2007 Roadtrip Lima Perú Restaurant Reviews by ALEDM

And here for the Living in Peru website which has many more restaurants listed with comments by diners.
In 2007 Exchange rate US$1 =[Nuevos Soles] S/3.07

Our favorite restaurants in Lima were Rodrigo, Fusion, Astrid & Gaston, El Ancla and Toshiro's. I think that if you want to do a search on a particular restaurant's name, the best way to do that is to use your browser search feature on the Edit button called "Find (on this page)"

Asia de Cuba, Av. Conquistadores 780, San Isidro, fono 222-4940 web: www.asiadecubaperu.com: Our rating: 5/10. The fish we ordered (salmon and tuna) was tasty and well prepared. For an Asian fusion place the tea was terrible and expensive. Even though a cubierto is charged, they don't even serve bread. It is too much of a bar for us.

Astrid y Gastón (de Astrid Gutsche y Gastón Acurio), Calle Cantuarias 175, Miraflores, fono 444-1496. www.astridygaston.com Our rating 9.5/10. It is difficult for a much-acclaimed restaurant to live up to expectations but A y G did. And it did when we returned for our second visit too. A y G has traditional ingredients (pejerrey, for instance) that are difficult to find and prepares them in innovative and delicious ways. We shared the pejerrey as an entrée, a sublime seafood soup and a three month old roasted baby pig. All excellent. We wanted to taste the picarones and were brought a one-third portion (and only charged for one-third). The prices are high for Perú but not for a world class restaurant. We wish A y G served "amuse bouche". (We did appreciate the "mignardise" served with coffee.)

We had a lovely meal at Astrid & Gaston in Lima

Brujas de Cachiche, Restaurant Brujas de Cachiche, Bolognesi 460, Miraflores, fono: 447-1883: Our rating 8/10. We had a very good meal in the delightful setting. We were kind of put off by the waiter "angling" for a tip in addition to the cover and service charge that the restaurant imposes.

Cala (de Alfredo Aramburú), Playa Barranquito s/n, Circuito Vial Costa Verde, Barranco, fono: 252-9187, Nextel 9 824*7326, e-mail: reservas@calarestaurante.com eventos@calarestaurante.com Our rating: 6.5/10. It is very trendy and noisy. The tables are close together too. The view is great and the service was quite good. Our bill for 4 of us was S/.469 with drinks, wine, and an expensive lobster. We weren’t impressed.

Casa Hacienda Moreyra, Av. Paz Soldan 290, San Isidro, fono 444-3979, e-mail: reservas@cadeves.com, web: www.casahaciendamoreyra.com,: Rating 6/10. The setting is unique and elegant. The food was good but not memorable. The service wasn’t good. We asked for the wine list but it had not arrived by the time our entrée arrived. The wine steward wasn’t attentive thereafter either.

Chifa San Joy, Las Jr. Ucayali 779, Calle Capon fono 426-2918 We didn't stay because no one was having dim sum and there weren't any Oriental-looking people there.

Chifa Pak Fok, Malecón de la Reserva Nro 610, 102-103 Larcomar, Miraflores, fono 241-1333. We had one hot and sour soup and one "huevo al vapor con fansi". The soup was good although not thick enough and it had no tofu in it. The egg dish was unusual and delicious. It's a light and tasty pudding-like dish that's steamed in the oven in a pyrex dish. S/.38, plus tip S/.42

Chifa Salon Capon, Jr. Pururo 819, Lima fono: 426-9286. Our rating: 8/10. We have been twice. The first time we sat upstairs, in the first section, nearest the kitchen, and had a great waiter. The dim sum was delicious and varied (although they don't have carts). Many customers looked Oriental. The second time we went for dim sum, we sat in the section upstairs that was the farthest from the kitchen. The service was bad--very, very slow and frustrating. The dim sum was good. S/.35

Chifa Wa Lok (de Alan Chang), Jr. Paruro No 878, fono 427- 2750 Lima Cercado (Barrio Chino) Our rating 6/10. We went for dim sum and although they have it, dim sum is not their specialty. There weren’t too many Orientals there and we wouldn’t recommend it for dim sum. Our total for 5 dishes S/.28.

