5 Spots to Go Right Now: Lima

Rafael

“The place that’s made it easy to answer the ‘what’s your favorite restaurant?’ question. Rafa is about to celebrate its 26th anniversary, yet the restaurant feels as current and vibrant as ever. It’s about the art on the walls, the perfect martinis, and the white linen tables, but above all, it’s about the food. Not only the classics (their scallops and duck pasta are part of the fabric of Lima’s gastronomy), but also the new dishes from chefs Rodri and Gianca are what make this place feel so exciting all these years later.”

La Mar Cevichería Peruana · Lima

La Mar

“Lima’s seafood temple; a place that has nothing left to prove yet keeps proving itself anyways. It’s always been good, of course, and completely packed with the kind of five-hour-lunch buzz that’s only possible when the front-of-house team is as finely tuned as this one is. But in the past few years what Anthony Vásquez has been up to in the kitchen has been absurd; pairing an obsessive knowledge of and care for his ingredients and their traditions with a kind of childlike irreverence, creating dishes that are deeply his, but also ours.”

Siete · Lima

Siete

“All good restaurants are tied to a chef’s moods and obsessions, but few make that connection as palpable as Siete. You get a sense of where chef Ricardo Martins’s head is at from what comes out of his kitchen and the soundtrack he chooses for each service. Lately, he’s been playful and sharp in ways we haven’t seen in a while. His swordfish Reuben sandwich is back with an upgrade, and a new fish and uni tiradito with white tiger’s milk sits on the menu alongside the undisputed classics, like the Szechuan fish tortilla vaga and its iconic cheese tart.”

Demo + · Lima

Demo Más

“By now, Demo has earned an inarguable reputation as one of the best breakfast spots in town. It’s Juan Luis Martínez’s third triumph alongside Mérito and Clon. Now he’s expanding beyond the Barranco neighborhood for the first time, landing in neighboring Miraflores with Demo Más, an offshoot that takes Demo’s same sensibility into a neighborhood-bodega setting. Think: their genius arepas, sandwiches, pastries, and plenty of coffee, now roasted in-house at their own Rito Tostador. Plus, a new selection of items to take home, including their world-conquering tequeños.”

SALDELMAR · Lima

SALDELMAR

“When Héctor Solís closed the chapter on his beloved La Picantería in Surquillo (temporarily, we hope), he could’ve easily taken a breather to figure out what would come next. Instead, he opened Saldelmar, a continuation of Solís’ uncompromising quest to take the best and freshest seafood in directions that aren’t obvious—and it’s all good, from the more classic flavors to the bolder ones that come from the corners of Solís’ tireless imagination.”

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