The Lima Guide for Design Lovers
The facade of Hotel B. Photo courtesy of Hotel B.
Peru's capital is often seen as a stop-over for tourists before setting off to the country’s most spectacular attraction, Macchu Picchu. But ‘The City of Kings’ is more than just a pit stop—Lima boasts historic grandeur and turn-of-the-century opulence mixed with an up-and-coming art scene, an exciting gastronomic revolution, and your pick of emerging and established design.
Photo courtesy of Hotel B.
Hotel B, where contemporary vibes meet fin de siècle opulence
Nestled in Lima’s bohemian neighborhood of Barranco, also known as the city’s most vibrant district, Hotel B is located in a restored Belle Époque mansion built in 1914.
The mansion was originally commissioned as a fashionable seaside retreat for Limeño aristocracy, featuring imported Italian marble and a mesmerizing façade, and still houses all the luxuries a wealthy family—or sightseeing aesthete—might require, including a living room, library, patio, lounge and sundowner deck. Be sure to check out the hotel’s unique art collection, featuring figures in Lima’s emerging art scene. hotelb.pe
The breakfast room at Hotel B. Photo courtesy of Hotel B.
Address: Sáenz Peña 204, Barranco, Lima – Perú.
Phone Number: + 51 1 206 0800.
Follow them on Facebook/ Instagram: instagram.com/hotelblima; facebook.com/HotelBLima
The Alta Moda series at the MATE.
Museo MATE & Bodega mate
Just a few blocks away is the MATE, a non-profit museum established by photographer to the stars Mario Testino that aims to cultivate and promote local heritage. The museum’s permanent collection is divided by Testino’s different areas of work, including a space exhibiting portraits of his muses, from Gisele Bündchen to Kate Moss to Madonna, a room dedicated to Diana Princess of Wales’ last photo shoot, and a third space that displays Alta Moda, a series of photographic portraits of Peruvians local to the mountainous region of Cusco wearing traditional festive attire. mate.pe
Photos and souvenirs at the Bodega MATE.
Not-to-miss: Fashion lovers will adore the museum’s souvenir shop, Bodega MATE, a full-on curated boutique for the serious fashionista or follower of Latin American trends. Read our post about it here.
Address: Av. Pedro de Osma 409, Barranco, Lima 15063, Perú
Phone Number: +511 200 5400
Follow them on Facebook/ Instagram: facebook.com/pg/MuseoMATE; instagram.com/museomate
Mascarpone Originale
Located inside a dreamy courtyard featuring a café and antique store in Lima’s prominent San Isidro neighborhood, Mascarpone Originale is a multi-brand store featuring a careful selection of more than 20 local and imported homeware, accessories, and clothing brands. We couldn’t take our eyes off local favorites Jallpa Nina and her inimitable handmade ceramics, Soil & Co.’s eco-dyed, artisan-made capes and scarves, and Franca’s easy-fit Peruvian pima cotton dresses. mascarponeoriginale.com
Address: Av. Conquistadores 325, San Isidro, Lima, Peru
Phone Number: +51 1 6388301
Follow them on Facebook/ Instagram: instagram.com/mascarponeoriginale; facebook.com/MascarponeOriginale
Indigo and Atípico
These two art and design showrooms are located directly across one another on a quiet street in San Isidro. While Indigo features a gallery and shop that focuses more on promoting local art and crafts, Atípico is a showroom that offers local and imported furniture and décor, in addition to selected art. Take a look around, design lovers are bound to find something that catches their eye.
Indigo
Address: Av. El Bosque 260 San Isidro, Lima 27 - Perú
Phone Number: (511) 441 2232 - (511) 4403099
Follow them on Facebook: facebook.com/GaleriaIndigo
Atípico
Address: Av. El Bosque 263 San Isidro, Lima 27 - Perú
Phone Number: (511) 4223318 - (511) 4403099
Follow them on Facebook: facebook.com/atipicoarteydiseno
An assortment of sashimi at Maido.
Maido
Don’t miss your opportunity to sample Latin America’s top restaurant. Maido’s Nikkei tasting menu tells the story of Japanese-Peruvian cuisine, a characteristic of Peruvian culture that has helped catapult local cuisine to international standards. Read our take on it here. maido.pe
Address: Calle San Martin 399, Miraflores 15074, Perú
Phone Number: +51 1 4462512
Follow them on Facebook/ Instagram: instagram.com/mitsuharu_maido; facebook.com/MaidoLima
The Land of Corn dish at Central.
Central
Coming in at no. 2 on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, Chef Virgilio Martinez does not disappoint, taking his guests on a culinary journey through the vertical geography of his country, an experience backed up by his team’s constant research and experimentation into Peru’s vast ecosystem. Be seduced by our visual tour through the Mater Elevations Tasting Menu, a comprehensive journey through 17 altitudes of Peruvian biodiversity. centralrestaurante.com.pe
Address: Santa Isabel 376. Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Phone Number: (+51 1) 2416721 / 2428575 / 2428515
Follow them on Facebook/ Instagram: facebook.com/CentralRestaurante; instagram.com/centralrest
Guests of La Mar can sit at the bar and enjoy the view.
La Mar
While the modern culinary scene in Lima has captured the attention of the world’s media, it is the all-time favorites that the locals keep coming back to. Ceviche (declared part of Peru’s cultural heritage) is the house specialty at La Mar, led by chef Andrés Rodríguez, who previously headed the kitchen at Astrid & Gastón in Madrid, another restaurant by local celebrity chef Gaston Acurio (credited by many with the worldwide revival of Peruvian cuisine).
La Mar is a hugely popular eatery due to its laid-back dining, its creative ceviches that include octopus, sea urchin, shrimp and grouper, its pisco-centered cocktails, and for using only fresh fish of the day in an effort to contribute to seafood sustainability. lamarcebicheria.com
Address: Av. La Mar 770, Miraflores, Lima
Phone Number: +51 1 421 33 65
Follow them on Facebook/Instagram: facebook.com/LaMarCebicheriaPeruanaLima; instagram.com/lamarsf
El Mercado
El Mercado is chef- restaurateur Rafael Osterling’s homage to Peruvian cuisine and to the sources of his ingredients—the sea, the producers, the fishermen, the breeders, etc. Set in an inviting outdoor space peppered with vegetation, this casual lunchtime eatery boasts an open kitchen that prepares some of the best ceviche in town.
The menu reflects Peruvian gastronomic tradition, with hints of cultural influences including Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, and Italian flavors. Some menu standouts are the infinite list of ceviches, the grilled scallops a la parmesana, the chaufa rice, and for dessert the ‘picarones’: fried Peruvian donuts topped with fig honey, anise and cinnamon ice cream. rafaelosterling.pe
Address: Hipólito Unanue 203 Miraflores Lima 18, Perú
Phone Number: +511 221 1322