a lima food tour
For any foodie, Peru is the ultimate destination and Lima is its Mecca.
Peru has been named the best culinary place in the world for the past 6 years in a row; a coincidence it is not. Peru's cuisine has been heavily influenced by the influx of immigrants over the past several hundred years, creating the most delicious mix of flavours, cooking techniques and fascinating stories behind each dish.
Whilst in Lima, we knew we wanted to do a food tour and taste the very best of Peruvian food, so we teamed up with The Lima Gourmet Company for an exquisite food tour, which showcases the best gastronomy in Lima from the very best of restaurants. Our experience with The Lima Gourmet Company was one of the best things we done in Peru, and one of the best food tours we've done anywhere in the world. We learned so much about Peruvian food and tasted the most mouthwatering dishes. The tour takes you to unique and award winning restaurants in the city, as well as one that is named in the top 50 restaurants in the Latin America!
From Pisco sours, to Amazonian food; this was our Lima food tour experience with The Lima Gourmet Company.
first stop - a pisco sour sunset
Our Lima food tour started around 4.30pm in the afternoon when we were picked up from our accommodation in Lima by our wonderful guide Jossy and driver Juan. Once we had collected the rest of the group, it was time for the food tour to start, with the first stop at the beautiful beachfront restaurant La Trastienda to try some famous Pisco Sours. We watched the skilled barman at La Trastienda make the Pisco sour, then enjoyed our drink whilst watching the sunset and getting to know everyone else on our tour.
Throughout the journey to the restaurant and whilst in La Trastienda, Jossy explained exactly what Peruvian cuisine was and the fascinating history behind it.
next stop - tasting food from the amazon
After La Trastienda, we made our way to Amaz which is rated in the top 50 restaurants in Latin America.
Situated in Miraflores, legendary chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino specialises in creating dishes using ingredients from the Amazon. He began his research into indigenous ingredients back in 2001 and studied various regions of the rainforest for years. Amaz is the culmination of years of his research into native, Peruvian ingredients and he showcases this produce which indigenous people have used for centuries in a modern way.
The food at Amaz is as delicious as it is surprising; we tasted ingredients we had never heard of before and even had a go at making our own ceviche made from plantain as opposed to fish. Amaz is one of the best restaurants we've ever eaten in, plus the wooden and rainforest style of the restaurant made it a unique dining experience. We tried a variety of different dishes, with Jossy explaining each one and how it is made. To visit a restaurant like Amaz is an experience in itself; but it was only the 2nd stop on our food tour!
third stop - dining at PRE-inca ruins
As far as restaurant settings go, dining in an open restaurant whilst overlooking pre-Inca ruins is pretty incredible, and that's exactly what we got at Huaca Pucllana. The restaurant, named after the Huaca Pucllana ruins themselves enables diners to try the very best of Peruvian cuisine whilst overlooking one of the most important ruins in this region of Peru. Estimated to have been built in 500AD, these ruins are still being excavated. The restaurants itself takes classic Peruvian dishes and serves them in a fine dining way. Being able to sample local food whilst being surrounded by a breathtaking piece of history was one dining experience we won't forget.
final stop - ice cream in barRanco
By this point in the tour we were feeling pretty full, however everyone had room for an ice-cream and were happy to take a wander around the romantic area of Barranco enjoying our final snack. Jossy took us to a delicious ice-cream shop with a huge range of flavours, and then shared some history of this area of Lima with us. It was a warm night, so a sweet treat and a short walk through this part of the city was a lovely way to end the evening before being dropped back off at our accommodation.
We loved our experience with The Lima Gourmet Company, and honestly couldn't recommend it enough. Lima is literally brimming with the most incredible restaurants and is home to 3 which feature in the Top 50 in the World, as well as countless other award winning eateries. It can be overwhelming to know where to start; especially as there is such a fusion of food in Peru. With this food tour we were able to gain an understanding of Peruvian cuisine and its flavours, as well as understand why this country has been named the top culinary destination in the world since 2011. For foodies, or really anyone who enjoys a good meal and wants to learn more about Peru then this is the perfect way to see Lima.
Half This World Away was a guest with The Lima Gourmet Company however all opinions, as always, remain our own.
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