1. Peruvian Delights
Peruvian cuisine is incredibly varied and accomplished, for many travelers an
exciting and delicious surprise. It is among the best and most diverse cuisines
found in Latin America, and is one of the most important contributors to the
wave of pan-Latino restaurants. Lima our capital is recognized as the
Gastronomic Capital of the Americas

2. Peru´s gastronomy is one of the most diverse in the world as it is demonstrated in the fact that it has a
large number of traditional dishes (491) and according to experts, it is the equivalent of French, Chinese
or Indian cuisine. With Peruvian food you can find at least 5000 years of pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and
republican history. Almost three centuries of influence is granted to Hispanic culinary (influenced initially
by 762 years of Muslim presence in the Iberian peninsula), gastronomic customs and traditions brought
by slaves from the African Atlantic coast and the influence and tradition of French chefs who escaped
from the revolution to live, in a large number, in Peru´s vice regal capital. Equally important is the
influence by the Cantonese Chinese, Japanese, Italians from XIX and other European immigrants (who
arrived in Peru between XIV and XX)

3. As an exclusive aspect of Peru´s gastronomy, there is food and flavors from four continents in one country
and this, since the second half of XIX. This gastronomy holds various Guinness World Records for its
variety, quantity and quality. Peruvian culinary arts are in constant evolution and this, added to its variety
of traditional food, makes it impossible to establish a complete list of representative dishes. It is worth to
mention that along the Peruvian coast there are more than 2500 different type of soups. Likewise there
are more than 250 traditional desserts.

4. Coastal preparations concentrate on seafood and shellfish, as might be expected. The star dish is
ceviche, a classic preparation of raw fish and shellfish marinated (not cooked) in lime or lemon juice and
hot chili peppers, served with raw onion, sweet potato, and toasted corn. Ceviche has been around since
the time of some of Peru's earliest civilizations, though a traditional Andean argument over whether
Peruvians or Ecuadorians should be credited with creating it persists. Cevicherías usually serve several
types of ceviche as well as a good roster of other seafood. Other coastal favorites include escabeche (a
tasty fish concoction served with peppers, eggs, olives, onions, and prawns), conchitas (scallops) and
corvina (sea bass). Land-based favorites are cabrito (roast kid) and ají de gallina (a tangy creamed
chicken and chili dish).

5. Highlanders favor a more substantial style of cooking. Corn and potatoes were staples of the Incas and
other mountain civilizations before them. Meat, served with rice and potatoes, is a mainstay of the diet, as
is trout (trucha). Lomo saltado, strips of beef mixed with onions, tomatoes, peppers, and french-fried
potatoes and served with rice, seems to be on every menu. Rocoto relleno, a hot bell pepper stuffed with
vegetables and meat, and papa rellena, a potato stuffed with veggies and then fried, are just as common
(but are occasionally extremely spicy). Soups are excellent. In the countryside, you may see people in the
fields digging small cooking holes in the ground. They are preparing pachamanca, a roast cooked over
stones. It's the Peruvian version of a picnic; on weekends, you'll often see families outside Cusco and
other places stirring smoking fires in the ground while the kids play soccer nearby. Cuy (guinea pig) is
considered a delicacy in many parts of Peru, including the sierra. It comes roasted or fried.

6. In the Amazon jungle regions, most people fish for their food, and their diets consist almost entirely of
fish such as river trout and paiche (a huge river fish). Restaurants feature both of these, with
accompaniments including yuca (a root), palmitos (palm hearts) and chonta (palm-heart salad),
bananas and plantains, and rice tamales known as juanes. Common menu items such as chicken and
game are complemented by exotic fare such as caiman, wild boar, turtle, monkey, and piranha fish.

