Our Favorite Places to Eat, Stay & Explore

Most people don't come to Peru for Lima. They're dreaming about Machu Picchu. The Amazon. Waves in Lobitos. But Lima isn’t simply where the plane lands.

It's a city of nearly eleven million people built on an unlikely stretch of desert overlooking the Pacific. It is the birthplace of Peruvian surfing, home to mind-blowing historical museums, and more recently widely regarded as the food capital of the world.

We say, give it two days. Save and follow this guide, use it to plan your lay over or extra day in Lima on your way to one of our retreats. We’ll show you where to take in vibrant street art, stock up on the best organic snacks and supplements (that normally costs a fortune back home) and eat very, very well.

In this Guide:

Where to Stay
Cafés
Where to Eat
Where to Shop
Museums & Galleries
Leaving Room for the Unexpected
Safety & Getting Around

Bougainvillea over graffiti on the Puente de Suspiros

Stay in Barranco

If we had one piece of advice, it would be simple: Stay in Barranco. Old republican mansions turned cafés, galleries, bookstores and boutique hotels. Bougainvillea spills over nearly every wall. Musicians drift through the plazas after dark. Surfers walk home barefoot. There is so much to discover.

Getting There

It’s around 45–60 minutes from Jorge Chávez International Airport depending on traffic. We usually recommend taking an Uber or arranging a transfer through your hotel after a long international flight.

From Belle Époque mansions, to trusted economic pads

Hotel B

If you're celebrating or simply believe hotels should be destinations themselves, Hotel B is difficult to beat. A restored Belle Époque mansion filled with contemporary Peruvian art, thoughtful design and quietly exceptional service, it's one of those rare hotels that immediately slows your pulse.

3B Barranco by Katari

Comfortable, well-located and refreshingly uncomplicated. For when you’re there to spend your money eating your way through the city instead.

Coffee Is a Good Place to Start

Peru produces some of the world's finest coffee. The beans you're drinking may have come from cloud forests or family farms tucked high into the Andes. Every café has its own story. These are the places we'd happily start any morning.

Demo

Equal parts café and creative meeting place. Great coffee, beautiful design. Each pastry is carefully prepared so have a seat and easy into the slow life. People watching here is 10/10, so enjoy your coffee and snap some photos. We highly recommend the famous Cruffin, a croissant made into a muffin shape, stuffed with an in-house coconut cream. It’s insane, but really, you can’t go wrong with the menu. Savory or sweet, enjoy.

Café Ofelia

One of Barranco's best-kept secrets. Tucked inside a beautifully restored historic home, Café Ofelia feels less like a café and more like someone's mid-century-modern living room with towering ceilings and a stunning entry hall that opens into a serene back garden. Come for breakfast, the French toast and pancakes are worth the trip, and if you've promised yourself you'll answer a few emails before the day begins, there's no better place to do it.

A Table for Every Mood: Where to Eat in Barranco

Lima has become one of the world's great food cities, mainly because it possesses an extraordinary pantry. Cacao from the Amazon. Seafood from the Humboldt Current. Thousands of varieties of potatoes, and the corn!

We've arranged this guide the way we actually eat in Lima, based on mood. From places that keep us coming back, to the places people travel across the world to experience. The further down you go, the more ambitious the meal becomes (and yes, generally more expensive and a little longer, too).

Menu, if Brooklyn opened a restaurant in Barranco

Menú

mood: the next hot spot

Tucked behind an unassuming door under the Puente de los Suspiros, Menu is the kind of place we hesitate to recommend because we’d rather keep it for ourselves.

The room is dark, intimate, and beautifully designed, cozy without feeling crowded, lively without being loud. It's the sort of place where you stop in for dinner, order a cocktail, and suddenly realize it's midnight. The music is always on point, the food is thoughtful without being pretentious, and whether you arrive alone or with friends, there's a good chance you'll end up in conversation with the table next to you.

If Brooklyn opened a restaurant in Barranco, this might be it. Refined but never precious, quietly confident, and still just enough under the radar that it feels like you've discovered something special.

Awicha

mood: country-kitchen in Lima?

