FLAVOURS OF LIMA

Destination Peru for some of the most inspiring flavour experiences in the world

If 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…

Sastrería Martínez

Of course, we have to start with Sastrería Martínez… Only a year old and already causing quite the stir. No doubt the attention, local and otherwise, is buoyed by the bar having been singled out as a 50 Best Discovery (the part of the 50 Best platform that highlights bars and restaurants endorsed by its Academy of experts). “That happened within our first three months of opening,” Diego says, incredulously. “We couldn’t believe it! I think a lot of the interest came because we had a unique proposal. Yes, there are speakeasies all over the world but not here in Lima,” he continues. “We were the first real speakeasy and the people loved it. At first they came because they saw the photos on Instagram, but they keep coming back and they tell their friends – that’s the best kind of marketing. They love the service, the drinks, our food and the setting.”

Ah, the setting. Like Diego says, modern iterations of the speakeasy are hardly new but Sastrería is the full package. Set behind a subterranean tailor shop frontage, the entrance is via an extremely handsome atelier decked out with bolts of suiting fabric, a vintage Singer sewing machine, threads, bobbins, chalk – the lot – all acting as a clever foil before you pass through the secret door and into the bosom of the suitably clandestine bar.

The bar wasn’t always going to be a tailor. “We toyed around with the concept of a library but decided that this gave us more scope to be much more creative. Plus, I can wear suits and be on stage, playing a role,” which is a huge bonus for a man who originally wanted to be an actor. The tailor theme also makes for a brilliant launchpad for menu development.

The recently launched Collection 2023 menu is a case in point. Each of the 18 cocktails is inspired by classic recipes from the 1920s and 30s and has a respectful nod to the art of tailoring, as seen in the garnishes, including a natty shirt cuff trimming for the Chaqué (p. 53), a milk chocolate button with a moustache on the Bespoke Negroni and a tape measure atop the Juan de Alcega. The pièce de résistance is the Mr Martinez 2.0, pictured left (Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve infused with cheesecake, vermouth blanc with thyme, bergamot, quinine and cocoa mucilage), served in an old-fashioned steam iron.

Eye-catching serves are one thing but Diego takes pride in showcasing native ingredients such as tumbo (Peruvian passion fruit), muña (Andean mint), choclo (large-kernel corn) and macambo (the lesser-known cousin of the cacao plant). “I love my country, I love its flavours and I love bringing them both together in my drinks.” sastreriamartinez.com

Alphonse

A little later to the scene is Alphonse and like every self-respecting speakeasy, it adheres to the three principal rules: 1) An entrance that belies what’s in-store; 2) A (not-so) secret code to gain access; and 3) More often than not, a team of braces-clad bartenders working their magic in an atmospheric, dimly lit room. Alphonse clearly received the memo and ticks all three boxes. There’s even a coat stand complete with hats, caps and boas for guests to enter into the spirit of things. Located ‘somewhere’ in the fivestar Westin hotel, the bar takes its name from Alphonse ‘Al’ Capone. To prove it, there’s a giant projection of the man keeping watch over proceedings from above the bar. The menu design takes its cue from a newspaper of the era, featuring drinks like Monkey Business (Jack Daniel’s, Martini Bianco, banana saccharum and grapefruit) and House Mafia (Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, Alipus Mezcal, Martini Rosso, Campari and chocolate bitters).

@alphonse.lima

Carnaval

Aaron Díaz brings to mind a mixology magpie in the way that he’s cherry-picked his favourite bits from the bars where he’s worked around the world and brought them together in his carnival-inspired space. It’s playful and creative on the surface but behind the Insta-friendly serves, it’s serious stuff.

Opened in 2018 and the first bar in Lima to make its way on to The World’s 50 Best Bars list, Carnaval is designed as a kitchen, with four stations dedicated to making different cocktails. There’s also a dedicated Ice Room with an ice chef in charge of the 15 or so distinct shapes suited to specific drinks. The menu is designed to bring a smile to your face, with creative twists on relatively modern classics such as the Espresso Martini (Smirnoff Black Vodka, Luxardo Maraschino, double espresso, rhubarb and Gran Kafa), Painkiller (Abel 12 Year Old, pineapple, banana, coco and orange bitters) and Jungle Bird (Zacapa Ambar Rum, lychee, pineapple, Campari, jungle cane and honey). They’re bright, they’re fun, they’re tasty. We love the idea of the cocktail samplers: three mini takes on classic classics, including the tasty trios comprising Dry Martini, Gibson and Dirty Martini, or Negroni, Boulevardier and Bijou.

@carnavalbar

Lady Bee

Lady Bee brings husbandand-wife team Gabriela León and Alonso Palomino together in their small but very impressive bar, where the focus is very much on the theme of this issue: celebrating all things local.

Alonso is on drinks, each one highlighting native ingredients and often made with non-commercial, local spirit brands. Gabriela, meanwhile, draws on her talent working in kitchens such as the esteemed Noma in Copenhagen to whip up a selection of dishes to pair with the cocktails, again focusing on produce from local farmers.

It goes without saying that the Lady Bee cocktail is one to try, made with Lady Bee Gin, Amazonian honey from the family farm, citrus leaves and floral tonic water.

@ladybee.lima