One of the city’s hot spots, AmorAmar is a chic watering hole in the Barranco district that is known for its Peruvian fusion cuisine and its fashionable crowd. The arty scene is enhanced by the fact that there is an art gallery, 1900, on premises.

One of South America’s most celebrated chefs, Gastón Acurio has become a true ambassador for Peru through his culinary talent. The menu at this landmark restaurant calls Peru “a land of unlimited ingredients, . . . of infinite dishes, . . . country that the world is just starting to discover.” Acurio describes his cooking as just like the new Peru: criollo, a mix of Andean, Spanish, Italian and Asian.

When I came for lunch, businessmen and well-dressed families sat near travelers who, from the looks of their hiking boots and windbreakers, were taking a break from trekking. Although Acurio has expanded his empire to Bogotá, Quito, Buenos Aires, Madrid and other cities, the emphasis here is entirely regional. Among his most popular starters: huancainos (potatoes, yuccas and corn with Peruvian cold aji-cream sauces), Peruvian ceviche and tamales with deep-fried pork and stuffed potatoes. One of the main courses, named Lima’s Favorite, is hand-shredded chicken in an aji-amarillo sauce served with pecans, Andean cheese, native yellow potatoes, black olives, egg and plain rice. In addition to the many seviches, the seafood dishes include wild scallops from Paracas and sea-urchin shots (prepared three ways), while carnivores can savor delicious veal and pork leg in peanut sauce or alpaca osso bucco in a homemade curry sauce. The dishes are not light, but you must save room for a dessert like picarónes clásicos (a kind of doughnut), manjar blanco (a concoction of milk, sugar and egg yolks) or sacha tomate (a tomato filled with cream cheese, served on French toast with a tomato sauce). There may be no better place for a crash course in the richness of Peruvian cuisine. But tips cannot go on the credit card bill, so bring cash.

Astrid & Gastón's is currently fourth on South America's World's 50 Best list.

Tucked in the gardens of the 18^th-century colonial villa–turned-museum, Museo Larco Herrera, this café is the perfect spot for a relaxed midday meal. Tables are set under a pergola surrounded by bougainvillea and hanging plants with views of the sprawling lawns and award-winning gardens. In the evening, the restaurant offers dining in the former stables, which is now filled with banquettes piled with Peruvian embroidered pillows and decorative colonial furniture and artifacts. The gourmet Peruvian food matches the setting, which may be why this has been called the best museum restaurant in the world. Before or after dining, visit the incredible museum and the boutiques on property.

For years the beachfront restaurant that Limeños headed to when they wanted to eat by the water was La Rosa Náutica. Unfortunately, it became Lima’s version of New York’s Tavern on the Green, as cruise-ship passengers and tourists started streaming onto its pier, and few locals would ever eat there now. Fortunately, a much cooler option opened down the coast. Cala, in a glass box of a building set near one of the prime-surfing zones, resembles the Icebergs, the wonderful restaurant on Bondi Beach, in Sydney. The main floor contains the bar and lounge, which, in pleasant weather, opens onto a terrace of couches and umbrellas. Climb the stairs to the second floor, passing huge photos of swimmers, and you reach the main restaurant. The best tables are on the balcony over the lapping waves, but the glass walls offer everyone a view of the Pacific. The scene is super sexy, and the food, focusing on the sea’s bounty, holds up to the setting, explaining why so many Lima locals are regulars. DJs turn the lounge into a party on weekend nights.

Virgillio Martinez Veliz, who heads the kitchen of this eatery, right around the corner from the Miraflores Park Hotel, is another of the young chefs who studied abroad (Lutèce in New York) and returned to create contemporary Peruvian food. Central has already become a place for Limeños to see and be seen while enjoying the fusion (Peruvian, Mediterranean and Asian) cuisine in a chic setting. For a tasty light meal, it’s hard to beat the arugula and horseradish salad followed by salmon shiro miso. Reservations recommended.

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.

