10 Best Restaurants in Trujillo, The North Coast and Northern Highlands

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.

There's a reason why this 30-year-old criollo eatery is consistently mobbed by hungry locals at lunchtime: its innovative cooking is some of the best in northern Peru. From shellfish and goat to duck and causas, the menu goes on and on. Locals swear by the meat-and-rice norteño staples, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a weak spot here. Come hungry.

Inventive twists on classic seafood dishes make this one of Trujillo's best restaurants. The exhaustive (and exhausting) menu runs from risottos and tiraditos to chicharrones and rice plates, making choosing very difficult. Shrimp lovers will find something unusual in the langostinos Mister Berry, which are bathed in a coconut-and-mango chutney, while the crunchy causa of crab and shrimp is wrapped in a light, tempuralike shell. The drink list alone occupies six whole pages.

With this simple but classy Italian trattoria, artisanal pizza comes to Trujillo. The pies are, indeed, tempting—with thin, flaky crusts and generous toppings—but don't let them distract you from the excellent pastas, which are homemade and inventive.

With its wooden balconies overlooking the street and rustic-chic interior, this steak house gets high marks for ambience as well as flavor. Vegetarians have a few pastas to choose from, but the main reason to go are the rib eyes and filets mignons. There's also an extensive, if pricey, drink list.

Dining at this closed-door, reservations-only private house is like partaking of a sumptuous family meal in an Italian villa. There's no advertising, no sign outside: instead, the owner, Sheyla, comes to your table, asks what you'd like to eat, and then heads to her kitchen to whip up fresh, organic dishes such as melon-and-prosciutto salad, wood-fired pizzas, and fusilli with mushroom ragù. She'll even send her private car to pick you up at your hotel, gratis.

Feel like you've stepped back to the bohemian Paris of the 1960s at this retro bar and lounge beside the Museo del Juguete. With its creaky floors, dark-wood bar, floor-to-ceiling glass cabinets, and cushioned leather seats, it's a relaxed café in the afternoon and a hopping nightspot with live jazz in the early evening.

Seco de cabrito is the star of the menu at this wildly popular Trujillo institution, and no wonder: the version here is among the best you'll find. Colorfully woven decorations and marinera music add to the atmosphere. There are also excellent cebiches and tiraditos, but before calling for dinner reservations, be advised: they serve only lunch.

Although this Trujillo old-timer has grown a bit shopworn since it opened in 1951, it still offers good food and friendly service. For dinner, enjoy seafood and pasta dishes, followed by excellent homemade desserts. Skip the dimly lit front room and—via a long, fluorescent-lighted hallway—enter the small, cozy back parlor with natural light and a more congenial vibe. This is a lower-key option from the same talented cooks who run Romano Restaurant, but with the same omnibus menu.

Sandwiches are among the lesser-known glories of Peruvian cuisine, but if folks continue to throng this interior patio café like they do now, it's only a matter of time before word gets out. Burgers here are among Peru's best, but even tastier is the sandwich de lechón al cilindro, made from pork slow-roasted inside a barrel. Added plus: the owners are northern hospitality incarnate.