This Vacation Destination Is The Only City With Two Restaurants In The World's Top 10 For 2025

Often treated as a pit stop on the way to Machu Picchu, Lima deserves far more attention. Peru's capital has earned a place on the world's culinary map for being home to four restaurants in the prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list and is the only city worldwide with two spots in the top 10. Leading the pack is Maido, helmed by chef Mitsuharu "Micha" Tsumura, whose Japanese heritage shapes the restaurant's celebrated Nikkei cuisine. This style blends Peruvian ingredients — like ají peppers, native tubers, and exotic Amazon fruits — with Japanese techniques and precision. Tasting menus range from $370 to $715 per person (as of this writing).  Not everyone knows it, but Lima's craze for Peruvian-Japanese flavors is in full swing —you can spot Nikkei restaurants across the city for every budget. Japanese immigrants, like their Chinese counterparts before them, have helped shape the city's culinary identity, layering new techniques and flavors onto the already rich Spanish-influenced traditions.

For another world-class experience, head over to the Bohemian district of Barranco and you'll find the ninth best restaurant in the world: Kjolle by Pía León. The only female chef in the top 10 pays homage to Peru's biodiversity in the many ingredients and techniques she uses in her dishes. The country's ecosystems stretch from the Pacific coast to the Andes and the Amazon, creating a pantry unlike any other: ancient highland tubers and quinoa, exotic rainforest fruits, and — believe it or not — over 3,000 varieties of potato. Tasting menus start at $98.

Maybe you've seen Virgilio Martinez's Central on Netflix's high-profile food documentary series "Chef's Table" — the restaurant that took first place in 2023 when Pía León was still co-running it. Now immortalized in the World's 50 Best Best of the Best hall of fame, Central occupies the same building as Kjolle – an unmissable stop if your budget stretches to a once-in-a-lifetime meal.

In the heart of Barranco, walk along the seaside cliff, and just a block away from Kjolle, you'll find Mérito, ranked No. 26 in the world. Venezuelan chef Juan Luis Martínez invites guests right into the kitchen to watch the team at work and pick up a few cooking tips from the pros themselves. The tasting menu, about $125 as of this writing, is known for its experimental spirit. As Peruvian critics at El Comercio explained, the dishes feature a mix of influences from the Amazon, the Andes, the Caribbean, and the urban landscape.

The 39th spot belongs to Mayta, led by chef Jaime Pesaque. Its name comes from Aymara, an indigenous Andean language, and means "noble land," which is why Pesaque defines his work as "territory cuisine". As he wrote on Instagram, "At Mayta, we reinterpret Peruvian tradition from a contemporary perspective, without losing connection to our roots." Here, tasting menus range from $100 to $200.

As Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura told El País, "Peru isn't Latin America's food capital because of just five haute cuisine restaurants. ... You can also eat well in the streets and marketplaces. We're a really tight-knit bunch of restaurant people. ... You never know what you're going to find!" In the district of Miraflores alone, there are more than 300 restaurants.

Go explore Lima's flavors with a local food guide — it's the best way to taste the city's variety in just a few hours. Lima Gourmet Company runs $139 tours through multiple districts that combine scenic walks with tastings and a stop at the high-end Huaca Pucllana restaurant, found in the pre-Incan ruins of the same name. You'll try dishes and cocktails from Peru's three main regions — the coast, Andes, and Amazon — and finish with artisanal chocolate. Cooking classes are available for an extra fee.

For a more hands-on experience, Exquisito Peru offers $99 tours with live demonstrations where chefs prepare ceviche, lomo saltado, and the national cocktail pisco sour, while sharing the history behind each dish. On a tighter budget, Food Tour Lima costs $49 and takes you to Mercado No. 1 in Surquillo, a no-frills market where stalls dish up authentic local fare. Celebrity Chef Gastón Acurio once called it one of the world's best fruit markets, home to over 100 Peruvian varieties (via GQ). Traveling by yourself? Then don't miss the most culinary avenues: La Mar, La Paz, Reducto, and Larco. Just watch out for cars — Lima has the worst traffic in Latin America.