A Local’s Guide to Lima’s Superb Sustainable Spots
By Ana Lucia Calderon — March 2024
Machu Picchu, the seven-colored mountain, and the Andes might be the most famous sights tourists visit. Sure, it would be a sin to land in Peru and not see the temple of the Incas or visit Cusco’s enigmatic streets. However, the enchanting capital city of Lima is not to be missed — it’s home to beautiful architecture, delicious and world-famous seafood, and warmhearted locals.
In Lima, you won’t necessarily need your backpack and hiking boots to explore the city. While some delightful rural spots are easily accessible from the center, Lima itself has more than a few tricks up its sleeve, thanks to an undeniably cosmopolitan essence and cultural heritage going back several centuries.
From sustainable concept stores to gastronomic spots in the most vibrant corners of the city, we’ve narrowed down our picks for your Peruvian adventure to start on the right foot. Scroll down and take a peek at the hottest, greenest joints in town.
KA Concept Store
Founded in 2020 by Peruvian art director and fashion stylist Angela Kusen, KA Concept Store brings together emerging Peruvian artists with an ethical approach to fashion, art and design.
Brands featured in the store, such as escvdo and knitwear brand Ayni , implement the finest local alpaca wool in their contemporary designs to achieve an addictively-soft feel and ensure their garments are as durable as possible. While fashion is the store’s main focus, there are plenty of other items on offer, such as innovative jewelry, bags, hats, and artisanal furniture pieces.
KA Concept Store ’s masterful curation ensures local gems designed by Peru’s most prominent talents get the time and space to shine that they deserve. You’ll find the store located in the capital’s vibrant Barranco neighborhood, a seaside creative hub adorned by beautiful vintage houses.
Central
Central took the top spot on the highly prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list last year. And being named the best restaurant in Peru, and the entire world, is no small feat. Central invites you on a culinary journey like no other, uncovering the hidden flavors of Peru’s geographical regions and ecosystems. Opened in 2008 by Virgilio Martinez, joined shortly after by his wife Pia, Central was also featured in an episode of Netflix’s acclaimed culinary show Chef’s Table in 2017 which showcased its a sustainable, high-quality cuisine concept that enhances the country’s broad biodiversity.
Located in the heart of Barranco, the restaurant offers four innovative tasting menus that put the spotlight on autochthonous ingredients ranging from deep-rooted ancestral minerals to the Inca’s rarest cultivated tubers. The team explains in great detail the meticulousness with which every plate is created, and the history behind its ingredients. Each menu contains twelve to fourteen elaborately thought-out dishes representing the Martinez's creativity and love for their native country.
The whole experience has circularity and respect for the environment at its core, too — as the Central team themselves state, “the expedition we undertake has no destination or end, rather, it centers on constant movement, observation and respect for the temporality and the seasonality dictated by Earth.” When in Lima, visiting Central is a learning and tasting experience that you simply can’t miss.
Coffee Time Miraflores
Grabbing your laptop, current read, or a friend and heading to a coffee shop any afternoon has become more than a hobby — for many, it’s almost a lifestyle. And Lima has more than its fair share of aesthetic coffee shops spread throughout the city. As the world’s largest producer of organic and Fair Trade arabica coffee (one of the two main varieties of coffee bean), Peru has undertaken significant steps to clean up its important agricultural sector, and national coffee culture runs deep. Coffee Time Miraflores, a black-clad hole-in-the-wall coffee kiosk impresses thanks to conscious sourcing, and unique flavors.
The adorable ten-square-meter bodega offers limited-edition, exquisite and original coffee flavors. The owners work directly with local coffee growers to keep their product’s exclusivity and advocate fair trade in the country. Coffee Time Miraflores stands out because of its fruity infusions in the blend, which give the brew a signature delicious scent and flavor. Their Amazonas blend series, for example, included the Rey Patillo (king cormoran) dark roast, Papá Pelícano (father pelican) light roast, and Blend Chévere 50% mix.
La Noche
Nightlife is something you can't miss if you’re vacationing in Lima. It is true what they say about us Latinos and our party culture; our dances and music convey warmth and happiness. That being said, Lima is filled with clubs and bars, so you must choose the right one to spend your Friday nights in the city — and you’ll be spoilt for choice!
Located in a classic Lima Casona (colonial-era mansion) at the center of the bohemian neighborhood of Barranco, La Noche is not your typical watering hole. Over thirty years ago, it opened its doors to become one of Lima’s most sacred meeting points for jazz lovers, cinema enthusiasts, and art fans to share their interests alongside a refreshing glass of beer. Still to this day, the place is filled with live music, dance, and laughter. This is an excellent option for you to know the locals’ chaotic party life while learning about Lima’s young talents. Weekly jazz nights and live gigs by up-and-coming Peruvian and international musicians keep things rowdy all night long.
Lady Bee Bar
Another power couple leading the way for a new generation of gourmands and tastemakers with one of Lima’s most eclectic gastronomic spots is Alonso Palomino and Gabriela León. Together they opened Lady Bee Bar, an effortlessly classy, dimly-lit joint offering a wide range of cocktails, all of which give Peru’s best natural ingredients a proper chance to shine. From in-house formulated drinks, to reinvented classics such as the Singapore Sling, this local will make you second-guess your beverage of choice.
While its food and cocktail selection is top-notch, the bar stands out because of its sustainable ethos. Palomino and León prioritize local labor as they work directly with regional farmers and specialists in agronomy, distillates, cacao, and more. In addition, the gastro-bar offers an authentic selection of snacks to accompany your drinks, along with salsa music in the background and a heartwarming atmosphere.
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By Roland Dupuy & friends
Est. 2023, London
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