+51 1 2428515+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Mon
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM9:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Tue
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM9:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Wed
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM9:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Thu
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM9:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Fri
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM9:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Sat
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM9:00 PM - 8:30 PM
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
Travelers' Choice 2023
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
PRICE RANGE
$160 – $260
CUISINES
Peruvian
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
meals, features
Contribute
4.5
3,400 reviews
Excellent
2,417
Very good
502
Average
232
Poor
129
Terrible
121
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
tetris2015
Bluffdale206 contributions
May 2024 • family
Where do I begin? After eating next door at Kjolle restaurant the day before owned by Pia Leon the wife of Virgilio Martínez Veliz my expectations were already off the charts.
Picked the Mundo menu (above and below sea level) and they took us on an adventure throughout Peru and journeyed through history with their seasons.
Totally mind blown from start to finish. I am still thinking about how wonderful everything was and will remember this place for decades to come.
The food, decor, presentation, staff, ambiance was just so beautiful.
Look at my pictures to get a feel to see why they are the #1 rated restaurant in the world.
Written May 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
brmusicman
Chicago3236 contributions
Nov 2023 • friends
What a special experience! This restaurant lived-up to its reputation.
Service throughout the meal epitomized fine dining. The dishes and drinks were served with precision and accuracy; they were described beautifully, but succinctly; and the team interacted with visitors with warmth and no hint of snobbery. I loved the pride the team took in each element of the experience, as well as some of the conversation we got to have with them as the evening continued. Just really special.
The setting is gorgeous--the entry experience, through a beautiful garden and into a small room with a beautiful table featuring many of the ingredients, was really neat. The restaurant has a low-key vibe--a nice mix of rustic and modern touches--and it was easy to hear ourselves and the servers. Yet, the space still had great energy and a nice vibe.
The beverage pairing was really interesting, featuring items beyond wine and showcasing some things produced locally. I didn't love each sip, of course, but I really liked the variety and thought the pairings were done thoughtfully. And I LOVED some of the sips.
The meal was about 14 courses; each course was based on an elevation and featured ingredients from that elevation, ranging from below sea level to several thousand feet. I loved how the meal (and the entire mission of the restaurant) showcases the amazing ingredients that are native to Peru. As you'd expect, each course was served on gorgeous stoneware, and the plating was really beautiful.
The food was excellent--across the evening, a huge variety of textures and flavors. It was a thought-provoking meal, but also a really tasty one, with some truly outstanding bites.
A really special evening. Highly recommended!
Written April 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KCalifornian
Redwood City92 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
We fell for the hype and went to say we had been. We wish we hadn't.
The *experience* is delightful -- the 'story' of how they are using the different Peruvian ecosystems is interesting, the service is excellent, our wine pairings were good (though, honestly, nothing amazing compared to other wine pairings we have had).
Oh, the food. Of 14 courses ... we can't name a single one that was wonderful to eat. They are all 'interesting' -- yeah, you're eating some bit of algae, or amazon palm ... but whether it's $100 or $1000 per couple, you want something that's just plain delightful to eat. And honestly ... this meal failed that test. We just didn't enjoy it -- as others have said, it's a lot of super smooth molecular gastronomy gels or foams or what-not -- very little actual tasty food.
We were ready for it to be over an hour before we left. Just not good. Great story for food writers, not great food for our palate.
Written April 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anthony S
Miami9 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
This has to be one of the worst experience I’ve had at a restaurant. It is, by far, the most overrated restaurant I’ve been to. It’s laughable to say that this is the #1 restaurant in the world. Let me start with the Course Menu; none of the plates were memorable. I understand that the products come from all over Peru, but where is the explosion of taste. All of the dishes had some type of cream base that was pre-made and dispensed from a metal canister onto the plate. They have an open kitchen, so you can see how the food is being prepared. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. So disappointing, I wanted this lunch experience to be the highlight of my trip, instead it was the nightmare. We’ve been to the many top restaurants all around Lima and Europe, you can check my profile. As a matter of fact, we did the Dinner Experience at Maido a few years back and had a great experience. I knew how much this was going to cost, that is why I expected the best. Central is lot of hype that does not deliver the quality. Not a good experience, to say the least. They should advertise this place as a Museum, not a top-notch restaurant. I would not recommend this restaurant, there are countless of restaurants all around Lima that are way better. You’ll be happy skipping this restaurant.
