Visiting Central in Lima, the best restaurant in South America (21.03.2022)

Today we had to say goodbye to Cusco, our favorite place in Peru. Later in the morning, we flew back to Peru's capital, Lima, where a very special highlight awaited us, a reserved table at Central, the #1 restaurant in South America and consistently ranked among the top 5 in the world according to the Best Restaurants list, currently #4 in the world.

We had stayed in the trendy Barranco neighborhood at the stylish Boutique Hotel Casa Republica, where you can enjoy not only Central but also other top restaurants and lots of street art within walking distance. A must-visit neighborhood for all food hipsters out there! We would also like to recommend a food tour through Barranco, which we described in more detail during our first visit to Lima. Here is the link to the blog post.

At 19:00, it was time for our table at Central. We were very excited to experience the "magic" of Chef Virgilio Martínez and his wife Pía León. Through the episode of the Netflix docuseries "Chef's Table", we got a first impression of the concept of their cuisine, which is to perfectly showcase the diversity and altitudes of Peru. After three weeks of traveling through the country, we were even more curious about what awaited us.

Even the ambiance at the entrance, with a beautiful (fragrant) courtyard filled with numerous plants and fruits, is extremely appealing. Upon entering the restaurant itself, you pass by the huge open kitchen, where about 20 people will be bustling tonight. There are two tasting menus to choose from, one with 11 courses and one with 14 courses. We opted for the "classic" 11-course journey through Peru. In addition, we also chose beverage pairings, one with "Wines of the World" and one with South American spirits and wines, to explore a wide range of flavors.

A quick note about reservations: they can only be made online through the website and should be planned well in advance before your trip. The tables fill up very quickly, and Kathi managed to snag this reservation in mid-November 2021 (for 5 months later on 21.03.2022!). So it's best to set reminders in your calendar for making a reservation.

The ambiance of the restaurant is truly unique, with views of the kitchen, the wonderful arrangement, and the tasteful interior. Much to our delight, Chef Martinez himself was also present and would occasionally come out of the kitchen to personally serve and explain dishes to the tables. We had the honor of having the chef personally explain a course to us twice during the evening. We even had a brief conversation with him, albeit a bit shyly but very friendly.

Kathi meticulously photographed each course in the menu sequence, and we believe the pictures speak for themselves in terms of creativity. Before our visit, we were somewhat reserved about the taste, as we had heard from other reviews, including our visit to Maido (ranked #2 in South America - here's the report), that Central is not only about taste but about creativity. After enjoying the glorious 11 courses, we can definitely deny this claim. We have never eaten better; there wasn't a single course that stood out negatively. It was always fascinating to hear the explanation of each course and how various Peruvian ingredients were processed with finesse and beautifully presented on the plate. The perfect wine pairings (including an Austrian participation - Gemischter Satz 2014 by Loimer!) added to the perfection of the evening.

All in all, we enjoyed a perfect culinary evening for over 3 hours. We were also impressed by the attentiveness of the service (e.g., the wine was constantly refilled and the table was quickly cleared and set up). The prices at this level are truly fair, especially when you see how much personnel and effort go into the preparation and the finesse of the creations. We paid a total of approximately €480, including the wine pairings for 11 courses and a 10% tip. We highly recommend this restaurant for anyone who values culinary experiences and wants to treat their palate for a special occasion. We left the restaurant with great excitement and satisfaction. We have never experienced such creativity and flavor perfection. Definitely try it yourself if you get the chance!