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.

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

Address: Sáenz Peña 204, Barranco, Lima – Perú. 
Phone Number: + 51 1 206 0800.
Follow them on Facebook/ Instagram: instagram.com/hotelblima; facebook.com/HotelBLima 

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

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

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 

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

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