Written April 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
worldtraveller2466
McLean17 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
We had the "Mundo en Desnivel Experience". which comprised of 14 courses. Even tough each course was creatively plated, the flavors of most dishes were too strong. Some were so salty that left us feeling as if we had gargle with salt water. Others were too sweet. The contrast between dishes was too extreme. Either too salty or too sweet. Needless to say, we were quite disappointed. I certainly hope that Chef Virgilio reads this review because he needs to do more quality control or perhaps shorten the menu to less courses. Additionally, the service was not at the level of a 3 Michelin Star Restaurant. We had a pile of empty glasses at our table. It is not the quality of service you are accustomed to find at one of the best restaurants in the world. The wines selected were great and the immersive experience to the different regions of Peru was a nice touch but the taste of the food did not meet our expectations.
Written April 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DanielMtz90
Monterrey67 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
My recent visit to Central, acclaimed as one of the world's top dining destinations, was filled with anticipation and intrigue. The ambiance of Central is truly enchanting, complemented by exemplary service and a detailed narrative about the origins of each ingredient, which I found both informative and engaging. Upon arrival, we were promptly seated and introduced to an innovative menu concept based on elevation and the passage of time, a unique approach that piqued my interest. The dishes we experienced were delicious, and the service was flawless, attentive without being intrusive, which added to the overall exceptional dining experience. However, despite these high points, I find myself hesitating to give Central a perfect rating. The reason lies in the value proposition; the total cost of our meal came to $1,000+ USD for my wife and me, a price point that, in my personal opinion, didn't fully match the overall experience. This has led me to the conclusion that, while Central is undoubtedly a must-visit for aficionados of exotic and high-quality cuisine, I might not find myself returning. The culinary journey at Central is undeniably of the highest quality, but it may not resonate with everyone's palate or perceived value. For those with a penchant for the exotic and a desire to explore the pinnacle of culinary craftsmanship, Central will undoubtedly be a delight. However, for me, it was a one-time experience to satisfy my curiosity, albeit a memorable one.
Written April 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark S
2 contributions
Mar 2024 • couples
Central Restaurant in Peru offers an unparalleled dining experience, immersing guests in a 3-4 hour culinary journey that showcases the country's vast diversity. It's a must-visit for anyone looking to explore the rich flavors and innovative dishes of Peruvian cuisine.
Written March 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The doctor
Puerto Rico12 contributions
Feb 2024 • family
Some of the plates were exellent. Especially the cocoa. The wines-terrible only a petit shiraz/petit verdod was outstanding. The food-wine matches only two were a mtch.
May be the best restaurant in south America but . Many others are better and reasonblie..
Written February 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrunoMoroT
Barcelona3 contributions
Jan 2024 • none
So... How was my experience at Central Restaurant Lima, Peru? In a word: Unique. I’m not one who usually forks out $500 for a meal at a fancy restaurant -but was it worth it? Totally! It's a special thing. I don't think anyone would be able to easily try and taste this mix of ingredients, textures and flavours, let alone in such an artistic and clearly beautiful manner.
