What to eat Peru? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Peruvians eat at all hours! It's not uncommon for street vendors to be at their posts as early as 6 a.m. for breakfast on the street corner. Restaurants generally serve from 12 to 2pm and from 6 to 9pm. In Lima and the larger cities, you can find options outside these hours, but lunch or dinner is usually served early. Weekends are busier and some restaurants close on Mondays to compensate, but this is an exception.

All price ranges can be found here. There are plenty of ways to find small snacks or hearty dishes from street vendors, markets or small, popular restaurants. On the other hand, if you stop off at a cafeteria, a good quality coffee will cost between S/8 and S/15 and a sandwich or cake will easily cost S/20 to S/35, the price of a full menu elsewhere. It's all a question of taste and desires.

Meals up to S/50. It's possible to eat for less in many of the city's establishments. The most touristy places are not always the cheapest. For the cheapest restaurants, check the hygiene conditions. They rarely accept payment by credit card. Many restaurants offer a set menu at lunchtime, with suggestions displayed on the slate (S/15-25 per menu), but desserts are rare.

Meals range from S/50 to S/150. A la carte, you'll find what you're looking for in this price range for quality products. Expect to pay around S/50-70 for a dish in a good restaurant. Don't worry, we eat well and generously in Peru. Some of the more isolated hotels offer quality à la carte dining. Beware, though, that the bill rises quickly if you add alcohol, dessert or coffee.

It is possible to ask to take away an uneaten portion "para llevar".

Meals at over S/150 or tasting menus: Lima has no shortage of internationally renowned chefs. These include Virgilio Martinez's Central, as well as his wife Pïa Leon's Kjolle, Maido, Mayta, Rafael, Astrid and Gaston. In Cusco, Pia Leon is at the helm of Mauka, the restaurant at Palacio Nazarenas, Virgilio Martinez of MIL in Moray and Gaston Acurio offers Chicha restaurants in Arequipa and Cusco. Here, quality and value go hand in hand, sometimes with tasting menus to be booked well in advance.

Tipping is more than welcome here. In small restaurants with menus, it's not customary, but not unwelcome either. In restaurants and cafeterias, it's not uncommon to be asked if you'd like to add a "tip" to your credit card, for example, so as to set the tone. It's not compulsory, but the rule is about 10% of the bill or a bill on the table.

Carafes of drinking water, like bread baskets, are absent from the tables, and must be ordered separately. Water is still often bottled. Menus often come with a glass of refresco, lemonade or other fruit-flavored water, usually quite sweet.

For ceviche, you should remember to indicate the level of spiciness you want "bajo en aji", "medio en aji" or "bien picante". It is rare that meats are served in blue or red, except in specialized restaurants where you will be asked to choose. It is not a bad idea to order several dishes and share them, especially since the portions are generous. There are also dishes served in fuente made to be shared, especially in cevicherias. There are also many dishes made with boiled meats or soups served in the Sierra. In these popular cuisines, everything is valued. It is not uncommon to see a chicken leg floating on the surface of a stew. Watch out for the little pot on the table which is often theaji to spice up the dish.

You'll often be asked whether you want your drink "helada" (cold) or "sin helar" (at room temperature).

In some bars, where cocktails and the like are the main product, children are not welcome. Everywhere else, no problem.

All establishments are non-smoking, except on the terrace (ask permission, it depends on the type of establishment). It is rare to smoke during the day or at mealtimes in Peru.

As everywhere else, trust the clientele. Hustlers are more common in the village below Machu Picchu and are experts at getting the final bill wrong. Some foreign specialities can only be eaten in specialized restaurants; in local restaurants, it's better to eat local.

Cafés are generally open throughout the day, bars from 7 or 8pm and livelier from Thursday to Sunday. Happy hour is rare, except in tourist areas.

Short breaks are an additional budget item. You can have a cheap lunch, but quality coffees, desserts or cocktails cost more. Let's say around S/15 for coffee or dessert and S/30 for cocktails. Of course, you have to take into account the location, the time spent and the service received. Another good idea is to try the desserts offered by street vendors: mazamora (compote), arroz con leche (rice pudding) or picarones (fried doughnuts).

As the legal drinking age is often 18, this is sometimes checked, but it's not uncommon for people to turn a blind eye.

In the sierra, people drink hot alcoholic beverages like té piteado or thicker herbal drinks like el emoliente. Emoliente carts can be found on street corners. In the selva, the herbs are aphrodisiacs, and the brandies all have provocative, colourful names. In either case, take it easy. Even pisco sour (the local religion, especially on the coast) goes straight to the head, especially in its pisco catedral or double version.

Children are not welcome in alcohol-only establishments or other clubs.