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Food tours in Lima: what to eat and which tour to book
Lima is where Peru's food comes together: Pacific fish turned into ceviche, Andean potatoes and chillies (ají amarillo, rocoto), Chinese-Peruvian chifa, Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei cooking, and Afro-Peruvian dishes like anticuchos and tacu tacu. Limeños eat ceviche at lunch, never at night, in cevicherías that often close by late afternoon; evenings belong to anticucho carts, picarones and chifa. Everyday food is cheap, especially the set-lunch 'menú' that most small restaurants serve, while the famous tasting-menu restaurants in Miraflores and Barranco are among the most expensive meals in South America.
Use this page to decide what to order and where. The dishes and areas below say what each place does well and when to go. The tours listed are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; prices and schedules change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Lima
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceviche cebiche / ceviche | Raw white fish (often corvina or lenguado) cut into cubes and cured briefly in lime juice with red onion, ají limo chilli, salt and coriander, served with sweet potato and large-kernel corn. The leftover juice, leche de tigre, is drunk as a shot or served in a glass with seafood. | Cevicherías across the city, from simple market stalls to famous restaurants in Miraflores, Surquillo and Barranco. Eat it at lunch; most cevicherías open around midday and close by about 17:00. | roughly S/ 25–45 in a casual cevichería (€6–11); S/ 60+ in a well-known restaurant |
| Lomo saltado | Strips of beef stir-fried in a wok with onion, tomato, ají amarillo and soy sauce, served with chips and white rice. A classic of the Chinese influence on Peruvian cooking. | Criollo restaurants and menú places all over Lima. | roughly S/ 25–45 a plate (€6–11) |
| Beef-heart skewers anticuchos | Marinated beef heart grilled over charcoal on skewers, with potato, corn and chilli sauce. An Afro-Peruvian dish sold mostly in the evening. | Street carts and anticucherías in the evening, especially on weekends; Barranco and residential neighbourhoods have well-known stands. | roughly S/ 12–25 a plate (€3–6) |
| Picarones | Rings of fried dough made with squash and sweet potato, served hot with chancaca (raw cane sugar) syrup. Often sold from the same carts or stands as anticuchos. | Evening street stands and criollo restaurants. | about S/ 6–12 a portion (€1.50–3) |
| Causa limeña causa | Cold layered terrine of yellow potato mashed with lime and ají amarillo, filled with chicken, tuna or seafood, avocado and mayonnaise. | Cevicherías, criollo restaurants and menú places, often as a starter. | roughly S/ 15–30 (€3.70–7.50) |
| Ají de gallina | Shredded chicken in a creamy sauce of ají amarillo, bread, milk and walnuts or pecans, served with rice, boiled potato, egg and olive. | Criollo restaurants and set-lunch menús. | roughly S/ 18–35 (€4.50–8.50) |
| Chifa chifa (arroz chaufa, tallarín saltado, wantán frito) | Peruvian-Chinese food: fried rice (arroz chaufa), stir-fried noodles, fried wontons and sweet-and-sour dishes, adapted over 150 years of Chinese immigration. | Barrio Chino on Jirón Ucayali and Calle Capón in the historic centre, and chifas in every district. | roughly S/ 20–40 a dish, shared (€5–10) |
| Pisco sour | Peruvian grape brandy shaken with lime, sugar syrup and egg white, finished with drops of bitters. Chilcano (pisco with ginger ale and lime) is the lighter option. | Bars and restaurants everywhere; the historic hotel bars in the centre and the bars of Barranco and Miraflores. | roughly S/ 20–40 (€5–10) |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Mercado de Surquillo No. 1
Market just across Avenida Paseo de la República from Miraflores, used by chefs and locals for fish, fruit, Andean potatoes, chillies and herbs, with cevichería stalls and juice counters inside. The easiest real market to reach from the hotel districts.
Mercado Central and Barrio Chino
The city's big central market, in the Barrios Altos block bounded by Huallaga, Andahuaylas, Ucayali and Ayacucho streets, next to Lima's Chinatown with its chifas, bakeries and shops on Calle Capón.
Miraflores
Where most visitors stay: cevicherías, criollo restaurants, cafés, many of the city's top restaurants and the Parque Kennedy area. Prices are higher than in other districts, but the quality is often high.
