Peru is a country where traditions merge with the contemporary in many different ways and the food is no exception.
The land is full of all sorts of restaurants with a variety of décor and ambience, serving a a vast range of dishes. It would not be an overstatement to say that Peru tops the list of most coveted food destinations of the world and food enthusiasts would surely miss a lot if they do not make it to this country of exotic food and drinks.
In today’s post we will introduce the reader to some of the best eateries of Peru with quick tips on their specialties.
1. Amaz, Lima:
This place specialises in Amazonian food and if you are craving some seafood then Amaz is the place to be. Legendary chef Pedro Schiaffino is in charge of this eatery and he ensures an uncompromising service and quality at a reasonable price. Prawn ceviche and chonta are worth a try.
2. La Tia Grimanesa, Lima:
This restaurant, run by Grimanesa Vargas is famous for anticuchos or beef-heart skewers, a traditional African-Peruvian dish. This place is so popular that it is almost impossible to dine here without advance booking. This restaurant which started as a street cart has now evolved into a world class restaurant attracting beef lovers from all over the country and international tourists.
3. Maido Restaurante, Lima:
This is the place where Japanese and Peruvian recipes fuse to create some of the most amazing dishes in the world. The hybrid cuisine is known as Peruvian Nikkei. Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura has taken his restaurant to a different league altogether so much so that it is considered as one of the best eateries of its kind in the world.
4. Restaurant Indio Feliz, Aguas Calientes:
This time-tested Peruvian-French fusion restaurant is sure to appeal to the customer with its authentic food and excellent service. The décor focuses on travelling and wanderlust with loads of postcards and travel related stuff.
5. Mapacho Craft Beer & Peruvian Cuisine, Aguas Calientes:
Craft beer may not be very popular in Peru but at Mapacho things are otherwise. This is the perfect joint for beer lovers to hang around sipping the best beers of the country. Alpaca steak and cuy (guinea pig) served here are genuinely mouth watering.
6. La Nueva Palomino, Arequipa:
Owing to the immigration from various countries like Spain, Japan, China, Italy, etc, on the one hand and the pre-Inca tradition on the other, Peruvian food has evolved to a point of distinct uniqueness. This place traces Peruvian food back to its origin; all dishes are hand cooked on a log fire, with the spices being ground with a baton (resembles mortar and pestle). The chupe de camarones (prawn chowder) with quinoa and the rocoto relleno, stuffed chilli peppers, with mince beef and pecans are highly recommended.
7. Pachapapa, San Blas, Cusco:
This restaurant specializes in traditional Andean cuisine. A much laid-back ambience in a whitewashed courtyard warmed by outdoor heaters and a huge clay oven encourages the diners to take their own time to unwind before going for the courses. Oven-fried trout and anticucha de alpaca, skewers of tender alpaca meat macerated in local spices are the delicacies that diners rarely miss.
