Central Restaurant in Miraflores Lima

Stunning Peruvian fine-dining experience.

I finished the tasting menu with the “Graviola” – a dessert made from the Guanabana fruit from the Peruvian jungle, chocolate, Maca cream, beetroot and a carrot reduction. My body was filled with tenderness while my mind retraced the culinary journey I had just experienced by chef Virgilio Martinez of Central restaurant.

Virgilio is himself a traveller, having spent time at the prestigious Lutèce in New York, the Ritz in London and Astrid and Gaston in Madrid before opening his Central restaurant in the Miraflores district of Lima. No sign adorns this unobtrusive restaurant, perhaps to increase the element of surprise once you enter Virgilio’s world?

The restaurant itself is elegant, yet sober and refined. The atmosphere evokes that of a museum of modern art. The ‘works of art’ are the dishes laid before you.

The dishes all represent a concentrated experience of Virgilio’s gastronomic universe, a mix of his know-how acquired in large restaurants, a taste for art and design inherited from his family and a great curiosity for discovering Peruvian products and the best way to use them.

A few examples…

The “Concha de Bahia Paracas”, is an abstract painting of a marine journey to discover scallops in a “Cushuro” (a local algae in the form of small bubbles) foam. A wise assembly of ingredients delivering a complexity of flavors and sensations with surprising clarity, a common characteristic in all his dishes where no element brings confusion but rather bears witness to his mastery.

The Amazonian Paiche fish illustrates perfectly the concept of culinary art: a photo of the Amazon is etched on the plate where the fish, lightly golden, bathes in the turbulent waters of the river (mushroom sauce from the Marayhuaca region) surrounded by colours of the forest (threads of the ‘arracacha’ variety of potato, heart of palm, and some green leaves…)

The crispy pig ‘s cheek, (« Carillera de Cerdo Lechal »), delicately smoked with ‘palo santo’ wood releases a delicate layer of fat that covers the honey, crunchy quinoa and elderberry flavors, diffusing an uninterrupted flow of sweetness on the palate.

Central is without a doubt one of the top if not currently the best restaurant in Lima and has won a slew of accolades including a prestigious 4^th place in the esteemed World’s 50 Best Restaurants List 2015. We recommend Central to all our friends and family passing through Peru’s capital as it is a must-visit for all foodies with a desire to discover Peru’s incredibly rich and diverse gastronomy.

Best of Peru Travel Recommends:

For a splurge opt for the tasting menu which takes you on a culinary journey across Peru. The menu changes regularly and is currently the ‘Mater Eco-systems’ menu with products sourced from an elevation of -10 metres to 3900 metres from around Peru.

For wine aficionados let the knowledgeable sommeliers guide you on a wine journey to perfectly accompany each dish.

Make sure to reserve a table at least 30 days in advance as Central books out fast!

Central Restaurant in Miraflores