Lima might be the food capital of South America. It's home to world renowned restaurants, chefs, and dishes, all built on a fusion of indigenous, Spanish, African, Chinese, and Japanese influences. That mix is why Peruvian food tastes like nowhere else, think ceviche, lomo saltado, and pollo a la brasa. Lima is regularly named the culinary capital of the Americas, and it backs that up with restaurants like Central and Maido sitting at the top of world's best lists.

Note: Maido was ranked #1 in the world by World's 50 Best in 2025, Central held #1 in 2023

The splurge list (book months ahead)

• Central (Barranco) - Virgilio Martínez's tasting menu, organized by Peruvian ecosystem instead of course, moving from ocean floor to Andean altitude to Amazon canopy over 12-14 courses. $185-315 per person. Book 90 days out.

  • Popular: the seafood courses up front, scallops and sea urchin, the ones that photograph the best.

  • Underrated: the Amazon course, dishes built on pacu (a river fish), watermelon, and coca leaf. Less Instagrammed than the ceviche-style openers but reviewers often call it the one that surprises them most.

  • If Central is full, Kjolle is one floor up in the same building, Pía León's own project, same obsession with native ingredients, easier to book.

• Maido (Miraflores) - Mitsuharu Tsumura's Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) counter, ranked #1 in the world by World's 50 Best in 2025. Tasting menu starts around $331 per person without pairings. Book 60+ days out.

  • Popular: the flamed toro nigiri, the dish everyone photographs.

  • Underrated: the squid ramen with Amazonian chorizo, quieter than the nigiri progression but the course regulars say is the best bite of the night.

• Astrid y Gastón (San Isidro) - Gastón Acurio's flagship, in a restored 17th century mansion. Tasting menus run S/170 to S/385+ (about $63-140+).

  • Popular: ceviche de erizos, a sea urchin ceviche.

  • Underrated: the Pekinese guinea pig, cuy reworked with a purple corn tortilla. Most first timers skip it because "guinea pig" sounds intimidating, but it's one of the kitchen's best technical dishes.

Special occasion, easier to get into

• Isolina (Barranco) - A criollo tavern serving old school Lima home cooking in huge portions. Mains run S/50-96 (about $13-25). Opened by chef José del Castillo as an ode to his mother's cooking.

  • Popular: lomo saltado and ají de gallina.

  • Underrated: sangrecita, a blood and potato stew. It's a real old-school Lima dish that most out-of-towners scroll right past for the lomo saltado.

• Mayta (Miraflores) - Jaime Pesaque's restaurant, a personal narrative through Peru's regions. Landed #39 on World's 50 Best in 2025.

  • Popular: the duck skillet, five preparations of duck over root vegetables and rice. Guests reportedly come in with a photo of it.

  • Underrated: the corn and cushuro course, cushuro is a blue-green Andean algae most visitors have never heard of, paired with chullpi corn and quinoa flower.

• La Mar (Miraflores) - Gastón Acurio's cevicheria, probably the best introduction to ceviche in the city. Lunch only, since ceviche isn't traditionally served at night here. $20-25 per person, no reservation needed but expect a wait.

  • Popular: the ceviche mixto.

  • Underrated: the crispy spider crab and prawn croquettes, easy to miss next to the ceviche but a sleeper favorite among regulars.

Casual and local favorites

• Punto Azul (Miraflores) - Affordable, always packed, everyday ceviche.

  • Popular: the piqueo Punto Azul, a sampler platter, or the pescado a lo macho.

  • Underrated: the parihuela, a heavier mixed seafood soup that regulars order on cooler days but tourists tend to overlook for ceviche.

• Canta Rana (Barranco) - A 35-year-old cevicheria and neighborhood institution.

  • Popular: ceviche mixto.

  • Underrated: ceviche apaltado, made with avocado, it's the dish locals specifically point you toward but it's ordered far less than the mixto.

• La Casa de Edith - Casual, no-frills, known for good ceviche at real prices.

  • Popular: the ceviche.

  • Underrated: the criollo sides, like chicharrón de pescado, worth ordering alongside the ceviche instead of treating it as an afterthought.

Street food and chicken joints

• Anticuchos de la Tía Grimanesa (Miraflores) - The anticucho (grilled beef heart skewer) spot everyone talks about.

  • Popular: anticucho de corazón, the classic skewer.

  • Underrated: picarones for dessert, or the combo plate with rachi, pancita, and mollejitas if you want to go further into the offal end of the menu.

• Tío Mario (Barranco) - Anticuchos a few steps from the Bridge of Sighs.

  • Popular: the anticuchos themselves.

  • Underrated: locals often add a side of choncholi (grilled tripe), it's the order that separates regulars from first timers.

• Don Tito's (San Borja) - Pollo a la brasa, open noon to midnight, considered by a lot of Peruvians to be the best in the city.

  • Popular: the quarter chicken with fries.

  • Underrated: pour the vinaigrette over everything, salad, papas, chicken, not just the chicken. That's the move regulars make and it changes the whole plate.

Dishes to make sure you try

• Ceviche (raw fish cured in lime, the national dish)

• Tiradito (like ceviche but sliced sashimi style, no onion)

• Lomo saltado (stir fried beef, tomato, onion, fries, a Chinese-Peruvian dish)

• Pollo a la brasa (rotisserie chicken)

• Anticuchos (grilled beef heart skewers)

• Causa (layered potato dish, usually with chicken or seafood)

• Ají de gallina (creamy shredded chicken in aji amarillo sauce)

• Picarones (fried dough rings in syrup, dessert)

• Chicha morada (purple corn drink, non-alcoholic)