Written by RuinMyTrip Editorial from published research and official sources, not from a personal trip. It is not a traveler review and is never counted in the community rating. How we research.
restaurant · Lima
Two Services a Day, and Both of Them Book Out Months Ahead
Review of Central
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Share your experienceCentral serves Monday to Saturday, lunch from 12:45 to 13:30 and dinner from 19:00 to 20:30. Those windows are seating times, not opening hours: you arrive inside them or you do not eat. The restaurant is organised by altitude. Each course comes from a specific elevation of Peru, from below sea level to high Andes, and the menu is presented as a vertical cross-section of the country. It is a conceit that could be unbearable and is not, because the ingredients genuinely do not appear anywhere else. It has spent years at or near the top of the World's 50 Best list, which means reservations open months ahead and close quickly.
What was great
A tasting menu organised around Peruvian ecosystems, using ingredients that essentially never leave the country. Two tightly controlled services a day, so nothing is rushed. In Barranco, which is the best neighbourhood in Lima to be in anyway.
What nearly ruined the trip
Booking months in advance is not optional. The seating windows are narrow and fixed. It is very expensive by any standard and by Peruvian standards it is extraordinary. The altitude framing can feel like a lecture if you are not in the mood.
Value for money
★★★☆☆ FairSafety
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