The brainchild of bread lover Jonathan Day, Pan de la Chola has attained a cult following in Lima and has been featured in international publications like  Vogue in just two short years. Jonathan learnt about good bread and good food while living in London studying theatre and decided to try sharing his passion in his hometown of Lima upon his return. He is one of those inspiring people who breathes passion and is up at dawn every morning to oversee the baking of the bread. Day is constantly searching for new recipes to perfect various traditional bread-making techniques.

Stepping through the doors you could be forgiven for thinking you are in an ůber-hip San Fran bakery instead of Peru’s capital. Décor is rustic with family-style wooden tables decorated with a simple flower in an open-plan space where you can see the bakers kneading dough and preparing your order. You queue at the counter to place your order where you can choose from a hand-written blackboard menu with a simple list of options including a range of delicious sandwiches, pastries or cakes.

The focus is on simplicity using fresh local ingredients. Delicious pastries include mouth-watering croissants that melt in the mouth and cakes like the apple cake which are inspired by his own family recipes.

The coffee is one of the best we’ve tasted in Lima and is supplied by another one of our favourite spots in Lima – Café Verde. This is currently one of Lima’s hippest cafes and has a fabulous mix of clientele from Barranco hippies to high society ladies that lunch from San Isidro.  The menu is simple, fresh and healthy and it’s a great option for a casual brunch or lunch while in Lima.

NEW Chola Dasso!

We were delighted to discover their newest offering: la Chola Dasso on Calle Miguel Dasso 113 in nearby San Isidro. Jonathan gave us the tour himself and we fell in love with his newest concept. An industrial style space that serves 8 Peruvian craft beers on tap as well as of course you guessed it lots of amazing bread! The menu is slightly different to Pan de la Chola in Miraflores with stunning superfood salads, lighter sandwiches (don’t miss the ‘palteada’, creamy avocado mashed with fresh herbs and black sesame on wholegrain toast – delicious!) and their tasy selection of cinnamon buns, famous croissants and other sweet treats.

Chola Dasso morphs into a bar in the evenings with Neal’s Yard dairy cheeses being served from 7pm with craft beer and wine and they often have dj’s or live music. A must do on your Lima itinerary!

(Note: The photos on this review are of Chola Dasso.)

Best of Peru Travel Recommends:

• Try the caprese focaccia sandwich which was delicious or the simple avocado and olive oil toast served with Maras sea salt for a savoury treat.

• Don’t miss the melt in the mouth crosissants or the chocolate brownies for something sweet.

Click here to see more of our favourite cafes in Lima

Check out more great things to visit in Lima here

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K.C and his Peruvian wife Tatiana opened Café Verde in 2007. Verde or ‘green’ due to his experience in exporting the green coffee bean and the ecological ethos behind the coffee they sell. It’s only since 2010 that coffee culture has really taken hold in Peru. Before then it was common to only find instant Nescafe style coffee or burnt roasted coffee despite Peru producing some excellent coffee.

Café Verde has gone from strength to strength and has become one of the leading coffee suppliers and cafes in Lima. They roast all their own coffee and grind it fresh for each cup or bag you buy to ensure it’s fresh and with the best flavor.

They have recently renovated the small café which is bright and cheery and kitted out in natural wood reflecting their natural ethos. Wooden etched pieces of wood tell the history of the coffee bean and menus are also carved in wood.  They have the first and only Synesso coffee machine in Peru (this will matter to the coffee connoisseurs out there!) and offer a range of coffee including espresso, machiatto and americano. K.C is all about coffee purity so you won’t find specialty coffees here, just simple, great coffee done well. They also have a small selection of cakes and pastries including oatmeal cookies and brownies.

Service is friendly, the vibe is casual and it’s a nice place to stop to get a feel for the emerging coffee culture in Lima and have a great coffee while you’re at it!

Best of Peru Travel Recommends:

• If you can’t make it to Café Verde, the Pan de la Chola Café & Bakery on Avenida La Mar also stocks their great coffee.

For more of the best cafes in Lima click here

Looking for a place to eat? Check out our list of Lima’s best restaurants

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Café Bisetti is located in the heart of Barranco just opposite the main square and is an obligatory stop for anyone who appreciates great coffee. Their coffee is purchased from various associations around Peru which are made up of small farmers who all produce excellent quality coffee. They are constantly sourcing new blends and pay a fair price for their beans ensuring that farmers get paid well and that the beans aren’t sold on the export market but are made available to Peruvians in their café.

They create their own coffee blends and have an in-house coffee lab where beans are roasted, blended and tested by their team of tasters and baristas. The blends they use are constantly changing and the blend of the day is written on a blackboard so you know what you are drinking.

Coffees include all the usual contenders including espresso, latte, cappuccino and macchiato as well as their specialty pisco coffees such as the ‘capucholo’ a blend of espresso, foamed milk, vanilla and pisco liqueur.  They also have a nice selection of herbal teas and great pastries and cakes baked in-house by David’s partner Hannah.

David and his team of barista’s are extremely passionate about what they do and it shows in every cup of coffee they make. Bisetti is somewhat of a community hub and is usually buzzing with locals chatting over a cup of joe. Bisetti is a great spot to get a feel for local Barranco life in the heart of this bohemian Lima suburb.

Best of Peru Travel Recommends:

• Bisetti run coffee tasting classes for those looking to learn more about the art of coffee. Classes include a session with one of their in-house barista’s who explains how they select and taste the coffee they use in the cafes. Prices start from US$25 per person. Book in advance. Ask for ‘Tito’ to lead your class, we’ve never met anyone as passionate about coffee as this fellow!

• If you can’t make it to Bisetti you can also try the coffee at the restaurant Astrid y Gaston and in their sister Café Arabica in Larcomar or at 269 Recavarren Street in Miraflores.

Click here for more of our favourite cafes in Lima

Questions about travelling to Lima? Check out our Lima Travel FAQ page

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The Arabica Espresso Bar on Recavarren is a tiny space usually filled with locals stopping off for a latte or espresso during the day. It’s a nice laid-back place to stop for a quick coffee or cake as you explore Miraflores and is full of character with tables decorated with subway maps and walls displaying information about local cultural events.

Arabica in Larcomar is a more modern style café and is one of Lima’s only slow coffee and espresso bars. Tucked away on the ground floor, Arabica Larcomar is a haven for coffee aficionados. The slow coffee bar offers a range of traditional coffee brewing techniques for customers to enjoy including the chemex, French press, V60 pour over, aeropress and siphon methods.

Arabica is owned by the geniuses behind Café Bisetti so the quality of their coffee is second to none in a country that has historically exported most of its great coffee. They have a good selection of coffee from all over Peru and work under fair trade principles ensuring the producers get a fair wage and are thus encouraged to continue producing the fabulous beans in each cup.

The other thing we love about Arabica is their great cakes and pastries. Hannah is one of the co-founders of Arabica and she bakes her sweet treats in-house daily. Her carrot cake is a firm favourite, (it‘s moist and full of carroty goodness) but if chocolate is more your thing, the dark chocolate and espresso mousse pie will hit the spot.

We personally prefer the Cafe Arabica on Recavarren street as it feels like more of a local spot with good music, casual vibes and great coffee without pretension. However, if you want to try a wider range of great Peruvian coffee the Cafe Arabica Espresso Bar in Larcomar should definitely be on your Lima to do list!

To see more of our favourite Lima cafes click here

Click here if you are looking for some great things to see and do in Miraflores

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