Eat well in Lima for under €15 a plate: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Lima for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Grimanesa Vargas at Calle Ignacio Merino 466 in Miraflores Lima serves beef-heart anticucho sticks from S/22, on TasteAtlas's best-anticucho list worldwide.
Try: Three sticks beef-heart anticuchos with corn and potato
Order: Three sticks anticuchos with choclo y papa and a chicha morada (around S/25).
Tip: Queue starts at 18:00; cash and card both accepted at the Miraflores fixed shop on Ignacio Merino.
Mercado N1 de Surquillo Lima ceviche stalls serve S/15-25 ceviche plates, the cheapest credible ceviche at Don Cevichero and Bam Bam Medrano food carts.
Try: Market-stall ceviche S/15-25
Order: Ceviche mixto with leche de tigre at Don Cevichero, on a stool at the stall.
Tip: Best at 11:30-13:00 when the fish is freshest; cash only at most stalls.
Bar Cordano at Jiron Carabaya 103 in Centro Historico Lima serves the canonical butifarra de jamon del pais and pisco sour from S/12, in the 1905 cantina.
Try: Butifarra de jamon del pais and pisco sour
Order: A butifarra de jamon del pais at the marble bar plus a pisco sour, total S/22.
Tip: Open from 08:00; reach early on weekends because tour groups fill it by 11:00.
La Lucha at Av Jose Larco 999 in Miraflores serves the canonical Lima criolla sandwich from S/15, the chicharron sandwich plus papas nativas plate till 02:00.
Try: Sandwich de chicharron with sweet potato chips
Order: Sandwich de chicharron with papas nativas and a chicha morada, total around S/25.
Tip: Open till 02:00 daily; the Diagonal 308 sister branch handles late evening crowd at Parque Kennedy.
El Chinito at Av Angamos Este 2482 in Surquillo serves the Lima chicharron sandwich from S/14 since 1960, the Felix Yong cathedral, 12 branches now.
Try: Chicharron sandwich S/14, pavo sandwich S/16
Order: Sandwich de chicharron plus pavo with a chicha morada (S/35).
Tip: The original 1960 shop is at Calle Chancay corner Zepita downtown; this Surquillo branch handles morning queues better.
Manolo at Av Jose Larco 608 in Miraflores serves churros and Spanish-style hot chocolate from S/10 since Juan Ruiz opened in 1968, the Larco churreria.
Try: Six churros con chocolate caliente S/18
Order: Half-dozen churros and a cup of thick chocolate at the marble counter (around S/18).
Tip: Open till midnight; the take-away counter handles dessert pickup, sit-down cafe upstairs serves the chocolate cup.
Pardos Chicken at Av Alfredo Benavides 730 in Miraflores is Lima's canonical pollo a la brasa house, quarter chicken with chips and salads from S/30.
Try: Pollo a la brasa quarter chicken with chips
Order: Quarter chicken pollo a la brasa with papas fritas and ensalada (around S/40).
Tip: Open till 01:00 Fri-Sat; the brand also runs Larcomar and Salaverry branches with the same carta.
Tanta Larcomar at Malecon de la Reserva 610 in Miraflores is Gaston Acurio's casual Peruvian chain in Larcomar, the lomo saltado and ceviche carta from S/35.
Try: Lomo saltado, ceviche, anticucho carta de Acurio
Order: Lomo saltado with chaufa and a chicha morada (around S/55).
Tip: Other Tanta branches: Av Felipe Salaverry 2370 (Jesus Maria), Pancho Fierro 115 (San Isidro), same carta everywhere.