This post should really be titled how to be a horrible blogger, or how to tell Shaye is super busy at the office since I seem to let months pass between posts. Ugh! So alright, Bolivia was beautiful and the food was delicious albeit not so great for my weak stomach. This didn’t bode well for a culinary adventure in Peru, but I sucked it up and did my best!

As much as eating at 3 of the top restaurants in the world is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me over one weekend, it was surprisingly a chore. Yes, a chore! Punch me in the face why don’t ya, but eating 48 courses in 48 hours when you needed an oxygen tank the day before is daunting.

The first steps when planning a culinary adventure is to know what’s hot at the moment. I bring you: The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Not to be confused with Michelin Star restaurants, this guide provides a comprehensive list of fine dining around the world and is inclusive of places Michelin hasn’t been yet.

Lucky for me, 2 of my friends from business school decided to get married in Lima! Even luckier, they gave me a +1! Luckiest… I finally have a beau of my own to keep me from eating tasting menus alone and is just as adventurous in the food department. So months in advance, I booked reservations at Central, Maido, and Astrid y Gaston.

Now for the reviews! And a few tips 🙂

1. Central

Ranking: 5th
Date Booked: August 10th for a November 10th lunch– 3 months in advance!
Dress Code: Smart casual, with some people really pushing the boundaries of casual
Location: Miraflores. Walking distance (15 min) from main hotels and Parque Kennedy
Lunch price: 510 soles per person (this has since gone up to 555 soles per person, or ~$175). Did not include wine pairing but after pairing at Maido we learned our lesson!
Deposit Required: 200 soles
Experience: 8/10. The highest rank of the 3 and the most avant garde. The 17 dishes are based on altitude and from all the different types of biodiversity in the country. I think they love the idea of art and pushing the envelope, which left something to be desired in the stomach. Half of the plating wasn’t edible, so it’s interesting to be told what you should eat, what you can eat, and what you definitely need to know is DECOR only.

2. Maido

Ranking: 8th
Date Booked: September 11th for a November 9th lunch– 2 months in advance.
Dress Code: Smart casual
Location: Miraflores. Walking distance (8 min) from main hotels and Parque Kennedy
Lunch price: 415 soles per person (this has since gone up to 450 soles per person, or ~$140) Does not include wine pairing which was how they got us…
Deposit Required: 300 soles
Experience: 10/10. Peruvian and asian fusion! Sushi! Whatever “nikkei” stands for! You know this is an amazing place when you and your boyfriend are so entranced by the food that the iphones stay put away and you miss capturing photos of half of your meal. I would go back here in a heartbeat. The venue is gorgeous, food delicious, and this was one of those oh my god meals that made it into my top 5 meals of all time.

3. Astrid y Gaston

Ranking: 33rd
Date Booked: September 1st for a November 9th dinner– 2 months in advance.
Dress Code: Slightly dressy
Location: San Isidro. Need a cab from Miraflores!
Dinner price: Cheaper than the others, but honestly I can’t remember because they gave us a custom bill at the end.
Deposit Required: Nothing!
Experience: 7/10. Closer to a 6.5 Not completely AyG’s fault, I was at my most sick and most unable to complete the tasting menu at this point. I made it through 40% of the menu before asking them to let me quit (the most shameful moment of my life). This is also why our bill varied. I still found joy in watching my boyfriend eat his food in front of me, so this is also his rating based on how it was for him. The first few dishes were awkward and didn’t have a wow factor. The food itself wasn’t great? However, as the meal went on he got way more excited and told me it got more delicious. Plus, they gave us a selection of handmade chocolates. Amazing building and easy to get a res!

Overall, these restaurants are such a deal. Similar spots in Europe would be several hundreds more for a meal, so if you can get to Lima, do it!