Peru’s culinary renaissance also includes all kind of delicious and innovative alternatives, whether you are a vegetarian, vegan or simply want to reduce meat consumption

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Original takes on classic Peruvian recipes include mushroom ceviche and ají de gallina, aka the Peruvian “chicken korma” made with tuna fish.

Peru’s culinary boom is not just for carnivores. Since the turn of the millennium, the number of vegetarian and vegan options here has also been steadily growing, particularly in Lima and Cusco. For those who don’t eat meat, there is now a good selection of restaurants to choose from. Some are dedicated vegetarian outfits while others, including some of Peru’s best known eateries, do serve meat but also have plenty of options for those who want to avoid animal protein. Vegan options also exist, although, as ever, are less frequent.

In Lima, the best options are in the districts of Barranco, Miraflores and San Isidro. In the first of these, there is Germinando Vida, which has a full range of vegetarian and vegan options, such as a tacu tacu, an Afro-Peruvian dish of beans and rice mixed together, and garnished with sautéed porcino mushrooms. There is also Veggie Pizza, whose name needs no translation, while various other spots, including the delightful Bodega Verde café, with its leafy garden, offer everything from vegetarian lasagna to tasty vegan sandwiches.

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In Miraflores, where several of Peru’s — and Latin America’s — top ranked restaurants are, there are also plenty of options. These include critically-acclaimed locales such as Amaz, which specializes in Amazonian cuisine and has vegetarian options, and Central, often ranked the region’s best restaurant, where two of its four tasting menus, are vegetarian, one with 11 courses and the other with 17. If you are looking for wholemeal (integral, in Spanish, by the way), vegetarian options for breakfast, the Pan de la Chola bakery and café in Miraflores is also a favorite among organic-minded locals, with strong café and excellent bread. Of couse, in seafood-mad Peru, with specialist restaurants or cevicherías all over the place, including even in the Andes, pescatarians will be in their element.

To visit any of these restaurants while staying at Atemporal, visit atemporal.pe, mail to reservations@atemporal.pe or call +51 1 700 5106.

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