Costanara 700 (de Humberto Sato Tomita), 700Costanera Av. El Ejército 421, Miraflores, fono 421-4635: Our rating 5/10. We were very disappointed with our meal and it is listed as the second-best restaurant for food in "La Guia del buen comer". We had 2 mains (conchitas al miso was an uninspired liquid with scallops floating it and machu picchu grill--totally uninteresting) with te verde. At 9 pm we were almost alone in the restaurant. Although Sr. Tomita was smoking at the bar, he never greeted us.

El Ancla, Av. La Mar 1292, Miraflores, fono 421-1660, e-mail: rcorporativos@speedy.com.pe The room is decorated like a ship and is well done. The service is excellent although we were the only customers until we left at 9:30 p.m. when 2 more couples arrived. It is a new seafood restaurant and very unusual because it’s open for dinner. (Cubierto S/.12) We shared an excellent tiradito de pejerrey S/.20, pulpito brasas S/.26, chupe de langostino S/.30, Casa Silva Carmenere S/.65 and for dessert crocantes S/.14. The food total was S/.138.76 + IGA S/.26.36 + Servicio 10% S/.13.88 = S/.179. Our rating: 8.5/10

El Señorio de Sulco, Av. Malecon Cisneros 1470, Miraflores, fono: 441-0183, Our rating 5. There were only 4 tables of customers at this large restaurant and yet the service was awful. The wine we ordered didn't arrive until we had finished our starter. Admittedly the starter, a tomalito verde (S/.9) came fast and was good even without the wine. As soon as the starter was finished, our main arrived. We shared an asado limeño (S/.35) with a lima bean purée. It was like pot roast but tough (and fatty). The sauce couldn't redeem the dish and the purée was tasteless. The wine we ordered, which finally arrived, was a delicious and well-priced Segú Reserva 2004 Carmenere (S/.75). We also shared an order of picarones (S/.12) but they had no crunch and were swimming in syrup. The total was S/.151

Fusión (de Rafael Piqueras), Choquehuanca 714, San Isidro, fono: (51-1) 422-7600,, e-mail: fusion@speedy.com.pe Our rating: 9/10. We were very impressed both times we ate at Fusión. The clean lines of the rooms, the separate no smoking room, the excellent service and the fabulous food were a delight to experience. Rafael Piqueras is charming when he makes his frequent visits to the tables. (Cubierto x 2 = 24, Errazuriz Estate Reserva Carmenere S/.79, We shared conitos crocantes marinos as a starter S/.26 and pechuga de pata caramelizata for a main S/.48, 2 agua S/.10, 2 expresso S/.14, 1 merengado de chirimoya S/.19, 1 tartita caliente rellena de chocolata S/.19 = 239 + tip. Our newest favorite!

Huaca Pucllana, General Borgoño, cdra. 8, Huaca Pucllana, Miraflores, 445-4042, web: http://www.resthuacapucllana.com/ Our rating 8/10. We read all of the reviews and were careful ordering. We had a great meal with excellent service. The dramatic setting, the music and dancing, and the design and décor of the building created a perfect stage set for the meal. We shared Anticuchos de cordero (S/.24), Canilla de cordero (S.49), Mont Gras Colchagua Valley Chile Carmenere 2005 (S/.90), and a rice pudding (S/.22). Our bill was S/.217 and definitely worth it.

The folkloric dancing was great, with the Huaca Pucllana ruins in the background, at the restaurant by the same name.