7. SOME OF OUR BEST RESTAURANTS:
- La Rosa Nautica, Espigon 4, Costa Verde, Miraflores. This is one of Lima's loveliest restaurants set in a fabulous
Victorian-style building at the end of a pier, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. (Sunset recommended). Excellent
seafood. Together with a group of professionals in gastronomy, the renowned peruvian chef Enrique Blondet creates
the most complete menu of Peruvian and International specialties. The restaurant's four dining areas, and its
sophisticated bar "El Espigón", rising from the midst of the ocean, allow the visitor to enjoy a magical experience,
which can only be possible in a place of fantasy, capriciously constructed in the middle of the sea. Because of this
wonderful location, the horizon, especially at the crucial sunset hour, can be best appreciated through the large
windows or ample terraces. A dream come true when you seek peace, intimacy and comfort.
- El Señorio de Sulco (Peruvian/Criollo). Excellent criolla food (typical dishes from the coast of Peru). Dishes include
fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. This restaurant recreates the history—from pre-Inca to the present—of Peruvian
cuisine in all its diversity. Typical dishes from the coast, sierra and jungle areas of Peru include the ají de gallina
(spicy pepper chicken), papa a la huancaína (potatoes Huancaína) and lomo saltado (sauteed steak). Top the meal
off, accompanied by gentle piano, with the traditional dessert suspiro a la limeña, a port and cinnamon-kissed
delicacy. The restaurant is located at the Miraflores harbor, affording a lovely ocean view.
- Restaurant Huaca Pucllana (Nouveau Peruvian). Restaurant Huaca Pucllana is located in a breathtaking setting:
within the ruins of the Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological compound built between 200 and 700 AD by the early
inhabitants of Lima. The adobe pyramid, digs and walls of the complex - one of the main administrative and
ceremonial centres of the Lima Culture - are illuminated by night, making some amazing views for the clients dining
at the covered terrace. The cuisine is a reinterpretation of the Peruvian Criollo tradition by chef Marilú Madueño
(Cordon Blue Paris), as she combines local flavours and ingredients with contemporary techniques.

8. Astrid y Gaston (International/Peruvian). Hidden discreetly behind a nonchalant facade is a warm and chic modern
colonial dining room and cozy bar. Gastón Acurio is a celebrity chef with an empire of fine-dining restaurants not
only in Lima but other cities on the South American continent. His signature restaurant in the capital is warm and
elegant, with high white peaked ceilings and orange walls decorated with colorful modern art. In back is an open
kitchen, where Gastón can be seen cooking with his staff, and a secluded wine-salon dining room. The place is
sophisticated and hip but low-key, a description that could fit most of its clients, who all seem to be regulars. The
menu might be called criollo-Mediterranean: Peruvian with a light touch. Try spicy roasted kid or the excellent fish
called noble robado, served in miso sauce with crunchy oysters. The list of desserts is almost as long as the main
course menu, and they are spectacular.
Jose Antonio : Probably the most renowned criollo restaurant, José Antonio is a must for food lovers and gourmets.
Here you won't find crossover or fusion cuisine, but just the simple traditional dishes that Peruvians have been
enjoying for decades. With 30 years around, José Antonio's menu includes some of the superstar dishes of Lima's
gastronomic scene. Such is the case of the apanado (breaded steak accompanied with tacu-tacu, fried banana,
fried egg, and a raw spicy onion sauce), and the great Piqueo, a huge plate containing the best criollo appetizers:
anticucho (skewer of beef heart), stuffed potato, crispy yucca, corn tamale, deep fried pork, corn, and sweet potato.
The rustic décor, set to transport you to a Spanish conquistador ranch, is plenty of bull-fighting adornments, bare
wood furniture, and pictures from the Cuzco school of painting.
Segundo Muelle : An appropriate place to savour a plate of cebiche (fish marinated in lime juice), accompanied by
an ice-cold beer, on a hot sunny day. The establishment is famous for its shrimp dishes, and it also offers exquisite
seafood plates such as Chicharrón de Mariscos (fish cracklings), Parihuela (spicy fish and shellfish soup),
Conchitas a la Parmesana (grilled shellfish with grated cheese on top), Pulpo al Olivo (octopus in black olive sauce),
and many more mouth-watering selections. Exotic drinks and beers supply the ideal refreshment. The restaurant
has two storys and wide open terraces. It is situated in the financial district of San Isidro, is open everyday and also
offers a valet parking service.
WELCOME TO PERU !!