What to do in Peru: A cool local’s travel guide to Lima | Things To Do
Lima, Peru, has long been the unofficial gastronomic capital of South America. With flavours influenced by its Indigenous, Spanish, African and Asian cultural heritages, the city has seen a culinary renaissance since 1994, when the celebrated modern Peruvian restaurant Astrid & Gastón opened.
More recently, global attention heightened in 2023, when Central captured the top spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The husband-and-wife team, chefs Virgilio Martinez and Pia León, serve an innovative tasting menu rooted in Indigenous Peruvian ingredients and cooking techniques.
León also helms her own acclaimed restaurant, Kjolle, where she celebrates the diversity of Peruvian ingredients through a nine-course tasting menu, served on gorgeous, handcrafted tableware made in collaboration with local artists. Her boundary-pushing culinary talent garnered her the title of “the world’s best female chef” (also by the World’s 50 Best) in 2021.
All of this is to say: León is the tastemaker you would want to share travel tips for Lima, the place where she was born and raised. “Lima never ceases to amaze me,” she says. “There is always a new concept to try or a pop-up, a new coffee shop or a new restaurant. The gastronomic community is a very active one. There’s always something going on.” Here are just a few of León’s hometown recommendations.
Start in this neighbourhood
“Barranco is so picturesque,” says León of the creative quarter that has been dubbed the SoHo of Lima. “There is urban art, a lot of colourful murals and a fun cultural scene. I love its traditional architecture, little squares, its malecón (esplanade) and the sunsets.”
Although Barranco is now becoming hipper, the neighbourhood is still what León describes as “an off-the-beaten-path area, somewhat bohemian and very lively. Fortunately, we are not invaded by big chains. Instead you can find your farmers’ markets, little coffee shops, fresh cevicherias (where ceviche is sold) and interesting gastronomic concepts, from huariques (traditional and family-run) to trendy restaurants.”
Stop here for pastries and coffee
“We go very often to Demo,” says León of this favourite spot, located in the heart of Barranco. Owned by Venezuelan-born chef Juan Luis Martinez, the all-day bakery’s freshly made treats and sandwiches tap into the flavours of both his homeland and Peru. León’s no-hesitation order from the menu would be the tequeños (Venezuelan cheese sticks) with guasacaca (a guacamole-like avocado sauce).
For a pick-me-up, the nearby Ciclos is a quaint but serious café by affable coffee obsessive Felipe Aliaga Ramirez. León favours the Golden Nitro, made with cold drip and tonic water, and a mix of aguaymanto (the Peruvian fruit) and cacao. “It’s delicious,” says León. “They use the best origin coffee beans from Peru and carefully roast them in-house.”
Dine on impressively fresh seafood
Open only for lunch, chef Rafael Osterling’s ceviche restaurant, El Mercado, in the cosmopolitan Miraflores district, serves playful takes on traditional Peruvian coastal classics. The buzzy indoor courtyard dining room is where you would find the city’s cool crowd, including León and her family. “We always have a fun time,” she says.
Besides the great atmosphere, this is where exceptionally fresh seafood, sourced from Pacific fishermen, are featured in ceviches and punchy dishes such as scallops in bubbling yellow chili-pisco-oregano butter. Signatures also include guajillo chili mayo-drizzled Baja California tacos, ideally washed down with a pisco sour.
Order a cocktail at this award-winning bar
Bartender Alonso Palomino and chef Gabriela León are behind Lady Bee, a chic space in Miraflores. Here, precisely executed drinks are conceptualized in unique categories — these include flavours from the sea or the Amazon — and small plates showcase Peru’s sustainably sourced seafood and produce. The three-year-old bar has already earned multiple awards and fans from near and far, including León: “It’s a bar concept with depth in the research behind each drink’s proposal,” she explains. “Also, the food menu is excellent.”
Shop here for locally made goods
In Barranco, “KOP is a wonderful store with a curated selection of handcrafted Peruvian and Latin American products, using ancestral techniques and with a lot of tradition,” says León of this boutique, which stocks fashion accessories, home decor and other wares.
For a different way to sample the local flavours, a store she considers worth browsing is Vacas Felices. The sustainable family business specializes in agro-ecological products, including yogurt and cheese, made under their own label and by other small local enterprises.
Day trip to this beachside district
For an escape from Lima’s big-city bustle, the laid-back district of Chorrillos is just about a half-hour drive away. Located on the Pacific Ocean, this former fishing village was transformed into a beach resort town during Republican times.
On a leisurely day, León comes here to stroll to the farmers’ market on the malecón, visit a cevicheria, and take in stunning views over the bay of Lima.
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