9 Best Restaurants in The Southern Coast, Peru

With food that is as modern as the stylish interior, this is the best spot in town to try Peruvian-fusion cuisine. The pollo a lo oporto (chicken in a port wine sauce) is a standout, as is the cocktail list, including the tricolor Machu Picchu pisco cocktail. For a good view, head upstairs for a spot on the balcony overlooking the street.

This 40-year-old Pisco institution hosts pool parties and dancing on weekends, but it's the seafood specialties like whole fried chita (rockfish) and sudado de choros (shellfish stew) that keep the crowds coming. Roast goat, grilled meats, and sopa seca (noodles in basil sauce) round out the extensive menu. On any given afternoon, the place is packed with jovial Peruvian families celebrating together.

Don't be surprised if chef Hary Hernandez (aka "Sir Hary") comes over to chat during your meal at this half-century-old Ica institution: his passion for food and hospitality is legendary. Among the dishes he might offer are pollo a la iqueña (chicken in pecan-and-pisco sauce) or fried trout. The recipes, he says, go back to his grandmother, and judging by the satisfied bellies of the customers, his abuela would be proud. Note: the restaurant has no written menu, so ask about prices before ordering.

This pleasant garden café beside Hostería Suiza has a vegetarian-friendly vibe, with lots of quinoa and salads on offer. Dishes on the eclectic menu are all made from scratch by the British owner, and range from Thai curries and falafel to pastas and crepes. There are even peanut-butter-and-banana milk shakes.

Locals recommend this restaurant on the outskirts of town as the best around; judging from the lunchtime crowds, they can't be too far wrong. The three brothers who run the kitchen cook up modern regional Peruvian cuisine such as sole fillets rolled with bacon and served with passion-fruit dipping sauce or fish stuffed with spinach and sautéed in a pisco-and-pecan broth. Portions are enormous, so order a few dishes to share.