Sometimes, after days of tasting menus and ambitious cooking, all you want is a generous plate of beautifully prepared food in a place that feels familiar. Awicha is exactly that.

This bustling corner restaurant somehow manages to feel like a country kitchen, even in the middle of Barranco. The food is comforting without being heavy, the service is warm, and it's one of our favorite walk-in options.

Order the fish curry, the lomo, the burrata, and whatever else catches your eye. This is the kind of place that reminds you that great restaurants don't always have to be complicated.

Canta Ranita

mood: secret spot

This is the place you hope someone tells you about before your trip. Hidden inside a local market, Canta Ranita is casual, a bit chaotic, and absolutely not to be missed for lunch. Pull up a stool, order the ceviche, baked clams, a chilcano, and a Corona (or Corona Cero). The handwritten menus, old surf photos, faded posters, and friendly service all remind you that the best meals don’t just happen in the fanciest dining rooms.

It's lively, delicious, and completely unpretentious, the kind of market experience that makes you feel like you've been let in on a local secret. Because you have.

Peña Don Porfirio

mood: culture, music, and a Friday night to remember

Some experiences are less about the food and more about understanding the soul of a place. If you're in Lima on a Friday night, Peña Don Porfirio is one of the city's longest-standing homes of música criolla and Afro-Peruvian traditions. Founded by the Vásquez family in honor of the legendary musician Porfirio Vásquez, the peña has spent decades preserving the music, dance, and cultural traditions that have shaped Peru's coastal identity.

Expect live guitar, cajón, valses, marineras, festejos, and a dance floor that fills as the night goes on. Order a pisco sour, something from the criollo menu, and settle in for an evening that feels far more like a family celebration than a performance. Reservations are highly recommended, especially on Fridays, when the venue comes alive.

Cordial

mood: post-dinner drinks

The team behind Cordial created one of Lima's first true Japanese listening bars, born from an obsession with vinyl and a deep respect for this specific Japanese culture, where every detail matters. The sound system meticulously considered, acoustics exceptional, materials and interiors intentional, and the cocktails are every bit as thoughtful.

Whether it’s dinner or just drinks, check the program to see which DJ is playing. and if not, simply wander underground to this cozy space and settle in.

Siete

mood: no reso, need something reliable with a vibe

Dark, moody, and always paired with a great soundtrack, Siete is one of those restaurants that quietly earns its place in the neighborhood. It may not have the international acclaim of Lima's headline restaurants, but that's part of the appeal.

Don't miss the razor clams, settle in over a bottle of wine, and enjoy a dining room filled with more locals than tourists. If you've missed booking the city's destination restaurants, this is one of our favorite places to walk in and still have an excellent meal.

clon

mood: want to treat myself without making it an occasion.

From the team behind Mérito, clon delivers the same obsessive attention to ingredients, service, and detail in a format that's a little more approachable. For impeccable service, beautifully considered details, without committing your entire evening (or your travel budget) to a tasting menu, Clon is the sweet spot.

The room is intimate and almost always buzzing, with tables tucked close enough together that conversations between neighbors happen naturally. Deeply helpful staff without feeling formal, this is an experience that feels polished, relaxed, and genuinely welcoming. The food is exceptional, but it's the hospitality that stays with you.

Mérito

mood: I’m a serious foodie

If you're the kind of traveler who plans trips around restaurants, don't skip Mérito. Consistently one of the hardest reservations in Lima to secure, chef Juan Luis Martínez has built a devoted following by blending his Venezuelan roots with Peru's extraordinary ingredients. The result is inventive, deeply personal cooking that feels both refined and comforting, one of the reasons so many chefs and food lovers consider it among the city's best.

The dining room is intimate and understated, with the focus squarely on the food. If you're lucky enough to get a reservation, put yourself in the kitchen's hands, order generously, and don't skip dessert. Reserve months ahead.

Kjolle

mood: I want to be moved

Pía León's own restaurant. Wife to Virgilio (see Central), Kjolle is fine dining with a warmer, freer and more instinctive feel. The ingredients are every bit as extraordinary as those at Central, but the experience is more playful than academic. If Central is the expedition, Kjolle feels like you've reached your destination and there's a warm pot on the fire waiting for you. It's generous, welcoming, and quietly unforgettable. Reserve months ahead.

