As South America’s culinary capital, one of the best ways to experience Peru is through its food. It’s no coincidence that a generous portion of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants is Peruvian and no surprise that they often take the top spots. Over centuries, Peruvians have honed their cooking skills using native ingredients such as potatoes, grains, seafood, and rare meat like guinea pig and llama to create dishes that speak lovingly of the land. With traditional cuisine hailing everywhere from the coast to the Andes, and Amazon, Peru’s gastronomy is an adventure in itself. Now you know why Peru’s gastronomic scene is important to experience when visiting this beautifully multifaceted country, but where and how should you dig in?
Well, the answers are here in this article aka your go-to luxury guide to Peru’s gastronomic scene. In this guide, find out which top restaurants to reserve a table at, which local markets to visit, and which high-end foodie tours to try during your visit to Peru. By weaving a few of these recommendations into your Peru itinerary, your experience will so much richer, juicier, and more satisfying. Read on to find out our luxury gastronomic recommendations from our Peru travel experts at TLA.
Mil Restaurant – Chef Virgilio Martinez
The Top Luxury Gastronomic Tours in Peru
Take the Lima Gourmet Gastro Tour
As the foodie capital of South America, taking a gourmet gastro tour of Lima isn’t just a good idea, it’s almost imperative for immersing in the local culture. Begin with a fueling organic Peruvian coffee and an exotic smoothie at a secret garden in the city. Afterward, experience the daily buzz of a local produce market where you can taste fruit you’ve likely never seen before.
Leave plenty of room in your stomach to taste traditional Peruvian recipes washed down with pisco, Peru’s favorite drink, at a superfood restaurant. Conclude the day with a gourmet Peruvian dinner amongst the enchanting ruins of a pre-Inca archeological site.
Peruvian Ceviche
Learn to Cook Like a Peruvian
Instead of just taking home memories of Peru’s most delicious dishes, why not take a few recipes home too? In a gourmet cooking class with a top local chef, you’ll discover the secrets of good Peruvian cooking as you learn to make tasty and healthy staple dishes to impress friends and family with. During the class, your chef will share everything from the history and culture of Peruvian cooking to their top tips. By the end of it, you’ll have a full belly and two recipes to add to your repertoire.
Experience an Andean Pachamancha Lunch
Delve into the ancient Andean tradition of pachamancha, an ancient cooking technique still widely used today with a pachamancha lunch experience in the Sacred Valley. Pachamancha (meaning earth oven) uses hot granite rocks resting on a charcoal fire in the pitted earth to slow-cook meat, potatoes, and vegetables with traditional herbs and spices.
Not only will you get to partake in each stage of the cooking preparations with the help of a local cook, but you will also get to taste the extremely tender and flavourful results of pachamancha. Best of all, you’ll get to hear all about life, culture, and traditions in the Peruvian Andes while your succulent meal is cooking.
Private Custom Food tour
For the foodies who know exactly what culinary experiences they want a taste of, opt for a private custom food tour in the cities you visit. From street food to gourmet, you decide what kind of gastronomic excursions you want to take and your guide will lead the way. This tour is perhaps ideal for those looking to try certain dishes or find specific gastronomic activities such as market shopping, cooking, and tasting menus.
Secure your spot on Peru’s top culinary experiences by contacting our travel experts here.
The Top Restaurants to Book in Peru
Mayta, Lima
Spearheading sustainability one plate at a time, Mayta is so much more than just excellent food. Founder Chef Jaime Pasaque uses eco-conscious Peruvian ingredients including the Amazon’s overpopulated paiche fish to create artfully decorated and extremely delicious dishes like Amazonian ceviche. Meanwhile, the restaurant’s pisco bar indulges guests with one of the best selections of pisco in Peru.
Central, Lima
Central, Lima
As the first South American restaurant to earn the title of ‘World’s Best Restaurant’ in 2023, Central is Peru’s most coveted gastronomic experience. The brainchild of Peruvian chef Virgilio Martínez Véliz, the restaurant cleverly creates Peruvian cuisine in a contemporary and creative way. Inspiration and ingredients are taken from the Andes to the Amazon to create Central’s extraordinary menu. Needless to say, reservations must be made far in advance.
