Peru’s No.

1 Nikkei destination in a stylish setting

What it’s all about: Maido, meaning ‘welcome’ in Japanese, is the flagship restaurant of chef Mitsuharu

‘Micha’ Tsumura, serving an inventive tasting menu of Peruvian-Japanese bites alongside à la carte options

and a classic sushi counter. In a stylish room decorated with coloured ropes in the formation of the Japanese

flag, it’s a popular setting for business dinners and special occasions, as well as for destination diners looking

to sample Lima’s best offerings.

About the chef: A Lima-born Peruvian Nikkei, Tsumura was encouraged by his father to turn his passion for

cooking into a profession and, after studying culinary arts in the US, he went to Japan to learn about his

cultural and culinary heritage. Though he spent many months washing dishes, he learned vital knife skills and

eventually how to cook rice and make sushi. He took a job at the Sheraton on returning to Lima and, some

years later, opened Maido, which was rose to No.2 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016.

On the menu: Maido’s tasting menus are a colourful journey through Nikkei cuisine, with highlights including a

fish hotdog, nigari from the catch of the day, dim sum with squid and sea snail cau-cau, and sea urchin rice.

Other ventures: Tsumura recently opened Sushi Pop, a casual sushi chain in Lima with delivery options, and

he is also opening restaurants in Chile, and Macau.

On the pass

 Mitsuharu 'Micha' Tsumura

Pastry chef

 Dalila Sifuentes Arevalo

Style of food

 Nikkei

Standout dish

 Cau Cau dim sum with sea snail

Contact

 399 San Martin Street, Miraflores, Lima

+51 1 447 7554
 http://maido.pe/
 Central
LIMA, PERU
No.6

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A showcase of colour and diversity from all over Peru

What makes it special: Chefs Virgilio Martínez and Pía León’s flagship restaurant is a shrine to everything

that is Peruvian, including many ingredients that are seldom served elsewhere. The husband-and-wife team

have been travelling the length and breadth of the country for several years to source interesting and unique

produce from land, sea and mountains.

On the menu: Martínez and León like to play with the many varieties of corn, potato and much more obscure

products offered by Peru’s vastly biodiverse landscape. Classics include Land of Corn and Extreme Stems,

with newer dishes such as Waters of Nanay featuring piranha fish served in an entire, sharp-tooth-filled

piranha head. The menu explores every altitude, from 20 metres below sea level to 4,100 metres above it, in

17+ courses.

Central family: Martínez and León got married four days after the awards ceremony for The World’s 50 Best

Restaurants in 2013, where they celebrated Central’s first appearance on the list. León runs the kitchen day-to-

day while Martínez still oversees the menu. The couple run together, work together and travel together, often in

search of new ingredients with Martínez’s sister, Malena.

Other ventures: Central has left its original location in Lima’s Miraflores district for a new home in the arty

Barranco neighbourhood, where Malena Martínez will run their Mater Iniciativa research project from a larger

base. León opens her first solo restaurant, named Kjolle, at the end of July 2018 in the same spot. Earlier in

2018, the team opened Mil restaurant in Cuzco and they now have their sights set on a project in the Amazon

next year. Watch this space.

Images: Cesar del Río, Gustavo Vivanco

On the pass
 Virgilio Martínez (pictured) and Pia León

Pastry chef

 Annia Ortiz

Style of food

 Contemporary Peruvian

Standout dish

 Diversity of Corn

Contact

 Jr. Dos de Mayo 253, Barranco, Lima

+51 1 242 8515
 http://centralrestaurante.com.pe

Astrid y Gastón
LIMA, PERU
No.39
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Exemplary Peruvian cuisine from one of Latin America’s greatest cooks

What’s it all about: This is where the magic began, the first establishment helmed by chef and patron saint of

modern Peruvian cuisine Gastón Acurio – who fortunately jacked in his law degree for hospitality – and pastry

chef wife Astrid Gutsche. Opened in 1994, over the years the restaurant and its owners have grown

exponentially, changing concept to focus exclusively on Peruvian culture, dishes and ingredients, as well as

moving house: the eponymous restaurant relocated to Casa Moreyra in Lima’s San Isidro district in 2014.

What makes it special: All areas are finely tuned at Astrid y Gastón, starting with the most recent menu, a

tribute to Lima. Star dishes served à la carte or as part of the tasting menu include Peking-style guinea pig

bao, grilled octopus with a pseudo-cereal salad and lucuma gnocchi. Chef patron Gastón – who picked up the

2018 Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award – and his team have taken home a cluster of accolades over

the years, ranking first in the inaugural Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2013, the Art of Hospitality

Award in 2017 and Latin America’s Best Pastry Chef for Gutsche in 2015.

The space: With a past dating back 300 years, Casa Moreyra continues to make history but of a gastronomic

kind. The former plantation house is home to a bar, private rooms, development kitchen, patio and kitchen

garden; the tasting menu kicks off outside on the lovely terrace before moving into a minimalist salon.
 Other projects: Peru’s gastronomic ambassador has found time to open El Bodegón in Lima, penPeru: The

Cookbook, launch LatinoAmerica Cocina with Buenos Aires restaurant Don Julio and he’s currently working

with the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú to found the country’s first gastronomic university.