Jose Antonio, El Restaurant Criollo de Lima, Jr. Bernardo Montegudo No. 200, Urb Orrantia Lima, Lima, San Isidro, fono: 264-3284, web: www.joseantonio.com.pe: Our rating: 6/10. There was nothing special about this restaurant. We went for dinner at about 8pm (on a Monday) and the huge restaurant was practically empty (and stayed that way until we left). We had dishes that are legendary Peruvian dishes, such as Lomo Saltado—not tasty enough.

La Casa de Don Cucho, Hacienda Casa Blanca, Calle 8, Lote 14A, Pachamacha fono: 231-1415. Our rating 5/10. We went for lunch with the American and Canadian Association of Perú and Don Cucho gave a demonstration of how to make cebiche. Included in the pp price of S/.75 was a delicious (but powerful) pisco sour (with lots of thick foam). The cebiche was made with talipia and too much ice and we didn’t think it was good. The main course was roasted duck with rice. The duck was tough and not tasty. The lunch was fun because of the social aspect but the food would not warrant a return visit.

La Gloria, Atahualpa 201, Miraflores. Our rating: 6/10. The food was tasty but it was presented in an old-fashioned manner (and our starter of rinoncito was under-cooked and had to be sent back to the kitchen). The service was over-bearing, bordering on unpleasant. The room is small, more crowded than a French bistro, the guests were loud and the casually dressed owner flitting around was annoying. The food could not compensate for the other deficiencies in the restaurant and it was too expensive as well.

La Mar (de Astrid Gutsche y Gastón Acurio), Av. La Mar 770, Miraflores, fono: 421-3365 Our rating 7.5/10. S/.95 with tip. They served while we were waiting for a table chanchita salada and fried potato, banana, and camote chips with dips. The wait was about half-hour. We ordered ostras crocante and octopus grilled. The octopus was delicious and tender. The oysters were good but the batter they were fried in wasn't a hit with us. For dessert, we had a combination of 3 granitas. We had coffee and were given a mint sorbet afterward. It was very crowded and it is an open restaurant with gas heaters. There isn't a separate no-smoking area. However, the tables are not close together and we weren't bothered by smokers. It was fun to be at such an "in" place with good food.

La Red, La Mar 391, Sta. Cruz, Miraflores, fono 441-1026, e-mail: cebichelared@hotmail.com, web: www.cebichelared.com Our rating 7/10. It is a simple fish restaurant only open for lunch. The dueña was behind the counter and interested to know if we enjoyed our food. We did. The dish we shared was full of good mariscos.

Las Brasas, Av. La Mar 1292-1296, Miraflores, fono: 421-1660, 421-1618, e-mail: rcorporativos@speedy.com.pe. Our rating: 8/10. This restaurant was opened around the end of 2006. It is owned by the same people as own El Ancla and the restaurants are connected. This meat restaurant is excellent and so is the service.

Malabar (de Pedro Miguel Schiaffino), Av. Camino Real 101, San Isidro, fono: 440-5200. Our rating 4/10 and we didn’t even stay for dinner. There is one large room with the bar at one end, followed by a couple of stairs up where the smoking section of the dining room is and then the non-smoking section. We sat in the far end of the room in the non-smoking area. There was a group of men in the bar making a great deal of noise. There were very few customers in the dining room. We ordered water and our food. The racket from the bar was awful. When we learned that the group was going to sit near us, we called the headwaiter over and asked if there was anything he could do. He said no, suggested a few other restaurants in San Isidro and we left.

Makoto, Loc 207, LarcoMar, Miraflores, fono 444-5030: Our rating 8/10. We had a great lunch of traditional Japanese “chawan mushi” and fish head soup at Larcomar and it wasn’t expensive.

Matsuei, Manuel Bañon 260, San Isidro, fono 422-4323, Lima 27: Our rating: 5.5/10. Not outstanding. The fish for the sushi and sashimi was uninteresting: tuna and salmon and not sweet enough anyway. The main course steamed fish was overcooked and so were the vegetables in the dish (we complained and were only charged half price for the dish). The benches are uncomfortable and the bar is too crowded.