Like so many great neighborhood eateries, Cicciolina provides delicious food from sunrise to sunset. It’s the best bakery in town, offering fresh breads and pastries and excellent coffee served from 8 a.m. The upstairs restaurant serves lunch and at dinner draws locals and travelers with its lively bar scene and tapas-heavy menu.

Peruvian celebrity chef Rafael Osterling’s lively bistro, El Mercado prepares fabulous ceviche (which Limens know is only eaten at lunch) like scallops served still in the shell and other dishes such as duck tacos and shrimp curry. El Mercado does not take reservations, so come early to grab a table and save room for the churros, which come with chocolate and dulce de leche for dipping.

Moray, an ancient agricultural center, is one of Peru's most interesting Incan vestiges. Now a restaurant, the innovative venue looks out on descending circular terraces. Managed by a businessman from Lima, who owns the 57 acres of land surrounding Moray, the restored hacienda offers one of Peru’s most memorable culinary experiences. Patrons can dine in one of three exquisitely decorated dining rooms, located around a central courtyard, and enjoy traditional Peruvian dishes, many of which incorporate local, organic ingredients like quinoa, corn, alpaca and trout. Reservations can be made for a minimum of four people.

There is no more romantic setting for a meal in Cusco than the flower-filled courtyard of the Hotel Monasterio or beneath its arches in the Illariy restaurant. As clouds drift over the terracotta-tiled roof and you hear the adjacent church’s bells chime, don’t be surprised if a hint of celestial calm moves you to a state of higher serenity familiar to the monks who once inhabited these halls.

In the tradition of the best hotel dining rooms (like those at its sister properties the Cipriani, in Venice, and the Copacabana, in Rio), the Illariy delivers old-world, formal service that includes uniformed waiters carrying silver trays and leather-bound menus. Everything from the basket of fresh-baked breads to the homemade sorbets is first-rate. Though you will find such familiar standbys as steak and delicious pastas, you can also sample Peruvian dishes, like cuy, or guinea pig (roasted or deep-fried), and lomo saltado, stir-fried beef with onions, ginger, chilies, tomatoes, potatoes and rice.

Under the arches in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco’s main square, you’ll find the entry to Inka Grill. Yes, the large two-story dining room teems with well-heeled tourists, not locals, but for those who want to be surrounded by the sights and sounds of the Andes and feel as comfortable as they might at a good restaurant in L.A. or D.C., Inka Grill does it well. The ancient space has been outfitted with all the modern amenities and warmed up with Inca pottery and Andean textiles and artwork. There’s even a table piled with baskets of vegetables that evokes local markets. Start with one of the samplers (Creole, Thai or nouveau Andean) or delicious soups (Andean chicken soup with quinoa or chicken or Thai coconut-milk soup). The main courses include many Peruvian classics as well as pizzas, pastas, steak and sandwiches, making it a safe bet for a varied group. The best tables are those by the window, which look out onto the square.

This joint is one of those local hangouts that bring together a widely diverse crowd, from backpackers and bankers to scientists and scenesters, who come to linger over a newspaper or the town’s best lattes. It’s a landmark that everyone knows, so it’s a popular meeting point or place to pass the time. Part of the lure may be the comfort of familiar food for travelers, like pancakes for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and casseroles for dinner, and even milkshakes. Cash only.

One of the city’s trendiest restaurants is named for the bus line that runs past the restaurant. The owner wanted to create a nostalgic kitchen ambience, so the walls are covered in subway tiles, diners sit on simple wooden chairs with ladder backs, and the daily specials are written on chalkboards. Families and couples from the neighborhood come for casual dinners out, and as the night progresses a younger crowd streams in to try the many beers on tap and wines by the glass. Later in the evening music is turned up.

