Matsuei offers an appealing contemporary décor, devoid of kitschy Japanese artifacts, and some of the freshest and best-executed sashimi and sushi in Lima. Matsuei is possibly the best option for sushi-addicts that make frequent visits to sushi bars to get a fix.
Jeronimo is a popular gastropub with a that’s very unique and interesting, offering a variety of international street-foods and comfort-foods, all of which are well executed although not particularly authentic. The service is friendly but unorganized and chaotic at peak hours. The prices are ridiculously high in relation to the quality of the dining experience.
No restaurant says “Lima” any clearer or louder than La Rosa Nautica. It’s a “must go” for visitors and remains a favorite with locals.
Street Burgers tops the list of burgers in Miraflores on the west side of Av Jose Larco but didn’t quite live up to the standards set by Papachos, Jeronimo, Bon Beef and Juicy Lucy since the burger lacked that essential sear.
Despite a dining room with an unimpressive décor that’s densely packed with tables, Hanzo in San Isidro remains a viable choice for diners looking for a restaurant that speaks Nikkei with a heavy Japanese accent. The décor in the Santiago de Surco location is even less impressive.
Osaka’s sleek and sophisticated décor, well-executed menu of interesting Nikkei fusion, and high level of service put Osaka in the position on our list of the highest-rated Nikkei restaurants in Lima.
Los Bachiche, Peru’s genius restauranteur Gaston Acurio’s take on casual Italian dining is not hitting on all cylinders. But it’s a respectable attempt at Italian cuisine in a city that’s anything but a mecca in that genre.
La Trattoria is more expensive than other Italian restaurants in Lima, but well worth it. It has a classy décor, consistently good execution of a sophisticated Italian menu, and some of the best pastries in the city.
For very acceptable Italian pasta at a better than reasonable price, La Bodega de La Trattoria is hard to beat. Despite lackluster scores for food and service, it scored admirably on value, keeping it in the hunt for the top spot among Italian eateries in Lima.
El Mercado is fun. The food’s delicious. The menu is unique. I can’t wait to go back!
Pescados Capitales offers a menu that is like any other local cebichería, but the signature collection of seafood main-dishes set the restaurant apart from the others. A flawlessly executed menu, fresh ingredients, and top-notch service in a pleasant ambiance make Pescados Capitales a great choice for anyone seeking an atmosphere slightly less chaotic than nearby La Mar or El Mercado. Plus, unlike La mar and El Mercado, it’s open for dinner.
Although rarely lauded by food critics, we’re not sure why. This is a gourmet dining experience that enables diners to experience Peruvian cuisine with European cooking sophistication. It’s a top-notch dining experience at a better than reasonable price. It’s a mandatory add-on to your visit to the adjoining museum.
El Enano shakes up the Lima sandwich options by offering more than the traditional sandwiches, juice and coffee. Hamburgers, hot dogs, enchiladas, tacos and breakfast sandwiches have been added to the menu. You can enjoy all sitting at the soda-fountain reminiscent bar, watching your sandwich being constructed.
El Chinito may just have the best chicharrón sandwiches in Lima, but bad décor, inconsistent service and long waits for tables in most locations spoil the dining experience. If you order a sandwich at El Chinito, take it to-go.
La Lucha for lunch? If a clean, albeit somewhat soulless ambiance, and consistent, friendly service are a priority, La Lucha is perhaps the best choice among Lima’s abundant supply of sangucherías.
Juicy Lucy serves up a gourmet-burger with perfectly seasoned certified-beef beef, cooked just like want it, with plenty of fresh toppings. Best to enjoy your burger with a creamy milkshake and those crispy skin-on French fries.
A peaceful setting in the courtyard under a century-old lucuma tree. Great choice for breakfast. Go green. It couldn’t hurt.
With a unique menu chock-full of American-style food, from a full range of popular American breakfast items to one of the best burgers in town, Café A Bistro is, despite the humble digs, one of the best casual dining spots in the city.
Big juicy and tasty burgers are what they do at Bon Beef. Possibly our favorite burger in the city.
For family dining or a really quick cup of coffee and croissant or pastry, Lucio Caffè, is about as good as it gets in Lima, thanks to its comfy, bright ambiance, contemporary décor, consistently well-executed menu and attention to detail.
Pastelería San Antonio, now with five locations in Lima, is the quintessential Limeño pastry shop and café. Always has been, always will be. Consistently good food with good service at all but the busiest hours.
A comfy ambiance with a clean and stylish décor, a friendly barista, and a surprisingly diverse menu of finger foods, cheese platters, other appetizers, salads and sandwiches. Pastas and pizzas in the evenings only.