Osaka, Av. Conqistadores 999, San Isirdro, fono 421-7819, e-mail: osakalima@yahoo.com: Our rating 8/10. We enjoyed the food at this restaurant very much. They serve a lovely "amuse bouche". We had 2 mains of perfectly prepared fish. It cost S/.136.83 US $44.56 for 2 with 1 glass of wine and tea. The non-smoking room was too cold and one waiter kept turning the a/c back on. We finally moved to a table away from the draft and were happy.

Punto Azul, San Martín 595, Miraflores, fono: 445-8078 Our rating: 7/10 Soup de pesca and mussels were delicious. S/.24

Punto Sal, (de Adolfo Perret, Supermo gurú del cebiche), Miraflores: Our rating 8/10. We’ve been to two locations of this restaurant and have eaten well each time we’ve been there. There is old-fashioned great service too. It would be great if it were open for dinner too.

Rafael (de Rafael Osterling Letts), Calle San Martín 300, Miraflores, fono 242-4149: Our rating: 9/10 the first time and 8/10 the second time. We had a great meal with wonderful service. The room is crowded, like a French bistro, but not objectionable. There were ashtrays on the tables and when we asked for a non-smoking area, the waiters simply removed all of the ashtrays. We shared the fois gras asado (S/.48), the mero rostizado en jugo de tinta (S/.48), ravioles de mango (S/.23), and la chocolaterie (S/.24). The food we ordered was delicious “amuse-bouche” was innovative too. The second time we went to this restaurant the service was not as good as it had been. The food was really good, however.

Rodrigo (de Rodrigo Conroy), Av. Francisco de Paula 231, Miraflores, fono 446-0985: Our rating: 9/10. This may well be our favorite restaurant in Lima. The room is modern and lovely in black and white. The service was excellent and the food was exceptionally good and creative. The “amuse bouche” was a fabulous assortment of 6 tastes. We shared a carpaccio langosta (S/.36), a mero bullabesa (S/.49) , had a bottle of Navarro Correa Sauvignon Blanc (Argentina) (S/.85) and for dessert, a bizcocho de almendras (S/.22). Rodrigo came to our table to greet us; something we like very much. The second time we went we had another great meal but not as good as the first time.

Siam Thai, Caminos de Inca No 467, Chacarilla del Estansque Sucro 372-0680, e-mail: siamthaicusine@yahoo.com: Our rating 8/10. We were delighted with the authentic enough tastes and the variety. A difficult-to-find dish: mee grob (crispy fried noodles) was delicious. Our total was S/.131 for a soup, a fish curry, rice, mee grob, a dessert, and tea.

T’Anta (de Astrid Gutsche), Av. 28 de Julio 888, Miraflores, fono: 447-8377, Our rating 7.5/10 (because it’s a casual deli-kind of place). It is a deli with a difference. It’s trendy without being pretentious. It has innovative food and it’s possible to eat light. The seating at the banquette is a bit uncomfortable. We paid S./.80 for a light meal. (5 tapas, ensalada de perjerrey S/.22, copa de vino S/. 15, cusquesa s/.8, cafe S/.4.50, arroz con leche S/.7) The other locations are: T'anta, Prolongación Primavera 692, Sucre, fono (51 1) 372-3528, e-mail: chacarilla@tanta.com.pe; T'anta, Pancho Fierro 177, San Isidro, fono: (51-1) 421-9708, e-mail: sanisidro@tanta.com.pe; T'anta, Pasaje Nicolás de rivera de Viejo 142-148, [Lima?],fono: 428-3115, e-mail: lima@tanta.com.pe)

Toshiros (de Toshiro Konishi), Av. Conquistadores 450, San Isidro, fono 221-7243: Our rating: 8/10. This is more than just a sushi/sashimi restaurant. For a restaurant to call itself Japanese, it must have udon soups and chawan mushi. Toshiros makes one of the best chawan mushis we have ever tasted in the world!