Lima, the World’s Food Capital: Why Everyone Is Talking About Peruvian Cuisine

On 4 November 2026, the world’s most talked-about restaurant ranking was revealed in Lima. It was the first time in its history that The 50 Best Restaurants ceremony came to Peru and to South America, and few cities deserve it more. Here is why Lima has become the place every chef wants to eat, and what that means for us in Amsterdam.

Lima 2026: the results

At the ceremony in the Teatro Municipal de Lima, the No.1 went to Asador Etxebarri in Spain, and Quintonil in Mexico City was named the best restaurant in Latin America. Three Lima restaurants made the 2026 list: Kjolle by Pía León (No.7, up from No.9), Mérito by Juan Luis Martínez (No.13, up from No.26) and Mayta by Jaime Pesaque (No.45). With three restaurants, Lima has more on the list than any other city in Latin America. Maido, last year’s No.1, now joins Central among the “Best of the Best”.

Two world’s best restaurants in three years

In 2023, Central, the restaurant of Virgilio Martínez and Pía León, was named The World’s Best Restaurant. Two years later, in 2025, Maido took the No.1 spot. Its chef, Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura, is the great ambassador of Nikkei cooking, the meeting of Japanese technique and Peruvian ingredients. Two different restaurants from the same city reaching the top in such a short time is something very few places in the world can claim.

And it is not only about the winners. The 2025 list included four restaurants from Lima: Maido (No.1), Kjolle by Pía León (No.9), Mérito by Juan Luis Martínez (No.26) and Mayta by Jaime Pesaque (No.39).

Why Peruvian food took over the world

Peru’s kitchen is the result of centuries of encounters. Ancient Andean and coastal cultures gave it potatoes, corn, quinoa, chillies and a deep knowledge of the sea. Spanish, African, Chinese and Japanese migrants each added their own techniques, from the wok of chifa cooking to the precise knife work behind a tiradito. Add one of the most diverse landscapes on the planet, from the Pacific coast to the Andes and the Amazon, and you get a pantry few countries can match.

The result is food that is bright, fresh and full of contrast: the citrus of a ceviche, the heat of ají amarillo and rocoto, the smoky depth of a lomo saltado. It is cooking that feels both deeply traditional and completely modern, which is exactly what the world’s top chefs and critics have fallen in love with.

The dishes that made Lima famous

1. Ceviche: fresh fish “cooked” in lime juice with ají and red onion. Peru’s national dish, and the heart of our menu.
2. Leche de tigre: the citrusy, spicy marinade left behind by the ceviche, so good that Peruvians drink it on its own.
3. Tiradito: thin slices of raw fish with a creamy chilli sauce, a direct result of the Japanese influence in Peru.
4. Lomo saltado: beef, tomato and onion stir-fried in a wok, born from the Chinese-Peruvian kitchen.
5. Pisco Sour: Peru’s national cocktail, made with pisco, lime, egg white and a few drops of bitters.

A taste of Lima in Amsterdam Oost

At Moche we bring this way of cooking to the Linnaeuskade: fresh ceviches and tiraditos, Peruvian classics to share, and a dedicated Pisco & Cocktail Bar with premium Peruvian piscos. You do not need a flight to Lima to understand why the world is talking about Peruvian food. You only need a table, a Pisco Sour and something to share.

This November the culinary world gathered in Lima, and we celebrated it from Amsterdam. Come and celebrate Peruvian cuisine with us, at our Pisco & Cocktail Bar, any evening from Tuesday to Saturday.

Sources: The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 (the50.com); The World’s 50 Best Restaurants (theworlds50best.com); World Travel Awards (worldtravelawards.com).