Souk Bar at Radisson Hotel

Let’s continue with the reviews of some cool hotels bars in Lima, Peru. Some of of them are party-friendly, some of them are conversation-friendly instead: there’s for sure at least one to fit your needs or preferences.

COUNTRY HOTEL

This lovely hacienda-style hotel features not only one, but actually two lovely bars: Bar Inglés and Vitrales. The first one, a traditional and refined English bar entirely decorated in warm colors, offers a wide variety of cocktails, including of course Peru’s most famous drink, the pisco sour.  Open hours: Monday through Sunday, from noon to 1am.

Vitrales, the other bar at the Country Hotel, is named after its beautiful and traditional vitrals ceiling. The place opens very early in the mornings to serve coffee and some other options for breakfast; you may also want to enjoy English tea time around 5pm. However, a little later the bar cocktail hour starts, with live piano music from 5pm to 8pm. Open hours: Monday through Friday, 7am to 11:30pm.

RADISSON HOTEL

Radisson Hotel is mostly business oriented, but has two really cool bars, and the best of all is tha these are not as crowded as other spots in Lima. The most spectacular is the Souk Bar, a roof top bar that takes advantage of Lima’s mild weather (specially in summer nights) and features a welcoming terrace by the pool, providing unique, amazing views of the Pacific Ocean: you may event want to hire this bar to host any private event or party. Open Hours:  Sunday through Thursday 8am-10pm, Friday and Saturday 8am-1am.

The other bar at Radisson’s is Martini Bar and Sushi Bar, very easy to find since it’s located by the lobby. The special attraction here is the freshly prepared sushi and maki, as well as international cocktails and beverages. Open Hours: Monday through Sunday, from noon to midnight.

THUNDERBIRD FIESTA HOTEL & CASINO

This hotel and casino also houses the lively Salsa’s Bar & Grill, with some 140 screens located everywhere so that you won’t miss any sports game, TV show, concert, or the most popular music video clips. You may want to start your night here, sharing some cocktails and maybe playing at the casino, since they share the same building: you may find yourself and your friends staying here (and entertained) for hours.  Open Hours: 11:30 am till dawn.

LIMA SHERATON HOTEL

Located in Lima downtown, by the Metropolitano Central Station, you will find here the Kero Bar, focused in drinks and appetizers, and usually with lots of new promotions like Pisco Nights, Vodka Nights, Whisky Nights, etc. , which are set once a week (ask your waiter) and will let you enjoy two drinks paying just one. Open Hours: Monday through Sunday, 4pm to 2am.

In Situ Bar. Westin Libertador Hotel, Lima.

Well, it’s certainly difficult to suggest a really  cool hotel bar. We all know that after a couple drinks, almost any place may seem to be the coolest spot on earth. However, we have done our best and most sincere efforts to suggest here a few places that have those little details that make a hotel bar a place worth visiting. This will not be the only one post on this matter, of course!

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: a quiet and cozy place, perfect for a get together after work or for a special date. Located at the Miraflores Park Hotel’s lobby, this British-themed bar has a wide selection of cocktails, liquors, wines, and food. Its stars are its exclusive drinks Ardiente Pasión or Secreto del Dr. Jekyll. However, the most popular ones are those pisco-based. Open hours: Monday through Sunday, 10a,-1am. Live piano music from 6pm to 10pm (excepting Sundays).

In Situ: this is still one of the newest places in Lima. Located at the Westin Libertadores Hotel, even its design is impressive yet welcoming; resembling a private office, even with books as decoration, features separate spaces to provide some privacy to groups of guests. Try a very Peruvian pisco-sour, or choose anything from the menu items. Other recommendations would be the cocktails made from exotic Peruvian fruits and pisco, but there’s also many international options. Open Hours: Monday through Sunday, 10:00am to 1am.

Mayta Restaurant Bar. Lima, Peru (Photo: Mayta)

There are certain place who happily blend a terrific bar with excellent food. And there are people who do not have enough with a few drinks and need something else to complete the experience. Let’s see a few places in Lima, Peru that combine a terrific bar, excellent food and a certainly nice atmosphere, that will satisfy even the pickiest customer.

For a top notch, classy experience, there’s the bar at Rafael restaurant, as well as the bar at Malabar. Both are superb restaurant bars located in San Isidro, with excellent local and international cocktails; the latter has been included among the Top 10 Bars in the World by Food & Wine cocktail guide magazine, whichs provides a good idea of its quality. You may want to enjoy a couple drinks while you wait for a table: being in Lima, pisco-based drinks are the stars here, but you will also find many international wines and whiskeys, as well as some new cocktail creations (including Peruvian fruits and flavors) by local bartenders.

