river views in the back has one of Puerto Maldonado's best kitchens, offering up a wide variety of local favorites such as pollo con salsa de castañas (chicken in a Brazil-nut sauce), pescado en hoja (fish fillet cooked in a leaf), or lomo (grilled tenderloin) with tacacho (fried plantain balls) and ensalada de palmito (heart-of-palm salad). The environment is appropriately Amazonian, with Indigenous art on the walls.

Restaurantes populares—dining halls for ordinary folks—offer some of Peru's best eats, and no place better epitomizes this than this wildly popular seafood joint occupying a tiny stall on Paracas's boardwalk. Jhosselyn, the chef, dishes up dangerously fresh jaleas (fried seafood with pickled onions), scallops, and rice plates, with a creamy leche de tigre (cebiche broth) that's out of this world. Particularly impressive are the chupe de pescado and chupe de cangrejo (fish and crab soups, respectively). Visitors to Paracas frequently end up eating every meal here: it's that good.

With a covered courtyard that evokes images of a traditional yet upscale outdoor picantería, the offerings at celeb-chef Gastón Acurio's stylish bistro provide delicious gourmet twists on typical regional fare. Unlike many restaurants offering fusion menus, the plate sizes here are ample. Be sure to begin your dining experience with one of the unique pisco cocktails. Reservations are a good idea.

A labor of love from someone born and raised in Ollantaytambo has resulted in a must-visit restaurant experience—one in which you will savor traditional ancestral foods (from cuy to anticuchos) made with the freshest of local ingredients and prepared to appeal to the foreign palate. The all-wood decor makes for a warm and rustic yet chic atmosphere, with Peruvian accents sprinkled throughout. If you like cocktails, you must try one using Destilería Andina’s artisanal hooch produced, like Chuncho, by the El Albergue family.

To savor the Andean delicacies that huaracinos eat on special occasions, take a 10-minute taxi ride from downtown to this excellent restaurante campestre (country restaurant) shaded by a trellised arbor. Here you'll find pachamanca (meats and vegetables cooked over coals in a pit), pork cooked in a cylindrical box, and yes, cuy, or guinea pig (it's actually quite delicious). The decor and service are hospitality personified, and the grilling is some of the most exquisite in the city.

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.

One of the best restaurants in the Cusco region was serving Peruvian fusion before it became trendy, perfecting the art of combining flavors in a way that each one can be savored. You’ll need some time to decide between all the enticing options on the menu; the cuts of meat are amazingly tender, and there are some interesting vegetarian choices as well, not to mention an array of fabulous appetizers that might tempt you to just order a medley.

Had César Vallejo, the great Peruvian poet whose visage gazes out from the photos adorning this popular eatery, been able to order from the kitchen while living in his apartment upstairs, he might not have been so melancholy. The hearty norteño dishes here are the most comforting of comfort foods: stewed goat, duck, pork, and cuy (guinea pig), along with a bevy of belly-warming soups and small plates. The chefs running this decades-old establishment may not be poets, but their recipes show them to be artists all the same. If it's too crowded, there are others branches nearby at Jirón Orbegoso 303 and Avenida España 736.

This exquisite eatery is one of Peru's not-to-be-missed culinary experiences. In 1983, the Solís family began serving modern interpretations of comida norteña out of their home. The business exploded, leading to a chain of top-shelf restaurants in both Chiclayo and Lima. Here, under the aegis of renowned chef Hector Solís, you can try a sumptuous cabrito and arroz con pato, as well as dozens of other local specialties and a long list of trendy, pisco-based cocktails. The restaurant has a Lima branch ( Miraflores, Av. Reducto 1278) that's no less impressive.

A festival-hall atmosphere and mind-blowing updates of Peruvian classic dishes make this Huancayo institution one of the sierra's best restaurants. The papas nativas con tres uchus (potatoes in three scrumptious sauces) and cordero asado (roast lamb) are like nothing you've had before, and the brightly costumed waiters take joy in introducing the region's cuisine to visitors. The Lima branch ( Av. Javier Prado Este 1405) of this eatery is equally exquisite.

Voted World's Best Female Chef in 2022 by San Pellegrino, Lima-born Pía León is a culinary force to be reckoned with, and this airy bistro right next door to the restaurant Central showcases the full range of her talents. In what amounts to a whirlwind tour of Peru, her nine-course tasting menu fuses ingredients from every corner of the country into inspired, innovative combinations. River shrimp, cacao, different varieties of tubers, sweet cucumbers: the menu whips together whatever happens to excite León in a given month. The result? A brilliant, jazzlike improvisation that serves as a foil to Central's culinary symphony.

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. 

