Suspiro a la limena is Lima's signature dessert: a layer of manjar blanco (dulce de leche) topped with port-flavoured Italian meringue and dusted with cinnamon, served in a glass.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
The name 'sigh of a Lima woman' was given by 19th-century poet and writer Jose Galvez Barrenechea to his wife Amparo Ayarza's recipe. The dish formalised in mid-19th-century Lima patisseries; queso fresco-fortified manjar replaced earlier almond-thickened versions. Now the canonical end of every criolla meal in Lima.
Common allergens: Dairy, Egg
Tip from the editors. The manjar should be the consistency of dulce de leche, not flowing. If too thin, simmer longer; if too thick, thin with a splash of evaporated milk.
El Bolivariano on Pasaje Santa Rosa in Pueblo Libre Lima is a criolla institution in a republican casona, far quieter than the Miraflores tourist axis.
Why locals love it: A republican casona in mid-city Pueblo Libre, off the Miraflores-Barranco tourist axis, with criolla tradition dating to the 1780s.
Tip: Open from 07:30 for breakfast tamales; Sunday lunch is the family-table service.
Astrid y Gaston at Casa Moreyra in San Isidro is the 1994 flagship of Gaston Acurio and Astrid Gutsche, in a 17th-century San Isidro hacienda from 2014.
Signature: Cuy pekines, Tasting menu, Tiraditos sequence
Order: The tasting menu, anchored by the cuy pekines, Peking-style guinea pig.
Tip: Closed Mondays; the patio of the hacienda is the seat to request when booking.
Cosme at Calle Tudela y Varela 162 in San Isidro is chef James Berckemeyer's comfort-Peruvian room, opened 2015 after training under Gaston Acurio.
Signature: Comfort-food tasting plates, Beef tartare, Modern aji de gallina
Order: The chef's tasting plates, anchored by the modern aji de gallina and the beef tartare.
Tip: Sunday lunch is the easier reservation; closed for dinner Sunday.
Isolina at Av San Martin 101 in Barranco is Jose del Castillo's 2015 criolla taberna, a tribute to his mother Isolina Vargas and her Lima home cooking.
Signature: Cau cau, Tacu tacu con lomo, Ceviche carretillero
Order: The tacu tacu with steak and a portion of the carretillero ceviche.
Tip: Weekend brunch service runs 09:00-11:00 before the regular lunch carta.
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