Barranco
Bohemian district south of Miraflores with old houses, street art, bars, anticucho stands and several well-known restaurants.
Historic centre (Cercado de Lima)
Around the Plaza de Armas and Jirón de la Unión: old-style bars and cafés serving butifarra sandwiches and pisco, criollo restaurants and cheap menú places for office workers.
Food tours in Lima compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lima: Market Tour, 35 Fruits Tasting & Cooking Class | 5.5 hours | from €107 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Lima Street Food: A gastronomic adventure through the city. | 3.5 hours | from €67 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Lima: Food Tour on Local Market | 3 hours | from €67 per person | — | Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source. | Check dates |
| Lima Food & Culture Tour: Flavors, History, and Tradition | 6 hours | from €133 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Lima: Central Market Food Tour with Tastings | 4 hours | from €53 per person | — | Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source. | Check dates |
| Lima: Street Food and Market Tour in the Historic Center | 4 hours | from €87 per person | max 8 | Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source. | Check dates |
Lima: Market Tour, 35 Fruits Tasting & Cooking Class
On GetYourGuide · run by SkyKitchen Peruvian Cooking Classes
- Length
- 5.5 hours
- Price
- from €107 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 3 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Tour guide Market tour Transportation from market to class 35+ fruit samples Instructor All ingredients for the cooking class 4-course lunch prepared by yourself Water and juice 1 Pisco sour Aprons and kitchen tools p…
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- For the market tour we will meet directly at the main entrance of market "Mercado 1 de Surquillo" below the big sign saying "Mercado 1". You’ll find the location of the market here: Find attached a picture of the market entrance and our team. If you use a ride sharing app (Uber, DiDi, Cabify, Beat) simply enter "Mercado 1 de Surquillo" in the search box. If you use a traditional taxi, give the bus station = Estación 'Ricardo Palma' as a reference point, all taxi drivers know it. From there you can see the market. The market is on block 53 of the highway 'Paseo de la República' right next to 'Estación Ricardo Palma'. It's a 7-minute taxi ride from our location and a 10-minute walk from the 'Ovalo de Miraflores', the center of Miraflores. There are also Surquillo markets 2, 3…7. Be sure to go to number 1!
Lima Street Food: A gastronomic adventure through the city.
On GetYourGuide · run by LIMA BITES
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €67 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 45 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Estación Benavides Metropolitano
Lima: Food Tour on Local Market
On GetYourGuide · run by The Traveller Agency
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €67 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 8 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Certified Tour Guide in English and Español Food is included in the tour price Pisco Sour Transfert
- Suits
- Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source.
- Starts
- *
Lima Food & Culture Tour: Flavors, History, and Tradition
On GetYourGuide · run by Inca Trilogy Tours S.A.C
- Length
- 6 hours
- Price
- from €133 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 4 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Pickup and drop-off Guided tour San Francisco Museum entry ticket Tasting of exotic fruits La Causa Limeña El Trio Marino Chicha Morada Churros Pisco sour Picarones Tips
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
Lima: Central Market Food Tour with Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by Peru Travel Spots
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €53 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 3 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Local English-speaking guide Public transportation (one way) Guided walking tour of Lima Historic Downtown Food tastings at selected local venues Traditional Peruvian street food samples Visit to the Central Market Vi…
- Suits
- Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source.
- Starts
- All tourists should wait outside, right at the entrance to McDonald's in Miraflores.
Lima: Street Food and Market Tour in the Historic Center
On GetYourGuide · run by Tangol
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €87 per person
- Group size
- max 8
- Included
- Food and drinks Tasting English professional guide
- Suits
- Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source.
- Starts
- Jirón de la Unión 958, Lima 15001, Peru
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Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food in Lima is strongest in the evening: anticuchos and picarones from carts, sanguches (sandwiches) like butifarra and chicharrón from small shops, and emoliente (a warm herbal drink) from tricycle stalls in the morning. Choose busy stands where food is cooked to order; avoid raw seafood from carts.
