RestaurantLima, Peru
Where to Eat Ceviche in Lima
Cevicherías, not restaurants, and only before three
Average rating 4.5 out of 5
4.52 reviews$$11:00-16:00
Limeños eat ceviche at lunchtime, never at night, and they argue about it constantly. Our favourite cevicherías from Surquillo to Callao.
The rules
Ceviche is Peru's national dish, recognised by UNESCO in 2023, and in Lima it is eaten one way: at lunch, on the day the fish was caught. A good cevichería closes by four in the afternoon, and many locals will not order raw fish after dark on principle.
The classic is simple. Cubes of firm white fish, often sea bass or flounder, are cured for a minute or two in fresh lime juice with red onion, salt, ají limo chilli and coriander, then served immediately with sweet potato and big-kerneled Andean corn. The juice left in the bowl is leche de tigre, tiger's milk, which is drunk from a glass as a hangover cure and a starter.
Go to Surquillo market first, where stalls serve ceviche at counters next to the fish sellers. Then try a neighbourhood cevichería in Miraflores or Barranco, and if you have time, the old port of Callao, where the fishermen eat.
Beyond the classic
- Tiradito: thin slices instead of cubes, with a creamy ají amarillo sauce
- Ceviche mixto: with octopus, squid and prawns
- Leche de tigre: the marinade served as a shot
- Chicharrón de pescado: crispy fried fish to share
Before a flight
Surquillo market
About this story
Valentina RojasAuthor
Andes TrailsPublisher
Reviews
Write a reviewAverage rating 4.5 out of 5
2 reviews- OPOlga Petrova5 out of 5 stars21 Aug
We trekked with Andes Trails after reading this and it matched the real thing step for step. Unforgettable.
- SLSophie Laurent4 out of 5 stars14 Aug
Great overview. The permit section is the most important part: book as early as they say.
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- Oliver Bennett
Is this doable in a single day or would you split it over two?
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