Lima, Peru, has long been the unofficial gastronomic capital of South America. With flavours influenced by its Indigenous, Spanish, African and Asian cultural heritages, the city has seen a culinary renaissance since 1994, when the celebrated modern Peruvian restaurant opened. More recently, global attention heightened in 2023, when captured the top spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
The husband-and-wife team, chefs Virgilio Martinez and Pia León, serve an innovative tasting menu rooted in Indigenous Peruvian ingredients and cooking techniques. León also helms her own acclaimed restaurant, , where she celebrates the diversity of Peruvian ingredients through a nine-course tasting menu, served on gorgeous, handcrafted tableware made in collaboration with local artists. Her boundary-pushing culinary talent garnered her the title of “ ” (also by the World’s 50 Best) in 2021.
Acclaimed chef and restaurateur Pia León was born and raised in Lima, where she co-runs Central and helms Kjolle. All of this is to say: León is the tastemaker you would want to share travel tips for Lima, the place where she was born and raised. “Lima never ceases to amaze me,” she says.
“There is always a new concept to try or a pop-up, a new coffee shop or a new restaurant. The gastronomic community is a very active one. There’s always something going on.
” Here are just a few of León’s hometown recommendations. “Barranco is so picturesque,” says León of the cr.