Is it for everyone? I don't think so. It’s not your average fine restaurant where you expect to eat the best pasta or meat in the world. It's an adventure. Everything was and tasted unusually nice. Of course, I liked some dishes more than others but I liked all of them. And whilst some could, very well be considered "risky", to your average or demanding palate, they all seem very well thought-through and balanced. Which leads me to: the pairing…
OMG! I'm so glad we included the drinks pairing -it took things to whole new level. The drinks themselves weren't just wines. But also distilled and fermented drinks -all locally Peruvian made. Again, each drink quite particular in its texture and taste. I was especially surprised about the wines cause; I’ve tried a lot of wines around the world throughout my life but I hadn't experienced many “good” Peruvian wines before. Some of these drinks I would definitely never have them on their own, nonetheless paired with a specific dish -as in the experience- wow, it opens up a whole new level of flavour and texture toning. And the glasses…
OMG! I fell in love with the crystal wine glasses! They extracted profuse aromas from the drinks. Yet so thin and fragile, clear and clean that I had to ask the waitress: “How do you wash these glasses?!” The crockery and cutlery were also beautiful and authentic.
Now, was it an out-of-this-world experience? Specifically in the culinary part, I would say: definitely yes. I could also be a bit naïve. I’ve had my good share of restaurants worldwide but this was my first experience at this level and apparently my first stop has been all the way to the top.
Hence, at this level, I would give the whole experience 8 out of 10 (or 4 out of 5). Don’t get me wrong, everything was really good, especially in the culinary part but again at this level expectations could reach beyond human. There’s always, and will be, room for improvement -and that’s the magic of it too, isn’t it?
The restaurant is nice, beautiful… but it could be breath-taking. The altitude ecosystems concept is very unique but it could convey a more vivid experience through the staff. Most of staff was super nice and attentive but they could even have qualities to take you into a vivid journey of the ecosystem experience you are meant to be delved in. In this regard, I guess my level of excitement did not match theirs. Whilst for me it was all sheer exciting novelty, for them was routine work expected to be delivered to a certain standard: a bit scripted if you will. Again, don’t get me wrong, the service was fine even though I could point out a few things but I don’t want to be a party pooper. 😊
All in all, I can confirm that I loved it as I’m all excited again whilst writing this review and wanting to relive the moment. I clearly remember sitting there and feeling exactly like when you’re on a cruise and never wanting it to end. Even after 4 hours, I could’ve sat there all afternoon and into the night. And of course, the company contributed heaps!
Written February 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sjacobs069
Milwaukee42 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
It is possible to have a perfect meal. We had planned for a wonderful dinner…and our exceptions were surpasses. Immediately sat in a large , somewhat spare but beautiful room. A brief explanation of the restaurants philosophy/what the meal would be, and we were off.
Service was professional and prompt, at the same time comfortable and engaging. The pace was our pace…next course fairly promptly after we were finished, but we lingered over some courses and all worked the same. Sommelier was knowledgeable, helped us through electronic wine list and suggest 2 great bottles well with our price range.
And the food…the food was very good to spectacular. Courses were big enough to enjoy but not overfill. The open kitchen was fascinating to watch, all seemed to be serious yet smiling.
Part of a great dinner is some luck. You’re having a good day, staff all working well and everything seems to come together. But a perfect dinner…that’s a rarity and one ingredient has to be a very great restaurant. Last night, Central gave us that gift.
Written February 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Francois B
9 contributions
Jan 2024 • solo
The food experience fell short of my expectations, which were admittedly fairly high as should be expected for a restaurant consecrated No. 1 in the World in last year’s San Pellegrino/Acqua Panna Top 50 List. I needed a few days to analyze why my experience at Central left me discombobulated. I had the Mundo Mater tasting menu which was said to provide a synthesis of the research and interpretation work of the Central team and this menu was specifically recommended for those visiting Central for the first time. The menu invites you to explore native ingredients found at 14 different altitudes throughout Peru, ranging from 10 metres below sea level to 4,200 metres above sea level, with each dish representing a particular eco-system.
PROS: Remarkable use of indigenous ingredients by a chef who is true to his stated vision. Tasted food items I would not anywhere else. Despite one or two epic fails, dishes were tasty and flavourful (if you set aside the Cons)
CONS: It is not normal that a 14-course tasting menu would only require the use of spoons. Repetitive use of soft custardy textures in dish after dish becomes boring and after a while, detracts from the taste.