Central

mood: I want one of the great meals of my life

More than a restaurant, Central is an exploration of Peru itself. But do yourself a favor first and watch the Netflix documentary Virgilio before you arrive. It follows founders Virgilio Martínez and Pía León as they travel across the country in search of ingredients, meeting the farmers, fishermen, foragers, and communities who shape Peru's extraordinary food culture. You'll come away with a much deeper appreciation for the landscapes you're about to explore, and you'll understand why Peru has become one of the most exciting culinary destinations on the planet.

Each course at Central tells the story of a different ecosystem, moving from sea level to the high Andes through ingredients gathered across the country. It earned the No. 1 spot on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list for good reason. Reserve months ahead.

Leave some room in your suitcase for stunning textiles from Artesanías Las Pallas

Travel Well. Shop Thoughtfully.

The best souvenirs are the pieces that remind you where you've been, who made them, and why they matter. Peru's artisans continue to preserve extraordinary traditions, often in remote communities where techniques have remained unchanged for generations. These are the shops we trust to connect those makers with travelers in a meaningful way.

Artesanías Las Pallas

If there's one place in Lima that embodies everything we believe thoughtful travel should be, it's Artesanías Las Pallas. For nearly four decades, founder Mari Solari has traveled across Peru building relationships with master artisans in some of the country's most remote communities. She works directly with the people who weave the textiles, carve the wood, shape the ceramics, and preserve traditions that have often been passed down for generations.

Stepping inside feels less like entering a shop and more like wandering through someone's home, because it is attached to hers. If Mari is there, take the time to chat with her. Her knowledge of Peru's regional crafts is extraordinary, and every object comes with a story about the people and places behind it. This isn't the place to buy a souvenir. It's the place to take home a piece of Peru.

Espacio Unno

While you’re wandering through the Puente de Suspiros, head to Espacio Unno. Part gallery, part concept store, it showcases independent designers, artists, illustrators, and emerging fashion brands. Wander to the back and look for INOPORTUNO. Their windbreaker jackets, fleeces and bucket hats are staples in our own wardrobes, beautifully designed, made in Peru, and perfect for any journey through Peru, from the mountains to the beach.

Dédalo Arte y Artesanía

Long before concept stores became fashionable, María Elena Fernández was building one of Peru's first. What began in her garage more than 30 years ago has grown into a sprawling Barranco mansion celebrating over 700 Peruvian artists, artisans, and designers. It's part gallery, part design store, part cultural institution.

Wander slowly. Browse the exhibitions, explore the rooms, then finish with a coffee beneath the enormous ficus tree in the courtyard. It's less about finding one particular object and more about discovering the incredible breadth of Peru's creative scene.

Yunuik

Yunuik is worth the short trip into Miraflores—another neighborhood that's well worth exploring if you have the time. Founded by anthropologist Josefa Nolte, the gallery is dedicated entirely to the art and craftsmanship of Peru's Amazon. Through long-standing relationships with Indigenous communities and organizations like Jane Artisans in Tarapoto, Yunuik brings beautifully made baskets, textiles, ceramics, fashion, bags, jewelry, and homewares directly from the people who create them. It's a rare opportunity to discover the extraordinary creativity of Peru's Amazon—one thoughtful piece at a time.

Long Before the Incas: Museums and Art Galleries

One of the biggest surprises for many visitors is discovering that Peru's story didn't begin with the Incas. Thousands of years before Machu Picchu was built, sophisticated civilizations were shaping life along Peru's coast, building monumental temples, mastering irrigation, creating extraordinary ceramics, and developing cultures that influenced everything that followed. Lima quietly sits on top of much of that history, making it one of the best places to begin understanding the country before heading deeper into country.

Museo Larco

If you only visit one museum in Lima, make it Museo Larco. Housed inside an 18th-century colonial mansion surrounded by bougainvillea-filled gardens, the museum tells the story of more than 5,000 years of Peruvian history through one of the finest collections of pre-Columbian art in Latin America. Gold, silver, ceramics, textiles, and beautifully preserved artifacts provide the context for everything you'll experience throughout the rest of your journey. Don't rush your visit. The museum's garden restaurant is one of our favorite lunch spots in the city and worth lingering over before heading back out into Lima.

