The business and embassy district, home to Astrid y Gaston's Casa Moreyra hacienda, Cosme and Carnaval cocktail bar, plus upscale hotel dining rooms.
Astrid y Gaston at Casa Moreyra in San Isidro is Gaston Acurio and Astrid Gutsche's 1994 flagship, in a 17th-century San Isidro hacienda from 2014.
Signature: Cuy pekines, Tasting menu, Tiraditos
Order: The tasting menu, anchored by the cuy pekines (Peking-style guinea pig).
Tip: Closed Mondays; request the patio of the hacienda 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 beef tartare.
Tip: Sunday lunch is the easier reservation; closed for dinner Sunday.
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.
The Coffee Road at Av Guillermo Prescott 365 in San Isidro is Alejandro Chu's 2014 Lima specialty cafe, working Peruvian beans across many brew methods.
Signature drink: Single-origin Peruvian filter and espresso
Tip: Coffee hour 16:00-17:00 runs 2-for-1 on espresso; pet-friendly with board games.
Sienna Bakery at Calle Los Laureles 515 in San Isidro Lima is a French-Peruvian patisserie cafe with butter croissants, bombas and viennoiserie all day.
Tip: Sit-down cafe seating; arrive before 09:30 weekends for the bomba batch fresh from the oven.
Worth the queue: Croissants and bombas
The Coffee Road at Av Guillermo Prescott 365 in San Isidro is Alejandro Chu's 2014 Lima specialty cafe and roaster, working Peruvian beans across methods.
Tip: Coffee hour 16:00-17:00 runs 2-for-1 on espresso; ask for the Cajamarca natural.
Sources from: Cajamarca, Cusco, Junin
How they serve: Espresso, V60, Chemex, Whole bean retail
Puku Puku at Av Pardo y Aliaga 695 in San Isidro is the 2020 Peruvian roaster of direct-trade microlots, twelve Lima cafes across Miraflores and San Isidro.
Tip: Larcomar and Larco 1285 are the other Miraflores branches; Narciso de la Colina 297 is the original Miraflores cafe.
Sources from: Cajamarca, Cusco, Junin, Amazonas
How they serve: Espresso, V60, Whole bean retail, Direct-trade microlots
Notas de Cata at Av Conquistadores 512 in San Isidro Lima is the Peruvian wine bar and restaurant focused on South American producers and Ica valley flights.
Signature pour: Tacama and Tabernero flights from Ica
Wine focus: South American wines and Peruvian Ica producers
Food: Wine-paired Peruvian small plates
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays; the Ica flight is the order for tasting Peruvian terroir.
Carnaval at Av Pardo y Aliaga 662 in San Isidro Lima is the Peruvian temple cocktail bar founded 2018, an Ice Room programme and 70 cocktail menu.
Signature drink: Carnaval (Beefeater 24, pineapple chartreuse, lime, witbier)
Food: Snacks and Peruvian small plates
Order: The Carnaval signature, plus a pisco-base off the special menu.
Tip: Closed Sundays; reservation strongly recommended weekends Standing room when busy.
Bar Ingles at Calle Los Eucaliptos 590 in San Isidro Lima is the Country Club Lima Hotel's near-century-old wood-panelled bar, the canonical pisco sour pour.
Signature drink: Pisco sour Country Club style
Food: Sandwiches and small plates from the hotel kitchen
Order: The Country Club pisco sour, often cited as Lima's best, with a butifarra to share.
Tip: No reservations Thursday to Saturday; arrive before 19:00 for a seat at the marble bar.