MIL, Cusco
Created by formidable restaurateurs Virgilio Martínez Véliz and Pía León, MIL is a modern elemental restaurant physically and gastronomically harmonized with local nature and culture. Each course is inspired by the ecosystems found at different altitudes in Peru and ingredients are sourced from Cusco’s indigenous farms.To fully appreciate Mil’s ingredients and the surroundings inspiring it, guests can join its ‘MIL Immersion’ experience, a tour of the restaurant and grounds followed by its coveted tasting menu.
MIL Centro, Cusco
Maido, Lima
Specializing in Nikkei, Peruvian cuisine created using Japanese techniques, Maido promises one of Peru’s most exciting and unique culinary experiences. The restaurant, headed by Mitsuharu Tsumura, boasts a beautifully designed 12-course menu called the ‘Nikkei Experience’ which includes crab dishi, tapiocas, beef cheek, and lucuma ice cream topped with soy sauce and macambo foam. The cool and sharp setting and the hand-and-foot service are, of course, also executed with Japanese style.
Astrid & Gaston
Set in a 300-year-old ‘old money’ colonial mansion, Astrid & Gaston serves impeccable Peruvian cuisine in one of Lima’s best restaurant settings: Think of an elegant all-white courtyard shaded by whimsical age-old trees. Created by the highly accoladed chef couple Astrid Gutsche and Gastón Acurio, the restaurant promises exceptional cuisine with a focus on pastries and desserts.
Find a more extensive list of Peru’s top restaurants by getting in touch with our TLA travel experts here.
Take a Private Foodie Tour of Peru’s Best Markets
Mercado Surquillo N°1, Lima
As the biggest market in the capital of Lima, Mercado Surquillo N°1 is the best market to visit in Peru for an exciting local experience. Every day, hundreds of local Peruvians come to this market to find everything from their everyday fruit, vegetables, meat, and herbs to kitchenware and even clothes. There’s also a row of cheap and cheerful street food stalls and restaurants where you can try staple Peruvian dishes. Between the scale of the market and its ever-bustling atmosphere, it’s an impressive stop for any foodie.
Urubamba Market, Sacred Valley, Cusco
Located in the Sacred Valley, the Urubamba Market draws locals and tourists from everywhere between Cusco and the heart of the Andes to its stalls. The market sells a great range of goods from alpaca wool clothing to locally produced food. Far from the modern streets of Lima, the Urubamba market is much more traditional than markets found in the city. Instead, it offers insight into Andean culture, including what kinds of food are grown and sold in the region. With a huge farming community, the market’s produce is beautifully fresh and extra tasty.
Belén Market
Belén Market, Iquitos, Peruvian Amazon
For those daring foodies that are up for eating, well, anything, there’s Belén Market in Iquitos. This isolated city buried within the Peruvian Amazon is home to one of the freakiest food markets on earth. Find everything from grubs and scorpions to caiman and frogs, all of which are considered local delicacies. However, not all of the market’s offerings are so ‘out there’, you can also find juicy jungle fruit, traditional plant medicine, and a wide range of fish from the Amazon River. Even if you don’t dare try anything, this Amazonian market will be one of the most memorable foodie experiences of Peru’s gastronomic scene.
How to Have a Luxury Experience of Peru’s Gastronomic Scene
As experts in luxury travel in South America, we at TLA have years of experience planning trips to Peru that allow visitors to have the most luxurious gastronomic experiences — whether you want to eat from the plates of the country’s most celebrated chefs or would like to cook and eat with locals. We do this by pairing you with only the most knowledgeable and experienced food guides, arranging the most authentic private foodie experiences, and recommending the very best restaurants, markets, and foods to try on your Peru itinerary.
Start Planning your luxury experiences of Peru’s gastronomic scene today
If you’d like to secure the very best restaurants and gastronomic experiences for your trip to Peru, speak to one of our TLA experts today. They will plan a bespoke luxury Peru foodie tour based on your personal preferences and requests, incorporating the country’s best hotels and and cultural excursions too. For more information and booking inquiries, message us here or call on +1 855 217 9045 to enquire further.