Huaca Pucllana

This 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid in the middle of a modern city never stops feeling surreal. Built by the Lima culture centuries before the Inca Empire, Huaca Pucllana offers a rare glimpse into Peru's ancient past without ever leaving the city. Visit in the late afternoon, then stay for dinner at the restaurant overlooking the illuminated ruins, it's one of the most memorable dining settings in Lima.

MAC Lima

For something more contemporary, spend an hour at MAC Lima, Barranco's Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum is compact, thoughtfully curated, and showcases rotating exhibitions from Peruvian and international artists. It's an easy addition to a day spent wandering Barranco, and a reminder that Peru's creative story is still being written.

The Malecon is a boardwalk on the border of Barranco and the Pacific Ocean

Leave Room for the Unexpected

Leave a little space between reservations and plans to wander and you'll discover a city that keeps revealing itself.

Local Markets & Provisions

For beautifully curated organic groceries, pantry staples, supplements, organic shampoo bars, and delicious healthy snacks for the road, stop into Flora & Fauna. It's one of our favorite outposts to stock up before heading north or into the mountains.

If you're interested in natural skincare, herbal remedies, and wellness products made from native Peruvian ingredients, Misha Rastrera is well worth a visit (they’re a bit hidden behind Galerias Gemina, walk to the back of the Galeria, the shop is in the back on the corner). A massive wall of loose leaf tea variations and crafted products from Peru's rich botanical traditions surround the shop. Their shelves are filled with natural face serums (think Vitamin C, almond oil), organic toothpaste in cute glass containers, and avocado hair oil that smells delightful.

In the same gallery, street side, is Pasiflora Cosmética Natural who curate small-batch skincare and body products from Peruvian brands using botanicals sourced from across Peru. It's a beautiful stop if you're looking for natural products, gifts or simply want to experience another side of the country's remarkable biodiversity.

Walk the Malecón with ice cream

Stretching for miles above the Pacific, Lima's clifftop promenade is one of the city's greatest public spaces. Pop into Blue Gelateria or Crem dela Crem, then walk to the water. You’ll reach the Malecón for a stroll from Barranco toward Miraflores. If you catch a clear evening, stay for sunset.

Watch the Surfers

Before you head north to Lobitos, spend some time soaking up Lima's surf culture. It's one of the few major cities in the world where locals can finish work at 5pm and be riding waves less than 30 minutes later. Make your way to Playa Makaha, one of Lima's iconic surf breaks and watch the lineup with everyone from beginners to seasoned locals. It's a fitting place to witness Peru's deep connection to the ocean, on that stretches back thousands of years, when fishermen rode caballitos de totora (traditional reed boats) through the surf long before fiberglass boards, wetsuits, and modern surfing existed.

Wander Without a Destination

Barranco rewards curiosity more than planning. Wander down side streets, duck into galleries, browse independent bookstores, and don't be afraid to change your plans because something catches your eye.

Safety & Getting Around

Lima isn't a city to fear, but it is a city that rewards a little awareness.

Stick to neighborhoods like Barranco and Miraflores, use Uber or trusted taxi services to get around, and keep valuables tucked away when you're not using them. If your hotel provides transfers or your layover is long enough for a day trip to Lima, in our opinion, it’s worth it.

Just know, traffic has a personality all its own, so give yourself a bit more time during rush hour, especially when heading to the airport or catching your next flight.

While you'll find English spoken in some hotels and tourist areas, Peru is very much a Spanish-speaking country. You don't need to be fluent, but learning a few basic phrases before you arrive goes a long way. A simple hola (hello), por favor (please), and gracias (thank you) can open doors. Even spending an hour or two with a phrasebook or language app will make your travels feel more connected.

See you soon!

Whether you're continuing north to the surf breaks of Lobitos, climbing into the Andes toward Cusco and Machu Picchu, or setting off for another wonder of Peru, we hope you'll carry a little of Lima with you.

Travel well, stay curious, and enjoy the journey ahead.

We'll see you soon.