In one corner of the Mercado Central, amid stalls selling charqui (dehydrated meat) and rainbow-colored displays of quinoa, you'll find a lunchtime crowd lining up for cebiche frito, a locally famous fried version of cebiche. Chef Roxana Chávez Mestanza has become a local phenomenon for her invention, which here comes battered and topped with a spicy mayo, along with leche de tigre and all the usual cebiche fixings. You can also combine your cebichito with seafood-fried rice or other marine plates. The restaurant has become so popular, it's opened another branch in the La Colmena neighborhood east of the Plaza de Armas. Patience here is key: remember that authentic local traditions are sometimes worth the wait.

Set along the highway to Cabanaconde near Cruz del Condor and surrounded by ample fields, the Hotel Kuntur Wassi is best known for its excellent organic restaurant. All the food, including meats, is sourced or raised locally. You can go hiking or take a horseback riding tour after your meal.

Chef Mònica Huertas is one of the great promoters of arequipeña cuisine, and, to many, this is the most authentic restaurant in town. She uses many of the same classic recipes—some more than a century old—that her mother and grandmother used, and her preparations of regional standards such as rocoto relleno, adobo, lechón al horno (oven-roasted pork), chupe de camarones, and queso helado have become the definitive recipes. This sprawling picantería with a maze of pleasant patios and dining rooms is a great place to come on the weekend and spend the entire day eating, drinking, and listening to live music.

Chef Juan Seminario rides his motorcycle to local markets every day to find the fish and produce that make this narrow restaurant the rival of many top eateries in Lima. This means Mediterranean and Asian elements inevitably find their way into dishes such as Nikkei-style tiradito (Peruvian sashimi in a spicy sauce) and house-made seafood ravioli. Don't overlook the landlubber entrées: the osso buco risotto is heavenly, as are the tropical-themed cocktails.

Walk through a dimly lit tunnel directly below the Mirador de San Blas to find this stylish bistro boasting some of the best views of Cusco—especially from the balcony terrace after sunset, when the city lights start flicking across the hills like fireflies. Besides the views, patrons come for the menu of burgers, Peruvian mains like cebiche and lomo saltado, and grilled meats. It’s also a great place for a sundowner, with disco music beats, a relaxed atmosphere, a great wine list, and a creative selection of cocktails that blend local tastes such as agave, hibiscus, and herbal infusions with international spirits.  

Mitsuharu Tsumura is one of Lima's most innovative chefs, and his exquisite Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) creations have earned Maido top slots on San Pellegrino's Best Latin American Restaurants list for nearly 10 years running. Tsumura changes things up frequently, but his menus always include cebiches and nigiris (sushi with Peruvian flavors), plus cooked dishes such as asado de tira mitsuke (braised short ribs with pickled ginger and fried rice), cod misayaki (marinated in miso with sweet potato and Brazil nuts), and sanguichitas (a plate of unique sandwiches). Seating is on the second floor, at wooden tables beneath hundreds of hanging ropes, plus a few spots at the sushi bar. This place is much sought-after, so be sure to make reservations at least two months in advance.

Set inside the Westin Lima Hotel, this elegant restaurant is a good place to try a Peruvian tasting menu without breaking the bank. For S/240, chef Rafael Piqueras regales diners with 14 courses of delicacies, including charbroiled arapaima (an Amazon fish) and short ribs with lentils and Iberian sausage. You can also order most of the courses à la carte, for reasonable prices. The desserts here are especially scrumptious, and there's a heated outdoor terrace for romantic outings.

Located in a beautiful colonial building, there are a couple of intimate tables on the balcony overlooking the Plaza de Armas, while the more lively interior rooms make it seem like a popular place to eat for both Peruvians and travelers. Mojsa, which means "delicious" in the Aymara language, serves reasonably priced Novo Andino cuisine, fused with fresh traditional and criollo flavors in an elegant space with wood floors and a long bar.

Nestled amid the charming cloisters of Belmond’s posh Hotel Monasterio, OQRE opened in 2024 and offers the haute pan-Peruvian cuisine of Michelin-star chef Jorge Muñoz, who mixes ingredients from the coast, the mountains, and the forest. Standout dishes include tiradito al olivo (with leche de tigre, olive oil, and crispy garlic) and the delicious cochinillo crujiente (chunks of pulled pork compacted into a crispy, irresistible skin, served with mashed potatoes). A live band performs romantic opera music in this dimly lit space.

Twice daily, at noon and 2:30, El Albergue organizes the pachamanca (meaning "earthen oven" in Quechua), one of Ollantaytambo’s most distinctive traditional culinary experiences. Used across the country for special celebrations, this traditional Peruvian method—which entails burying hot stones in a pit and covering it with wet cotton sheets, leaves, and soil—produces an unforgettable lunch of tender meats, fresh vegetables, and steamed quinoa. The property hosts this experience under a rustic portico with a backdrop of mountains on one side and views of the whistling trains to Aguas Calientes on the other.