The second problem is a direct consequence of the first. It is a truism that “we eat first with our eyes”. At Central, the food vehicle of choice is a variety of nice ceramic bowls to hold all the custardy and soft preparations. When dishes are served in a bowl, you can only appreciate one dimension, the surface of the dish. In the menu I was served at Central, there was little to be eaten with the eyes. Most dishes were lacking the visual appeal of memorable dishes. Interestingly, when researching dishes that were served at Central in the past, there seemed to be many examples of dishes that are very different from what I was served.
When all is said and done, am I glad to have had this opportunity to eat at Central? Yes. Do I agree this in the No. 1 restaurant in the world? No, at least not based on the menu I was served. Would I go back to Central? Maybe, if provided some indication of a change in the menu direction (not in the ingredients but in preparation and presentation).
Written February 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thildou
Draguignan83 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
WOW ! WOW ! WOW ! Explosion for the eyes, Explosion in the mouth ! It just blows your mind ! Every dish presentation was an artistic work. 12 degustations meals we had in our plates : ‘The World of the Andes’, accompanied by fine wines.
First we had a very warm welcome from all the staff and honored to have had the Chef Virgilio who came to greet us.
We left the Central Restaurante really enchanted.
We came all along from France for the Best culinary experience ever !
Written January 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arni Care
4 contributions
Dec 2023 • couples
We had food poisoning. Do not recommend. I read an article regarding the chef bringing ingredients illegally. The food is not up to our standard. Wine pairing was good.
Written January 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ckericks
Denver7 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
My husband I dined at Central last night and were very much looking forward to it, flying to Lima from the United States for one night before visiting other parts of Peru (Atacama and Amazon). We are not wealthy by any means, so this was a big deal to us as we had to save a lot to be able to eat here. The food concepts and creations were amazing and the staff was very friendly for the most part. Our bill was $960 USD (with tip) for the food and one glass of their least-expensive wine each. By far the most we've ever spent on a meal for two people.
We were seated when we arrived and noticed other customers being shown something at a table by the entrance. We asked about it and they were surprised that we were not given the demonstration. It was a discussion on the food concepts from different parts of the country and the different ingredients. Why did we have to ask to see this when others were being shown automatically? We sometimes notice discrimination throughout the world as a same-sex couple, but didn't expect that here. It may have simply been an oversight, but it was a little surprising, especially considering how much we were paying for the experience and how their high rating (#1 in the world).
The food was interesting and unique and I respected everything about what we were being served, although we couldn't fully understand what was being described. I still really appreciated it all though.
As we were eating, we noticed they were a little stingy with the water for some reason. I was very thirsty, but felt like I needed to ration my water as we seem to only be given maybe 5 swallows or so per course. Perhaps that had something to do with how we were experiencing the food? Not sure.
Unfortunately, after course 10 or so (of 14), my husband's stomach began to feel upset and he ended up running to the bathroom to be sick. He returned to the table and tried to eat more, but could not do it and had to get outside to get some air. We just needed to leave. I asked to quickly get the check (which, like I said, came to $960) and it took more than 20 minutes. He was waiting outside for me so we could return to the hotel.
He was sick all night, which resulted in us missing our tour the next morning for the Atacama Desert, Ballastas Islands, and flying over the Nazca lines, another experience we'd been saving for for months. His fear of being sick wouldn't allow him to do any of that.
We're now at our Lima hotel as he's trying to recover, wasting our vacation time. With our meal and missing our tour, we're out over $1500 USD which is a LOT of money to us.
Like I said, I completely appreciate the restaurant and love the fact that it exists, but unfortunately our experience there was not the best. :(
Written January 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris B
Columbia467 contributions
Jan 2023 • couples
There is a reason this is rated the number one restaurant in the world. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was perfect, and the experience is foodie heaven.
Written December 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
…
Showing results 1-15 of 1,610
Best nearby
We rank these hotels, restaurants, and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Best nearby hotels
See all 
Best nearby restaurants
See all 
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing