Best Restaurants in Lima 2026

Ceviche

Fresh raw fish marinated in lime juice with aji amarillo, red onion, and cilantro - Peru's national dish

Where to try: La Mar, El Mercado, any cevicheria

Price: $8-20

Lomo Saltado

Stir-fried beef with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and soy sauce served with rice and fries - a chifa classic

Where to try: Traditional restaurants citywide

Price: $8-25

Causa Limeña

Cold potato terrine layered with avocado, chicken or seafood and aji amarillo mayo

Where to try: Fine dining and traditional restaurants

Price: $6-15

Anticuchos

Grilled beef heart skewers marinated in vinegar and aji panca - street food staple

Where to try: Street stalls in Miraflores and Barranco evenings

Price: $2-5

Aji de Gallina

Creamy chicken in walnut and aji amarillo sauce served over rice and boiled potatoes

Where to try: Traditional Peruvian restaurants

Price: $6-15

Pisco Sour

Peru's national cocktail made with pisco (grape brandy), lime juice, egg white, and bitters

Where to try: All bars and restaurants

Price: $5-12

Picarones

Sweet potato and squash fritters served with fig and spice syrup - Lima's favorite dessert

Where to try: Parque Kennedy and street stalls

Price: $2-4

Tiradito

Similar to ceviche but sliced thin like sashimi, often with Japanese-influenced sauces

Where to try: Nikkei and fine dining restaurants

Price: $12-25

Central

Consistently ranked among the world's very best restaurants, Central is chef Virgilio Martínez's extraordinary exploration of Peruvian ecosystems through food. The tasting menu takes diners on a vertical journey from the ocean floor to Amazonian altitudes, featuring ingredients from every ecological zone of Peru. A once-in-a-lifetime dining experience that defines modern Peruvian cuisine.

Known for: Contemporary Peruvian

Av. Pedro de Osma 301, Barranco, Lima

Maido

Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura's masterful fusion of Japanese precision and Peruvian ingredients has earned Maido a place in the World's 50 Best Restaurants for over a decade. The Nikkei tasting menu is a journey through the synthesis of two great culinary traditions, featuring ceviches with Japanese techniques, tiraditos with unique Peruvian ingredients, and Amazonian-inspired sushi.

Known for: Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian)

Calle San Martín 399, Miraflores, Lima

Astrid y Gastón

The restaurant that launched Lima's gastronomic revolution. Founded by Gastón Acurio in 1994, Astrid y Gastón set the template for elevated Peruvian cuisine that influenced a generation of chefs. Set in a stunning colonial mansion (Casa Moreyra) in San Isidro, the restaurant continues to serve exemplary modern Peruvian cooking with unmatched elegance.

Known for: Contemporary Peruvian

Av. Paz Soldán 290, San Isidro, Lima

La Mar Cebichería

Gastón Acurio's famous cevichería is arguably Lima's most celebrated seafood restaurant, consistently ranked among the best in the world. The menu is a celebration of Peru's Pacific bounty, with over a dozen ceviche varieties, outstanding tiraditos, and beloved Peruvian classics like arroz con leche de tigre. Expect waits at weekends.

Known for: Peruvian Seafood / Ceviche

Av. La Mar 770, Miraflores, Lima

Isolina Taberna Peruana

Chef José del Castillo's tribute to his mother's cooking and the traditional Lima taberna tradition. Isolina serves generous portions of classic criollo cuisine - anticuchos, carapulcra, lomo saltado, and seco de cordero - in a warm, nostalgic colonial setting in Barranco. One of Lima's most beloved restaurants for authentic Peruvian home cooking elevated to restaurant quality.

Known for: Traditional Peruvian

Av. San Martín 101, Barranco, Lima

Kjolle

Chef Pía León's own restaurant adjacent to Central (they share a building), Kjolle is a distinct and personal expression of Peruvian ingredients through Pía's feminine and nuanced lens. World's Best Female Chef 2021, Pía creates dishes of exceptional beauty and complexity. An essential Lima dining experience for serious food lovers.

Known for: Contemporary Peruvian

Av. Pedro de Osma 301, Barranco, Lima

Malabar

Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino's sophisticated restaurant is a pioneer of Amazonian Peruvian cuisine, bringing little-known ingredients from Peru's jungle regions to fine dining. Malabar's menu features innovative dishes using paiche (Amazonian fish), cocona (Amazonian fruit), and other jungle ingredients in a refined San Isidro setting.

Known for: Creative Peruvian

Av. Camino Real 101, San Isidro, Lima

Osso Carnicería y Salumería

Lima's premier butcher-restaurant hybrid, founded by Renzo Garibaldi who trained in the USA's best steakhouses. Osso dry-ages its own meat and sources the finest Peruvian and international cuts, serving them in a casual, lively environment. The pastrami sandwich is legendary, and the bone marrow dishes are outstanding. Also excellent for breakfast and brunch.

Known for: Steakhouse / Peruvian

Conquista 101, San Isidro, Lima

Anticuchos

Grilled beef heart skewers with aji sauce - the quintessential Lima street food, eaten in the evening

Find it at: Av. del Ejército Miraflores, street stalls in Barranco

Picarones

Deep-fried sweet potato and squash fritters drizzled with chancaca syrup

Find it at: Parque Kennedy, Miraflores; street stalls evenings

Empanadas

Savory pastries stuffed with beef, chicken, or cheese, baked or fried

Find it at: Bakeries and street carts throughout Lima

Tamales Limeños

Lima-style corn tamales with pork or chicken wrapped in banana leaves

Find it at: Morning street vendors near markets

Salchipapas

Hot dog slices with french fries covered in various sauces - Lima fast food classic

Find it at: Fast food stalls throughout Lima

Mercado de Surquillo No. 1

Lima's most famous food market where top chefs shop for ingredients. Incredible variety of Peruvian produce.

Hours: Daily 6AM-4PM

Mercado Central de Lima

The city's massive central market near Chinatown with fresh produce, spices, and everything in between.

Hours: Daily 6AM-6PM

Mercado de Magdalena del Mar

Local neighborhood market popular with Limeños for fresh fish and produce at good prices.

Hours: Daily 7AM-3PM