Lima

Hugging the Pacific coast, Lima is a fascinating melting pot of indigenous ancestry, colonial heritage, and immigration, and now a must-visit with a compelling culinary scene. While the Peruvian capital is not a classic urban beauty with its overcast skies and ever-clinging garua (mist), the city is full of bursts of colorful architecture and bougainvillea, particularly in the downtown historic center around the Plaza Mayor.

Upscale Miraflores and San Isidro are modern, fashionable, and where many of the city’s best restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries call home. Peppered with flower-filled parks, a centuries-old olive grove, and lush gardens, a constant breeze blows off the ocean which is hundreds of feet below the cliffs on which Lima sits. To the south is hip Barranco, a mix of old and new, with renovated Victorian mansions into boutique hotels, stylish eateries, art galleries, and bars.

Only a day in Lima? We think a few, at the very least.

Ingredients

Red Hot Dining Scene
Lima, Peru

There’s a reason that the great French chef Auguste Escoffier ranked Peruvian Cuisine third in the world behind French and Chinese food. Spicy, layered, and complex in flavors, the cuisine is highly regional and succulent. Lima’s food culture also runs deep from the most humble huariques, ceviche joints, to some of the best fine dining in the world. It’s also the chance to eat your way through the different regions from the northern province of Trujillo known for duck dishes to the fiery stews and sauces of Arequipa and river prawns. In the middle you can taste pisco, specialty coffee, and visit juice bars with a variety of exotic fruits that will blow your mind.

Ancient History. Everywhere.
Lima, Peru
It’s not in every major city that you can turn a corner and encounter a towering adobe pyramid dating nearly a thousand years. In Lima, this is the norm. Once home to many ancient civilizations on the continent, modern Lima is a capital where different periods of history mingle together from ancient to the Spanish colonial period and skyscrapers of the contemporary era. A visit to the Larco Museum is obligatory to contextualize the breadth and depth of Peru’s history.
The Great Pacific
Lima, Peru
Lima sits high above the Pacific Ocean on cliffs that seemingly crumble into the sea below where surfers chase swells. With two currents off the coast, the cold Humboldt and warm El Nino, Peru is privileged with a plethora of seafood, which happens to be the pillar of many classic dishes. The ever-present mist and cool sea breeze have a pleasant moderating effect on the city so it’s never too hot nor too cold. The coastal promenade, el Malecon, stretches for miles on the edge of Lima’s cliffs where locals flock to jog and relax in the grassy parks overlooking the sea.

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Things We Love

Japan meets Peru: Nikkei cuisine is the food love child of Japan and Peru. When the Japanese immigrated to Peru in the early 20th century, they embraced their new country’s ingredients by assimilating Peruvian ingredients with Japanese technique. Take the delicate cuisine of Japan with its freshness and mix it up with the spicy punch of Peru. Think sashimi laced with fiery lime and chili sauces, or sushi “sauced” up with Amazonian fruit or even flash-sauteed seafood on top of a traditional maki. Even Nobu got started in Peru, and today, Maido (ranked the best restaurant in the Americas), is the place to taste this exquisite, exciting cuisine.

Chocolate Mecca: Chocolate lovers unite…Peru is cacao Mecca. Currently producing the finest cacao in the world, the terroir of the cacao bean here is simply incredible. While in town, learn about its nuances with a comprehensive tasting of different regions from the Amazonas to San Martin, Pangoa, Ayacucho and Cusco. Bars range from honey-flavored to fruity, earthy, and very dark and there are hundreds to pick from.

Art to Make you Swoon: Peruvian art spans several centuries and mediums from the Moche ceramics (including the erotica collection) at the Larco Museum to modern potters, photographer extraordinaire Mario Testino’s MATE museum, the 16th-century al frescos in the convents and monasteries, and edgy modern art in Barranco. Even curators’ homes showcase handicrafts from all over Peru since there are many time-honored traditions all made by hand.

Searching for flavors; the honest
and the meaningful

Hotels

Hotel B

Spanning a handsome corner in a Belle Époque mansion, Hotel B sits in the heart of Barranco, Lima’s colorful hubbub of art, culture, and cuisine. Split between the original house and a modern addition, the art collection in the hotel is divine, much of it curated and provided by Lucía de la Puente, one of the hotel’s co-owners. The mansion itself is an intersection of Limeno elegance and timeless style. It’s a delight to sip afternoon tea in their library or on the terrace. The rooftop terrace also has beautiful views of the Pacific (perfect for Pisco Sours at sunset), and the restaurant serves up a contemporary Mediterranean take on the Peruvian classics.

Miraflores Park (Belmond)

On the cliffs high above the shimmering Pacific, this luxurious hotel is perched on the malecón, with sweeping views of the coastline. With a prime location in upscale Miraflores, this anchor property is all about details and superior service. Check into an ample suite with a sitting area and spacious marble bathroom and ocean view. There are stunning vistas of the coastline from the rooftop pool and observation deck where breakfast is served every morning. Within walking distance of many sites in Miraflores and a stone’s throw to modern San Isidro and Barranco, it’s the perfect base to explore the Peruvian capital.

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