Central

Top choice in Lima


Part restaurant, part laboratory, Central reinvents Andean cuisine and rescues age-old Peruvian ingredients not used elsewhere. Dining is an experience, evidenced by tender native potatoes served in edible clay. Chef Virgilio Martinez wants you to taste the Andes. He paid his dues in Europe and Asia's top kitchens, but it's his work here that dazzles.

Seafood – such as the charred octopus starter – is a star, but classics like suckling pig served with pickled vegetables and spiced squash deliver. A menu supplied by sustainable fishing and organic gardens enhance the ultra-fresh appeal.