Images: Acurio Restaurantes

On the pass

 Chef-owner Gastón Acurio (pictured) with Juan David Ocampo

Pastry chef

 Astrid Gutsche

Style of food

 Peruvian

Standout dish

 Three ceviche testing

Contact

 Av. Paz Soldán 290, San Isidro, Lima 27

+511 442 2775
 http://www.astridygaston.com
 Isolina
Lima, Peru

On the pass:
José del Castillo

Style of food:
Traditional Peruvian

Standout dish:
Beef short rib stew

Contact:
Avenida San Martín Prolongación 101, Barranco, Lima
+51 1 2475075
http://isolina.pe
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No.13
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A homage to Lima’s traditional home cooking, creole taverns and
the chef’s mother
Chief reason to visit: Chef José del Castillo is giving back to Lima the ultimate comfort food experience,
recreating the feeling of a mother’s love at the table with delicious and nostalgic food in generous sharing portions. Set in a
historic house in Barranco – the favourite area in Lima for bohemians, artists and intellectuals – it has the authentic
ambience of an old family home.
A few words on the chef: Castillo started to cook at the age of nine, working at the family’s La Red Cevichería
with his mother and brothers for many years. He studied business to help the family enterprise and later trained as a chef,
starting to cook professionally in 2000, and opened Isolina in 2015.
Typical dishes: Isolina serves many dishes using offal and seafood, including cau cau con sangrecita (tripe and
potato stew with fried blood), brain tortilla, liver and onions, and octopus chicharrón (a take on pork scratchings, made with
octopus).
Other ventures: The family owns two La Red Cevicherías in the city – one in the San Miguel district and one in
Miraflores.

Images: Carlos Vela

 La Mar
Lima, Peru

On the pass:
Gustavo Montestruque

Style of food:
Cevichería

Standout dish:
Classic ceviche

Contact:
Av. La Mar 770, Miraflores, Lima
+51 1 421 3365
http://www.lamarcebicheria.com/lima/
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No.17
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Lima institution continues to wow diners with a vast array of
ceviche
Chief reason to visit: To mix with Lima’s buzzing foodie crowd and sample chef Gustavo Montestruque’s
creative repertoire of ceviches that include octopus, sea urchin, shrimp and grouper – along with a pisco sour or two.
A few words on the chef: A graduate of Cordon Bleu Peru, Montestruque worked in renowned Lima
restaurants Mayta and Cosme and even did an internship at El Celler de Can Roca in Spain. In 2016, he joined Gastón
Acurio’s group of restaurants working at Panchita and Papacho’s, before taking over the kitchen at La Mar in 2017.
Typical dishes: Chalaca de causas, featuring crab, sand smelt crackling, avocado and tartare sauce. The classic
ceviche is also a must-eat.
What’s the vibe? This is a no-reservations joint – and hugely popular – so expect to queue. Known for its pisco-led
cocktails as well as its seafood, La Mar is relaxed limeño dining at its best.
What else: La Mar takes its social responsibility seriously by promoting sustainable seafood sourcing. It only uses
fresh fish of the day in order to alleviate over-exploited fish species.

Images: Archivo La Mar

 Rafael
Lima, Peru

On the pass:
Rafael Osterling (pictured) with Rodrigo Alzamora

Style of food:
Modern Peruvian-Italian with Nikkei influences

Standout dish:
Beef gizzards, sweet peas and truffle butter

Contact:
Calle San Martín 300, Miraflores, Lima
+51 1 242 4149
http://www.rafaelosterling.pe
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No.16
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Influential chef explores the diverse culinary heritage of Peru
Chief reason to visit: Rafael Osterling's eponymous restaurant, housed in a beautiful Art Deco townhouse in the
chic Miraflores area, celebrates Peru's eclectic food culture.
What to eat: The menu draws on Peru's diverse culinary heritage, fusing traditional native ingredients with Italian,
Asian and Nikkei influences. Think everything from ceviche and tiraditos to pizza and sashimi. Stand-outs include grilled
octopus with pimento chimichurri, Kalamata olives and garlic confit.
About the chef: Osterling used to be a lawyer and was considering a diplomatic career before he decided to follow
his true calling, studying at Le Cordon Bleu and working in restaurants in Paris and London. He opened Rafael in 2000.
Other ventures: Osterling operates another Rafael in Bogotá, Colombia. He has recently opened Félix Brasserie in
Lima, where he also owns a ceviche restaurant, El Mercado, which has been lauded for its modern take on Peruvian cuisine.
What else? Osterling was the first Peruvian to receive a Gourmand World Cookbook Award for his book Rafael, El
Chef. In 2016, his book El Mercado: Homenaje a La Cocina Peruana won the Prestige Gourmand Award.

Images: Rodrigo Alzamora