As you probably already know, Lima is one of the gastronomic capitals of the world. In fact, there’s not much to do in Lima except eat. A gastronomic tour in Lima is therefore a safe bet! Sure, the historic center and Barranco are nice areas to visit, but it can be done in a day or two if you like to take things slow. There may also be an interesting museum or two – but nothing to scare Paris or London. And that’s why most tourists don’t stay long in Lima. Forgive my French, but they have it all wrong! I’m more than sure we could easily plan an entire week of eating out in Lima without being bored for a minute! Take a look at our post which lists the best restaurants in Lima(according to U.S).
Lima Street Food Tour
If you take part in a food tour in Lima, not only will you eat delicious dishes and visit areas of the capital rich in history, but you will also be able to learn more about how the dishes are prepared, in what context they were created and how they have evolved over the years. Peru has one of the most diverse cuisines in the world, which is mainly due to two things: 1) a country very rich in biodiversity with hundreds of microclimates. And in fact, Lima is the epicenter of this melting pot. Well, sort of…
1. A gastronomic tour in Lima because… Lima is one of the world capitals of gastronomy.
As I said before, Lima is without a doubt one of the world capitals of gastronomy. We could start with rather objective facts such as the ranking of the 50 best restaurants in the world , which lists two restaurants located in Lima in its top 10: Central (#6) and Maido (#10). Restaurants such as Astrid y Gastón, La Mar, Rafael, Fiesta, La Picantería, Isolina, Mayta, Costanera 700 and Osso are also in the top 50 in Latin America.
2. Lima Gourmet Night
But fine dining is far from just a matter of sophisticated restaurants sponsored by rankings at swanky ceremonies. Most Peruvians don’t care about these things, yet they take great pride in their food. The one they eat every day, the one that reminds them of their grandparents… The one, abundant and tasty, that permeates the living room. The one they would passionately argue about as if it were a football match. The one we serve in our food circuits, in fact.
Peru is of course known for ceviche and pisco sour . But there are other dishes like lomo saltado , causa , ají de gallina , seco de res , anticuchos , to name a few, which still lack international visibility. Most, if not all of them, are in Lima, where there is literally a restaurant on every street corner – sometimes several in the same corner.
3. A Lima food tour because… You’ll taste foods and drinks you’ve never heard of before.
When you live in Europe or North America, you usually think that there are only two types of bananas: large and small. Cocoa ? And don’t get me started on peppers, potatoes and corn – there are so many that I don’t even know them all.
As part of our Barranco food tour , visitors have the opportunity to taste the fruits of lúcuma and chirimoya . The first grows practically only in Peru, and the second is native to the north of the country. I could also mention tuna , the fruit of an Andean cactus, which you can taste on our street food tour in the historic center of Lima .
4. Guided tour of Lima
There are eight varieties of grapes registered under the designation of origin for making pisco , and you probably won’t know them all without having set foot in the land of the Incas!
5. A food tour in Lima because… You’ll meet the locals in a way you couldn’t otherwise.
A good food tour, in our opinion, is one that takes visitors to places full of locals. Because who knows better than the locals? Well not always – KFCs are overflowing in Lima and we definitely won’t take you there unless you pay $500 per person and sign a waiver.
In our Lima Food Tour , for example, guests can actually meet and chat with talented chefs. These are three restaurants that represent, among other things, the new generation of the Lima food scene.
6. Alonso Villanueva Tribe
During our Barranco food tour , which by the way is also accessible to vegans, visitors will have the opportunity to participate in coffee and chocolate tasting sessions led by locals, see their ceviche being prepared at their table, as well as entering the kitchen of one of the most famous places in Lima to witness the preparation of the lomo saltado. Luxuries that would not be possible without meticulously crafted food tours like ours!