Peru Recommendations?

My wife and I are going to Peru for two weeks and will be spending a few days in the cities of Lima, Cuzco, Iquitos, and Puno. Does anyone have any fine dining and popular local dining recommendations in any of these cities? I would also be interested in local food and beverage recommendations that are unique to Peru that are not to be missed.

Thanks


.

As crazy as it sounds, I really got to like Pisco sours while I was in Peru. You think this is just a tourist thing but they are great. Some excellent food especially in Lima. Astrud y Gaston is there. Wonderful. This Eater list is not so bad. The 38 Best Restaurants in Lima - Eater

We spent most of our time in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu so I don’t have any good Cuzco recs. The altitude in Cuzco takes some acclimation.
Drink the tea and chew the leaves. It is better than anything else.

Here is a thread on Lima:

https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2232402#p2232402

Seems like there was another thread on Peru.

edit:

Found this one also:

https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1499144#p1499144

Maybe some good notes in those threads as well.

My son was in Cusco two months ago for a few days on each side of his Sacred Valley/Machu Picchu hiking trip. I asked him and he replied:

"Chicha - Our favorite. Went back multiple times. Best roast chicken I’ve ever had.

MAP Cafe - Really great. Good for lunch and dinner.

Pachapapa - Sister restaurant to MAP Cafe."

I’ll second Pachapa…though the culinary scene in Cuzco is not a highlight of the area.

Lima: just eat ceviche all the time…it is amazing there. Good meal at Lima 27, nice ceviche brunch at El Muelle by the beach in Barranco, very nice dinner at Astrid Y Gaston (and drank a cheap and adequate Peruvian rose from Syrah grapes), very underwhelming dinner at Maido (Nikkei food is bad fusion), great coffee at Bisetti, an almost great meal at Rafael, and amazing sandwiches at Sangucheria El Chinito.

El Mercado in Lima is fantastic.

We didn’t try Chica in Cusco, but the one in Arequipa was very good.

Our experience at Maido was better than Doug’s. We really enjoyed it.

Didn’t like the leaves. Didn’t think they helped and tasted like dirt.

Enjoyed the Museo de Pisco in Cusco. It’s actually a bar but if interested, one can taste a wide variety and quality levels of Pisco.

+1

Just like a lot of other liquors and cocktails, quality of the ingredients can make a HUGE difference.

Just met a finance guy last night at a wine event from Peru. He is supposed to send me an email with his contact info today. If I get it, I will ask him.

We went last December and hit the big three in Lima - Maido, Central, and Astrid y Gaston. Of the three Central was the most memorable, but the one I’d return to was Astrid y Gaston.

Our experience was similar to Todd’s. I thought Maido and especially Central were amazing while Astrid Y Gaston was highly overrated and joyless.
We really enjoyed the coca infused pisco sours!

Cheers!
Marshall

Just returned from two weeks in Peru, the last four days spent in Lima. Here are my thoughts:

Best meal in Lima was at Maido. Had the nigiri Swordfish, Toro with mustard, and the Scallops with sea urchin (this was a amazing). For the main dish I had the Cod Misoyaki which wqs marinated in miso, wood fired, and served encrusted with Bahuaja nuts. It was perfectly cooked and delicious! The Somm recommended the 2016 Terras Gauda Albarino which paired nicely with the food. Service was attentive and timely.

Most disappointing was Astrid Y Gaston. The menu is an extremely ambitious and creative Peruvian/Asian fusion, but the flavors of the dishes we ordered never really came together nor were they memorable. I bought a Chilean pinot noir to go with the food that was decent, but the bottle had the price tag that the restaurant had paid for the bottle. Also, the service was very slow. We waited more than 30 minutes between our appetizers and entrees. For the money, I was hoping for something more.

Some other solid meals we had not at the same level as the above restaurants, but good quality and value:

Lima: Museo Larco Herrera- the sea bass entree was very solid as were the house made ravioli.

Ollantaytambo: El Albergue restaurant at the train station and Apu Veronica just off the main square.


Overall, we loved exploring the different regions and foods of Peru. There are so many archeological sites and natural wonders in the country. If you have never been, I would recommend going.

In the Sacred Valley ( Valle Sagrado) , the best restaurant was at an AWESOME SPG Hotel called the Tambo del Inka. If you are ever in this area, it is highly recommended. One of the best places I have stayed in Peru plus the best food and wine.