Central

Central organizes its tasting menu by altitude: each course maps to an elevation of Peruvian territory, from sea to Andes to Amazon, with ingredients its research team tracks across the country. It was named the world's best restaurant by The World's 50 Best in 2023 and now sits in the "Best of the Best" hall of fame, which retires winners from the annual ranking. Virgilio Martínez and Pía León run it from Casa Tupac in Barranco, alongside the Mater Iniciativa lab and Kjolle. It works two tight seatings — lunch and dinner — of few covers, with reservations opening up to four months ahead. This is the dinner for understanding what makes Peruvian cooking matter right now, if you can plan for it.