Chala

This Barranco favorite occupies a colonial house with sleek modern interiors. An enormous Italian light hangs over the long wooden bar where red- and yellow-seated stools alternate. The atmosphere is that of a trendy café or lounge rather than a proper restaurant, but the food could win stars in any major city. The chef’s stated goal is to create a new kind of fusion by merging the elegance of Mediterranean cooking with the “wholesomeness of our own coastal cuisine.” Starters include grilled baby octopus with garlic, oregano, basil, peppers and potatoes, and sliced tuna with miso-tangerine vinaigrette and diced chilies and rice. Among the best main courses are stir-fried Peruvian beef with pisco and rocoto chilies over refried chickpeas and tempura bananas; pork slow cooked for four hours with spices; and fresh salmon sautéed with onions, yellow chilies, cilantro and scallion tempura over rice. Finish with a dessert like rose panna cotta with passion fruit and cherry granita or warm goat-cheese soufflé with Cointreau and passion fruit, and you will understand what Escoffier was raving about.