It’s official: Peru has the best restaurant in the world in 2023

Peruvian cuisine has been gaining traction in the past two decades, but now, four restaurants in Lima have been awarded places on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, putting the country’s gastronomic experiences up onto a global pedestal in 2023. The capital was ranked more than any other city, and if that wasn’t enough, one of its eateries was crowned number one, making it the first South American nation to receive such honours. Here, we introduce you to the exquisite restaurants featured on the list, their chefs, and the food you might experience...

Central, Lima

Where on the list: No. 1

Central is a fine-dining restaurant in the Barranco neighbourhood, founded by Virgilio Martínez and his wife Pía Léon. According to World’s 50 Best, the restaurant transports diners through ‘15 different Peruvian ecosystems, categorised by altitude – from 15 metres under the Pacific Ocean to 4,200 metres up in the Andes’. It’s a real family affair, as Léon, Martínez and his sister Malena work together and often travel the country in the name of research, meeting producers and testing ingredients to inspire new dishes. Central first appeared in the World’s 50 Best list 10 years ago and has been rising steadily ever since.

More information: centralrestaurante.com.pe

Maido, Lima

Where on the list: No.6

Blending Japanese techniques with Peruvian produce, Maido is a unique culinary experience set up by Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumur. From Japanese origin, Tsumur was born in Lima, moving to Osaka to train in Japanese cuisine, before returning to his birth city and setting up Maido – meaning ‘Welcome’ in Japanese. Diners can choose from a 10-14 piece tasting menu, or an An à la carte menu, featuring seasonal products and catches of the day. Items you'll likely spot on the menu include Nigiris a lo Pobre (angus beef, quail egg and ponzu), and Nikkei Sudado (fried fish, shrimp dumpling, sudado stew reduction and mussels).

More information: maido.pe

Kjolle, Lima

Where on the list: No.28

You may recognise the name behind this restaurant. Pía León – the head chef at Central – returns to the list with her solo enterprise, Kjolle. León and her team spend months researching and deriving a menu that celebrates Peru’s pantry and ensures the natural flavours come through and ingredients are not manipulated too much. Kjolle's best-known dish is called Many Tubers, which World’s 50 Best described as “toasted yellow and red slices of olluco, an Andean potato-like root, held together by a creamy oca paste – a highland tuber – served on a tart made from cañihua dough, a cereal similar to quinoa”. In the past five years, León has also won first place in Latin America’s Best Female Chef (2018), followed by the World’s Best Female Chef (2021). 

More information: kjolle.com

Mayta, Lima

Where on the list: No.47

For the second year in a row, Mayta has made the World’s 50 Best list. In 2018, after being open for a decade, Mayta moved into a new premise and completely redesigned itself – both its interior and its cuisine. Now, Chef Jaime Pesaque’s 12-part tasting menu is what pulls in the crowds, with its focus on authentic Peruvian ingredients – expect to taste goat, scallops and Andean herbs. Its strong stance on sustainability has also gained it attention. For example, many dishes feature Amazonian paiche, a meaty fish that tastes similar to seabass, but destroys many species. Catching and eating this invasive fish helps to preserve the Amazon’s diverse ecosystem.

More information: maytalima.com

For more information on the World's 50 Best Restaurants and to see the full list for 2023, head to their official website

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