FLAVOURS OF LIMA
Destination Peru for some of the most inspiring flavour experiences in the world
The Bowler cocktail at Sastrería Martínez
I
f you had to pinpoint the time that the world sat up and started to take notice of the Peruvian capital and its cuisine, it would probably be 2013. That was the year Central shyly poked its head in at number 50, joining fellow Lima restaurant Astrid y Gastón (then at number 14), on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Since then, interest has grown considerably. And justifiably. In case you hadn’t heard, Central did the big one and topped the list this year, the first Latin American restaurant to do so since the prestigious 50 Best Restaurants list started 21 years ago. And with Maido bubbling brightly away at number six, Kjolle at number 28 and Mayta at number 47, Peru is now the city with the highest number of restaurants on the entire list. Also worth mentioning is Mérito, just waiting in the wings at 59. It’s little wonder Lima has been steadily establishing itself as a serious foodie destination. And where there’s good food you can bet your last Peruvian sol that there will be great cocktails. “Having Central at number one is good for the city, good for the country, good for everybody,” says Diego Macedo, owner of speakeasy bar Sastrería Martínez and the man who invited us to Peru to see and taste what all the fuss is about for ourselves. Like chef-owners Virgilio Martínez Véliz at Central, Pía León at Kjolle and Jaime Pesaque at Mayta, he proudly puts Peru and its incredibly diverse and unique larder of indigenous ingredients front and centre of his creations. “It’s a big country full of amazing flavours. Now that the attention is on the kitchen with our great chefs and some of the best restaurants in the world, why shouldn’t we do the same with cocktails?” he reasons. “In some cases we use even more fruit and herbs than they do in the kitchen. So why can’t we bring the attention to our drinks?” Why not indeed. Let’s hear it for Lima and its bars…
62 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 45