One of the best gourmet restaurants in Cusco is tucked in a cozy room off the courtyard of the boutique hotel Casa Cartagena. Having only sixteen tables, the dining room feels like a secret club far from the tourist crowds only blocks away (they also offer seating outside in the courtyard, perfect for a romantic dinner under the full moon). Sophisticated contemporary Peruvian dishes, such as a salad of mixed greens with duck prosciutto and a praline of Chulpi corn, alpaca kebab with a creamy red pepper on three mini causas (yellow potatoes), and lamb ribs on fava beans with vegetables and a chimichurri sauce with olives, are accompanied by wines from a 100-bottle-strong cellar.

Long considered one of the best restaurants in Lima, La Gloria is a favorite of the city’s elite, drawing both businessmen and the society crowd. The atmosphere is as urbane as that of a stylish restaurant in New York or London, but the international menu has a Peruvian twist. It’s a great choice if you want the comfort and reliability of a sophisticated restaurant that offers no surprises but excellent food and service.

One of Cusco’s newer hot spots, Limo is a great Japanese fusion restaurant. The décor is contemporary chic with wood floors, red walls and views of the bustling Plaza Armas square below. (The best tables are on the balconies outside.) The name comes from the ingredient that is essential to both ceviche and Pisco Sours but there is a distinct Japanese influence to the menu. Stop at Limo for lunch after visiting the Cathedral.

A beloved institution, Mangos presides over a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. The food is only so-so but dining on its patio with the ocean breezes is pure Lima tradition.

This incredibly stylish restaurant is set in a glass cube in the courtyard of the grand Casa Cabera, now the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. (The name MAP comes from the Spanish name, Museo de Arte Precolombino). As appealing as the atmosphere is, though, the food is why it is widely considered the best restaurant in town. The three-course prix-fixe dinner menu includes such creative Andean dishes as fava-bean-and-Andean-mushroom medley, tabbouleh of fresh trout tartare with quinoa and avocado, and crayfish-and-yellow-potato gnocchi with creamy rocoto-chili-pepper sauce. Even the desserts, like roasted pineapple volador with manjarblanco custard foam and vanilla ice cream and quinoa cannoli with lucuma mousse and Quillabamba chocolate ice cream, emphasize mixing local products with cosmopolitan traditions. With only fourteen tables, the restaurant books up, so reserve in advance. The museum stays open until 10 p.m., so you can plan your meal before or after a visit.

Located in the San Isidro neighborhood of Lima, Osaka is the first of several international outposts from Peruvian born Chef Ciro Watanabe. The restaurant focuses on Nikkei Cuisine, which is the combination of Japanese and Peruvian food, and the menu has an emphasis on ultra-fresh seafood and using seasonal ingredients in innovative fashions. The restaurant’s atmosphere is buzzing and dimly lit and attracts a good mix of well-dressed locals and tourists. The menu is a bit tricky to navigate, but know that highlights include the Osk Tataki and Mariscos al fuego, which is served to the table on fire.

A laid-back Peruvian restaurant on San Blas Square, Pachapapa draws residents and tourists in equal measure. Whether you eat indoors, where the walls are painted in warm ocher and burnt-orange and hung with Andean textiles, or outside under an umbrella in the courtyard, you will sit at wooden tables and dine on very good Peruvian food. You’ll find guinea pig and alpaca on the menu, along with salads, soups and pizzas. Among the house specialties are clay-pot stews, such as lamb stewed with beer, onions, chili and cilantro, and shredded chicken in a creamy yellow chili sauce with nuts and parmesan cheese.

One more eatery by Peru’s celebrity chef Gastón Acurio, Panchita specializes in meat barbecued on skewers. Much less formal than Astrid & Gastón, it has a lively modern canteen feeling. Despite his gourmet credentials, Acurio loves street food and sampled many of the best carts in Lima before deciding to open his own eatery devoted to anticuchos. The young waiters deliver your order on a wooden cutting board with a pan holding the skewer, accompanied by potatoes and vegetables in the center and, around the edges, small pots of sauces, so although you’re not dining on the street, you do get the adventurous feeling of eating food just off the grill. This is a lively, dress-down place to sample Acurio’s celebration of Peruvian cuisine.