Must-Try Foods
- Ceviche: Raw fish cured in lime juice with red onion and ají chilli; in Lima it is a lunch dish and rarely served at night.
- Lomo saltado: Beef, onion and tomato stir-fried in a wok with soy sauce, served with fries and rice; a Chinese-Peruvian creation.
- Anticuchos: Marinated beef heart grilled on skewers; the classic of the evening street carts.
- Causa rellena: Layers of yellow potato purée filled with tuna or chicken and avocado; eaten cold.
- Ají de gallina: Shredded chicken in a creamy yellow-chilli and walnut sauce, served with rice and boiled potato.
- Chifa: Peruvian-Cantonese cooking; arroz chaufa and tallarín saltado in the eateries of Barrio Chino.
- Picarones and pisco sour: Fried pumpkin and sweet-potato rings with syrup, and the national cocktail made with pisco.
Where to Eat
In Miraflores along the cevichería strip of Av. Mariscal La Mar, at Mercado de Mendiburu and around Parque Kennedy; in bohemian Barranco; at Mercado N°1 in Surquillo; in the chifa eateries of Barrio Chino / Calle Capón in the historic centre; and in San Isidro.
Quick Info
Ceviche is a lunch dish; most cevicherías close in the afternoon. Surquillo market’s ceviche counters are freshest between 07:30 and 10:00. Markets and street carts run on cash; restaurants take cards and a small tip is customary. Pick busy anticucho carts that keep the grill going. On Saturdays Barranco hosts the Bioferia organic market.
Upcoming Event
Pan American Games Lima 2027: 23 July to 8 August 2027; the dates were moved in January 2026, so verify with the organiser (Panam Sports). Expect busy cevicherías in Miraflores and San Isidro during the Games; go early for lunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lima famous for food-wise?
Ceviche, lomo saltado, anticuchos, causa and ají de gallina, with chifa and pisco sour on the side.
When should you eat ceviche in Lima?
At lunch; most cevicherías are closed in the evening.
Is street food safe in Lima?
At busy stalls that cook continuously, yes; the evening anticucho carts are a local institution.
Sources
- The Only Peru Guide — Lima food guide — https://www.theonlyperuguide.com/research/lima-food-guide-best-restaurants-street-food-cooking-classes/ — accessed: 2026-11-01
- Table Journey — Mercado N°1 Surquillo — https://tablejourney.com/peru/lima/markets/mercado-n1-surquillo/ — accessed: 2026-11-01
- Canadian Olympic Committee — Lima 2027 — https://olympic.ca/games/lima-2027/ — accessed: 2026-11-01