Best Lima Restaurants: A Local's Guide

Lima, Peru is well known for its fantastic food and excellent restaurants. But not everyone is interested in the restaurants found in the guide books. The best Lima restaurants are the places where the locals go to find authentic traditional food.

One of the most popular dishes in Lima is pollo a la brasa - rotisserie style roast chicken served with fried potatoes and a salad. It's a savory meal that can be had for a very reasonable price.The locals know the best Lima restaurant for pollo a la brasa is a little place called Lykys in the Surco district on Av. Aviacion. A whole chicken with fixings for 4 can be had for about $8.

Lunch is considered the main meal in Peru, and in the best Lima restaurants it often consists of some type of criollo
food - traditional meals from the more rural parts of Peru. El Sabor del Gordo on Av. Principal in the Surquillo District is an excellent little restaurant whose extensive criollo lunch menu has helped their popularity with the locals grow rapidly since their opening a few years ago. Their lunch menu includes a choice of appetizers, a main course and beverage for under $3. The ingredients are always fresh, and the presentation impeccable. Go early, or they may be out of your favorite meal. I recommend the tacu tacu.

Lima is most famous for its seafood, and the locals know where to go to find the best. In Lima's northern port area of Callao, a block up from the Real Felipe fortress, you'll find a hidden gem of a restaurant called La Terraza. The fried seafood here is light and crisp, the ceviche is made with fish fresh off the boat, and the baked fish parmesan I ordered is now my favorite meal ever. For those who don't care for seafood, they also serve excellent meat entrees, like a Peruvian/Chinese fusion stir fry made with beef tenderloin. The service in la Terraza is friendly and helpful - the waiter even walked us out to the road and waited to make sure we caught the right bus. Expect to pay approximately $10-20 including drinks.

Living in Lima, Peru is an adventure every day. I'm glad that my adventuring has introduced me to some of the best Lima restaurants. If you are making a trip to Lima, I encourage you to get off the beaten path and try eating where the locals do. I promise you won't be disappointed.