8 of the Best in Barranco, Lima, Lima, Peru

Peru’s capital city, Lima, is not a destination renowned for its visitor attractions nor its beauty. Not surprising given its record of earthquakes over the centuries. As a result, it suffers in comparison to South America’s other major capital cities such as Santiago, Buenos Aires and Montevideo. And the weather’s pretty poor for much of the year, too. However, when it comes to food culture, there isn’t anywhere else on the continent to compare. And, to be honest, it was pretty much our whole reason for spending three days there. The barrio, or neighbourhood, of Miraflores tends to be the main tourist hub, with its shopping malls, a plethora of restaurants and busy nightlife. But we stayed in the adjoining barrio of Barranco, a bohemian neighbourhood of old colonial buildings, street art and world-class restaurants. Suffice to say, we can thoroughly recommend it. Especially for the food and drink. So, if you’re off to Lima and not sure where to stay, then look no further. And, to help you make the most of your stay, here are some of our recommendations to get you started.

Don’t even think about visiting Peru without trying ceviche. We’ll admit we got obsessed about it and just couldn’t get enough of this classic dish consisting of raw fish cured in lemon or lime juice and served cold with corn kernels, sweet potato, red onion, chilli and garlic. In Barranco, Canta Rana (or “Singing Frog”) produced one of the best we ate in the whole of Peru. It’s a no-frills, noisy and very busy restaurant with an Argentinian football theme. But it’s authentically Peruvian when it comes to the food. You can’t book so you might have to queue outside along with everybody else looking for a table. In fact, be prepared for a good 30-minute wait. But, believe me, it’s worth it. We had the mixed ceviche which combined fish with octopus, squid and king prawns. Out of this world. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).