Budget Restaurants in Lima

By Tammy Portnoy

Undoubtedly, like any larger city, Lima has a wide range of dining options available. Although, in Lima there are certain neighborhoods, restaurants and foods that anyone who appreciates savoring the last bite of a truly salacious meal needs to know about.

For starters, honey, if you got the money, then Miraflores is your kind of ‘hood. Most of the high-end, ritzy restaurants with a worldwide reputation for fantastic food will be in Miraflores. Just wander around and you’ll spot the restaurants where the anyone who is anyone wants to be seen, but the food isn’t shabby either.

Go for a weekday lunch at La Rosa Nautica, in Miraflores, which is on every Lima restaurant list. Sure, it is considered the place to go for good seafood, but it has gotten really touristy and is pretty pricy. If you feel the need to see for yourself, test the waters with a Pisco Sour at the El Espigón bar.

If you find yourself in your hotel alone on a Saturday night, then you didn’t know about Astrid y Gastón —the hottest of the hot restaurants in Lima. There are so many dishes that diners rave about after eating at this husband and wife establishment (Gastón is in the kitchen and Astrid takes care of the customers) that is hard to mention all of them, but at the very least the duck or the goat are two dishes that no one should leave there without trying.

For a Sunday brunch, go where even Peruvians say you can’t find Peruvian food much better —the unpretentious fusion Burjas de Cachiche, also in Miraflores. There is a buffet here that can’t be passed up. Spend about $20 per person to fill up a plate with all types of Peruvian food. The cost also includes drinks and dessert.

The Barranco neighborhood has good, diverse gastronomic options. Pick up a quick bite at one of the local vendors or head to Las Hamacas for swankier criollo dishes. If you find yourself there on a weekend night, you don’t even have to eat to pick up your feet and take part in the dancing on the top floor.

Go to central Lima, ff you want good chicken without any fancy tablecloths, get some good eats at the rotisserie chicken franchise Pardo’s Chicken. It is a little pricier than some of the other chains, but worth it.

For a truly typical —and cheap— dining experience, go with a group to Plaza Barranco on any Sunday, when you can sample an amazing variety of traditional Peruvian dishes at the outdoor market. (Get a taxi for eight soles.) Look for the Peruvian kebabs known as anticuchos, black clam ceviche or stir fry made with French fries (saltados). There are dishes from all over Peru, including jungle dishes like the Tacacho con Cecina (steamed rice, pork and mashed plantain wrapped in a banana leaf) or coastal dishes like Tacu Tacu (rice and beans that are mashed, fried and served with a steak and egg).

NOTE: For anyone who has ever eaten ceviche, do not leave Peru without trying, tasting, sampling it at least once.