Sit-down meals
The set-lunch menú (starter, main and drink) at small restaurants is the cheapest way to eat well, often S/ 12–25. Cevicherías are lunch-only. Lima's tasting-menu restaurants, several of them on international best-restaurant lists, need booking weeks or months ahead and cost hundreds of soles per person.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes are common in Miraflores and Barranco and usually include a market visit (often Surquillo), then making ceviche, causa or lomo saltado and a pisco sour, followed by the meal. They are a good way to learn the names of Peruvian potatoes, chillies and fruit.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | S/ 50–80 (€12–20): menú lunch, street food in the evening |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | S/ 150–250 (€37–62): cevichería lunch and a sit-down dinner with a pisco sour |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | S/ 700+ (€175+): a tasting menu at one of Lima's top restaurants, often well above with wine |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Workable but take care: many dishes are meat or fish based, and soups and rice are often cooked with chicken stock. Causa, papa a la huancaína, tacu tacu and vegetable saltados can be made meat-free; vegetarian and vegan restaurants are common in Miraflores and Barranco. Say 'soy vegetariano/a, sin carne ni pollo ni pescado'.
Halal: Very limited: a small number of halal and Middle Eastern restaurants exist, mainly in Miraflores and San Isidro. Seafood dishes such as ceviche are an easier choice for many Muslim travellers; ask about wine or pisco in sauces.
Gluten-free: Fairly easy: Peruvian cooking is built on potatoes, corn, rice and quinoa, and ceviche, causa and grilled meats are usually gluten-free. Watch soy sauce in lomo saltado and all chifa dishes, bread used to thicken ají de gallina, and fried foods. Say 'sin gluten, soy celíaco/a'.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Eating ceviche in the evening at places that sell to tourists, when the fish has been sitting since morning. Eat ceviche at lunch, as Limeños do, at a busy cevichería; at night, order cooked dishes.
- Unlicensed street taxis overcharging, or worse, after dinner in the centre or Barranco. Use a ride-hail app or have the restaurant call a registered taxi, and agree the fare first if you take a street taxi.
- Counterfeit notes given as change, especially S/ 50 and S/ 100 notes and US dollars, at small shops and from street money changers. Pay with small notes, check the change (feel and watermark), and change money at banks or casas de cambio, not on the street.
- Bills in tourist restaurants with service, cover or an unrequested bottle of water added. Check the menu for 'servicio' and confirm the bill; a tip of about 10% is normal and only once.
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Why do people say not to eat ceviche at night in Lima?
Ceviche is made with fish bought fresh that morning, so Limeños eat it at lunch. Most cevicherías open around noon and close by about 17:00. At night, restaurants that still serve ceviche are usually aimed at tourists or the fish has been sitting all day. In the evening, order cooked dishes, anticuchos or chifa instead.
Is street food in Lima safe?
Cooked street food such as anticuchos, picarones and sandwiches from busy stands is generally fine, since it is grilled or fried to order. Be more careful with raw seafood from carts, salads washed in tap water and fruit you cannot peel. Do not drink tap water; bottled or filtered water is standard.
How much should I tip in Lima?
About 10% in sit-down restaurants is normal if service is not already on the bill; upscale restaurants sometimes add a service charge, so check. Small menú places and street stands do not expect tips, though rounding up is appreciated. For a food-tour guide, about S/ 20–40 per person is common.
What is a 'menú' and where do I find one?
A menú is a set lunch of a starter (soup, causa or salad), a main dish and a drink such as chicha morada, served on weekdays at small restaurants for office workers. It usually costs roughly S/ 12–25 and is chalked up on a board outside. Look in Surquillo, the historic centre and side streets off the main avenues of Miraflores.
How much should I budget for food per day in Lima?
On a budget, about S/ 50–80 (€12–20) covers a menú lunch and street food at night. A comfortable day with a cevichería lunch and a sit-down dinner with drinks is roughly S/ 150–250. Tasting menus at the famous restaurants cost from about S/ 700 per person, often more with drinks.
Do I need reservations for Lima's famous restaurants?
Yes. The top tasting-menu restaurants in Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro are often booked weeks or months ahead and usually ask for a card guarantee. For cevicherías and criollo restaurants, reservations are rarely needed on weekdays, but popular places fill up at weekend lunch from about 13:00.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.