20 Best Restaurants in The North Coast and Northern Highlands, Peru

Chef Juan Seminario rides his motorcycle to local markets every day to find the fish and produce that make this narrow restaurant the rival of many top eateries in Lima. This means Mediterranean and Asian elements find their way into dishes such as a Nikkei-style tiradito (sashimi-style fish with a spicy sauce) and house-made pastas.

Ask anyone in Piura the best place in town to go for typical dishes, and they'll tell you to come here. Two dining rooms—one air-conditioned, one not—with cracked white walls and waitresses in flowing peasant dresses form the backdrop for regional dishes like tamales verdes (green tamales) and seco de chavelo (fried green bananas and pork). Wash everything down with algarrobina, a pisco-based cocktail flavored with the syrup from the area's algarrobo trees.

This attractive restaurant has an extensive international menu offering traditional rice and meat dishes, as well European-inspired salads, sandwiches, and entrées mixing local and imported ingredients. Whether you choose the Thai salad or lomo saltado (stir-fried beef and potatoes), expect to savor your meal. Relax in the serene dining room, and don't miss dessert—along with, well, a cappuccino.

Half a century's worth of tradition has gone into this Trujillo standby. Bustling at lunch- and dinnertime, it's a fun place to eat that specializes in regional cuisine—and does it well. Start with an industrial-size portion of spicy cebiche de lenguado (sole marinated in citrus), followed by rice smothered with camarones (shrimp) or mariscos (shellfish). There are additional locations near the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna in the village of Moche, as well as in Huanchaco.

A friendly staff serves a wide range of Peruvian and international specialties from 7 am to midnight daily at this centrally located eatery. Pollo a la brasa, sandwiches, grilled meats, arroz con pato (duck with rice): it's all there. There's also an excellent breakfast menu, free Wi-Fi, big corner windows for people-watching, and a playground, Hebrónlandia, in the back. With all the kids' options on the menu, families could easily spend half a day here.

In one corner of the Mercado Central, amid stalls selling charqui (dehydrated meat) and rainbow-colored displays of quinoa, you'll find a lunchtime crowd of people lining up for cebiche frito, a locally famous fried version of cebiche. The fish here comes battered and topped with a spicy mayo, along with leche de tigre and all the usual cebiche fixings. Patience here is key: remember that authentic local traditions are sometimes worth the wait.

Despite the bland decor, this restaurant serves delicious grilled meats, and specializes in parrilladas, with an extensive menu that includes every imaginable part of the cow. The anticuchos and ubre are well-prepared house specials. If this sounds unappetizing, you can always get grilled steak or head to the chifa (Chinese) restaurant next door, run by the same people.