265092 Thu Dec 23 08:21:23 -0800 2004 5 26 International 0 1399422 Any recommendations for Lima and Cusco? Going in a few weeks and am not having an easy time tracking down restaurant info? (also Arequepa).... Thu Dec 23 08:21:23 -0800 2004 0 PollyG 1 1399428 Below is a pointer to a fairly recent Grubpost. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/264283#1396420 Thu Dec 23 16:52:17 -0800 2004 1399422 0 Mr Grub 2 1399466 When you're in Lima be sure to eat at a few cevicherias. I ate at one several years ago in Miraflores. You tell them what kind of fish/seafood want and they marinate it for you. One of the best meals I have ever eaten! The ceviche is flavored with a wonderful chile called 'aji' and served with sweet potatoes and fried corn kernels. We were also served a small cocktail with a flavor similar to the marinade. have fun. also be sure to sample pisco sours Mon Dec 27 07:41:29 -0800 2004 1399428 0 msfoob 1 1399449 I just came back from Lima, and you are in for a treat- what great food. Names of restaurants that I remember are Pescados Capitales (in San Isidro) and Rafael (in Miraflores). Great seafood in both. There is also a beautiful, very good restaurant in the beach, that goes into the sea. I cannot remember the name, but if you ask they will tell you, it's very famous. By all means have as much ceviche and tiradito as you can (tiradito is a type of ceviche in which the fish is cut in stripes, rather than cubes)- the one with aji panca is a little heavier but very good, although I prefer the citrus based ones. Also, great octopus, and don't miss the papas a la huancaina - potatoes with spicy sauce- and causa rellena- a kind of potatoe puree with seafood. Most fish will be good, and food is great everywhere. Also try lucuma, a fantastic fruit, and chirtimoya. They makes juices and deserts. Enjoy! Sat Dec 25 22:52:28 -0800 2004 1399422 0 adamandeve 1 1399495 The name of the fancy restaurant is La Rosa Nautica.Another great seafood place is Alfresco. Tue Dec 28 21:13:14 -0800 2004 1399422 0 adamandeve 1 1399497 Arrived back from Peru this morning. Our food experience was excellent throughout Peru. They have wonderful ingredients to start with! In Lima our two best meals were at Rosa Nautica, a wonderful fish-focussed restaurant in Miraflores --- overlooking the ocean, and at Las Brujas de Cachiche, also in Miraflores. Both are expensive in Peru terms and a bit "obvious". But the food was wonderful. The waiter in Rosa Nautica was particularly helpful and friendly --- order from the "Rondes" for starters and get a wonderful selection and variety of sparckling fresh fish dishes. The mixed grills seafood for 2 was exquisite, with scallops with row, juicy octopus, sweet shrimp as well as fantastic oyster mushrooms. The waiter also recommended a dish called "black rice" -- made with squid ink, but wholly different from anything we'd ever had. Full of sea flavors and mystery. Brujas de Cachiche is rather self-consciously mouvelle, but everything was brilliant. We had several ceviche dishes, and a tripe in chili sauce that we got nowhere else in Peru. Everything carefully prepared, with distinctive flavors and beautiful, elegant presentation. We tried to return on our last night in Lima, but it was closed on Mondays. On the other side of the coin, we had lunch off Plaza Major on Jiron de la Union ( there are a bunch of luncheon places. We chose the one with the most local looking work people at lunch time, maybe the third one from the corner). Set three course lunches started at about $2 and went up to $5. My wife started with a terrific cerviche, my daughter had "fish strips" which was an excellent cerviche variation. The main courses were fine. But the price can't be beat. By the way, LarcoMar ( an interesting mall-like complex invisible from the road but hanging out over the cliff in Miraflores) there are a number of lovely places to sit and have sundaes and other drinks, watching the sun set quite spectacularly with parasails floating in the background. In Cuzco, we had an excellent meal at Pacha Papa on the Plaza San Blas. They have local foods, grills and pizza's (although we didn't try the pizza's). A caution, the main course portions are huge. We ordered far too much. Prices are medium. At the top end, we ate at a place called M.A.P. in a museum of Pre-Colombian Art. Expensive, it had trully remarkable dishes using local ingredients in new and inventive ways (confitte of Guinea Pig, par example), but with a nod to local cooking. The restaurant is a beautiful glass box enclosed in the museum courtyard, so diners are exhibited like pottery artifacts. Its a bit stuffy and you will find well-dressed and well-heeled people there. That didn't stop them from serving my jean and tee shirted family. The museum is open late, so you can check out the collection and then have your meal. It was truly worth the time and money. Cannot help you in Araquepa, but if you have time in Machu Picchu, make sure you go to the restaurant at the Pueblo Hotel. There are two. One is at the railroad line (didn't eat there) and one in the hotel proper (had an outstanding lunch there, with great views and service). If you go to Puno (lake Titikaka), you must go to La Casona on Jr.Lima 517. This was perhaps the best value for money we found in the country. Great food, friendly service, variety, a clear vision of local food with fresh ingrediants done extrememly well. If you are going to try Cuy (Guinea Pig), this is where I would do it. But everything is good, from their chicken soup (if your stomach has gone soft on you or not) to their crispy Kingfish (a local delicacy), it is a wonderful place. Tue Dec 28 22:59:52 -0800 2004 1399422 0 RiesesPieces