El Pan de Chola is a new-breed of sandwich shop offering fresh-baked bread with interesting new ingredients. It’s the first of its kind in Lima. It’s a great place for a coffee and a muffin or tasty sandwich with high-quality ingredients. Slightly expensive, but well worth it.
The friendly baristas at The Coffee Road serve specialty coffee from Cajamarca, Peru produced on a La Marzocco Strada or your choice of most of the popular brewing methods. The café offers a few quality pastries and a handful of specialty dishes, including lasagna
Puku Puku serves good, nationally-sourced, single-origin coffee. The smallest of three locations has limited seating and offers coffee in paper-cups only. The largest of the three locations has plenty of seating and offers coffee in cups that clatter against your teeth. Well-trained baristas. Limited food items. Mostly pastries.
For a quick casual meal for breakfast or lunch, Café de Lima is one of the best options in the city.
Ana Avellana is great for a quick casual meal for breakfast or lunch.
Homemade! It’s the best place in Lima for an ultra-casual breakfast. Bar none. Ultra-hipster, almost Bohemian. Savory items, too. But creative food you won’t find elsewhere in Lima.
La Cabrera offers cuts imported from both Argentina and the USA. High quality steaks at lower prices than other high-end competitors.
La Mar is the undisputed cebichería champion of the world. Often copied, never topped, it’s the perfect spot for lunch and a pisco sour on a balmy afternoon in Lima.
Kjolle gracefully straddles the boundary between upscale and casual dining. Unique ingredients from Peru’s vast terrain, rivers and seas are skillfully used in an extraordinarily creative gourmet menu.
For a quick casual meal for breakfast or lunch, Café de Lima is one of the best options in the city.
La Plazita offers the widest variety of popular international favorites in Lima. Pleasant open-air terrace. Service occasionally lags, especially during peak hours. Reasonable prices.
La 73 attempts to deliver some fancy gourmet-type food in an ultra-casual setting. Kudos to La 73 for delivering something a bit unique. But with average to below execution of some of the dishes, La 73 falls way short of being in the upper echelon of Lima’s elite restaurants.
Isolina pays homage to Peru’s indigenous cuisine, cocina criolla, turning inexpensive cuts of meat and pork into extraordinarily delicious dishes. Comfort food with a cocktail and a waiter. That’s what you’ll find at Isolina.
For a quick casual meal for breakfast or lunch, Café de Lima is one of the best options in the city.
Mangos in Larcomar has the best view of the ocean in the city with a menu full of consistently well-executed contemporary dishes with a North American personality and plenty of beer and tasty pisco sours to chase down those raw oysters.
Perroquet is a swanky, traditional restaurant that will make blue-bloods feel at home. First-class, upscale, old-school luxury. Beware, this restaurant is not appropriate for anyone that’s allergic to polished silver and massive flower arrangements.
Hotel B is a classy restaurant in an upscale boutique hotel by the same name, offering good execution of an interesting menu in an atmosphere with a high-energy vibe.
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Osso offers high-quality local and imported prime Black Angus including aged and bone-in cuts in a Texas ranch-house atmosphere. Yee, Hah!
Carnal has the widest variety of aged steaks among steakhouses in Lima and it’s the only one that uses an infrared broiler that delivers that crisp caramelized sear. Excellent quality and service. Sophisticated, almost elegant décor.
Extraordinary. One of the 10 best upscale dining experiences in Latin America. Can’t decide between Astrid y Gastón and this one? Don’t flip a coin. We suggest you do them both.
The restaurant overlooking the ruins of the Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores is stunning. The view, the décor, the service and the food are first-class. A “must go” experience in Lima.
Astrid y Gastón has been the best restaurant in Latin America since its inception. It is the standard by which all other restaurants in Latin America should judge themselves. Do not miss Astrid y Gastón.
Amoramar hits a home-run across the board. One of the top three restaurants in Lima along with Astrid & Gaston and Rafael. All worth a visit.
Papachos! Gaston Acurio does it again. Nice, comfortable ambience. Friendly, attentive service. Really good burgers, tacos and milkshakes. Nuf said.
Comfort-food elevated to gourmet status. Capricious and colorful decor. Friendly staff and a chef that mingles, making sure everything is right. Cosme is a “top 5” casual dining spot in Lima.
Sophisticated, trendy tapas restaurant and bar in upscale San Isidro offers offering unique and well-prepared tapas. Service is good. But very expensive for such small portions.
Fiesta, in Lima, features the Lambayacana cuisine of Hector Solis raised to gourmet status in a pleasant, sophisticated ambiance with above-average service.
Madam Tusan, supestar restaurateur Gastón Acurio’s take on a Chinese food restaurant came a bit short on execution but was acceptable. The décor and service were first-class. Despite minor flaws it’s likely the best choice for Chinese in Lima.