Other recommendable spots is Bolivarcito, the restaurant bar at the traditional Bolivar hotel. Located in the heart of Lima downtown, at Plaza San Martín, this place is famous for its pisco-sours, the national flagship drink. If this is your first time, however, order the normal size one, not the “Catedral”, which is extra large. Food is tasty, mostly based on typical ingredients and recipes. Piqueos are large servings which include small portions from many different dishes: you may want to try the seafood based ones.

There are also pretty good places in Miraflores. A more informal, chat-friendly and not so crowded alternative would be Café Bar Habana (Manuel Bonilla 107), a thematic bar inspired in the old Havana, with a long and well stocked bar, and many delicious selections (food and drinks) from both Peruvian and Cuban cuisines.

Another terrific yet classier restaurant bar is Mayta (28 de Julio 1290, Miraflores). They prepare some of their own piscos, letting some exotic fruits and other ingredients macerate into the bottle: this will for sure make an unforgettable experience. The restaurant focuses in “Peruvian author cuisine” and has some spectacular dishes like the Trucha Gigante (Giant Trout) or the Rice with Duck and Oysters.

There are other spots more oriented to nightlife fun, both of them usually crowded with partygoers, like Huaringas, the bar at the Brujas de Cachiche restaurant (typical Peruvian cuisine, in Barranco) and Bizarro. The latter does not have a real restaurant but serves some great entrees and appetizers from Peruvian, Italian and Asian cuisines.

Paragliding in Miraflores parks. (Photo: Parques de Miraflores blog)

¿Ever thought of paragliding? You can have a fresh start in Lima, since there are several companies that offer both tandem flights, led by experts, as well as formal training. In fact, many people tries a tamdem flight first, to make up their minds about enrolling (or not!) in a course.

There are two basic tours, offered by most of tour companies and private instructors as well.

The most popular is a tandem flight over Miraflores, which is likely to be a truly amazing experience, especially if you are a photography lover, since you will have a privileged view of the Lima “Costa Verde” beaches, the Miraflores buildings and skyline, Larcomar shopping center, a glimpse of Barranco and San Isidro, and if the weather is good (which is the case currently, since it’s summer here!) you may see Callao and La Punta, to the north. All of these flights last some 10 or 15 minutes and depart from Miraflores’ Raymondi Park, located at the Malecon Cisneros (block one), where there’s an area specially designed for tandem flights. Prices are around some US $50 per flight.

Other popular tandem flight will take you to the heights of Pachacamac, 40km south of Lima, a very interesting agricultural valley full of archaeological areas (like the Pachacamac fortress), wild beaches and high mountains; due to the latter, there are many different and strong air currents, which will take this trip more challenging. If you need some more adrenaline in your life, this could be a real good boost, which in addition will allow you to take some gorgeous photos and/or videos. You need to check the schedules (and prices!) for these with each tour operator, since they will have to provide the transportation to Pachacamac too.

There are several companies and instructors working on these tandem flight services; you can call them first and ask all of your questions, which is a very good idea since their web pages may not cover all the information you personally require. We may suggest FlyAdventure, AeroXtreme and Infinity, which have bilingual instructors.

Fireworks in Lima (Photo: Rodney Dodig)

Limenians are friendly people, who cherish sharing special moments not only with the family, but also with friends. Probably that’s the reason why a recent poll shows that some 59% of them will spend New Year’s Eve at home, celebrating with with family and friends, while another 26% will welcome 2012 at a friend’s party: so odds are that you have already been invited to one of these special and genuinely friendly home parties.

If this is the case, you will have lots of fun and remember –you cannot just say “I don’t dance”. In Peru, partying means not only drinking and socializing, but also, dancing, lots of dance. It will be fun!

Despite the fact that only 10% of the polled said that they would attend a paid party at some club, there’s a wide offer of New Year’s Eve parties, either at the city or at any of the South Beaches discotheques, most of them themed parties, so you may find one to fit your personal preferences. We are naming only a few ones here.

Brisas del Titicaca: Welcome 2012 enjoying a 100% Peruvian folk show and a great dinner, as well as drinking and dancing. Tickets range from 180 to 299 soles (according to the seats location) and are on sale via Teleticket.com.

Ice New Year 2012: A New Year’s party held inside an igloo! Snow machines, ice statues, giant flat screens and of course, ice lots of colored cubes. This party will take place at Punta Hermosa Beach (Km 43 of Panamericana Sur road) and there will be shuttle buses to get there. Tickets range from 80 to 2,200 soles and are on sale via Tuentrada.com. More info on its Facebook page.

Fiesta del Sol: Xcess Bar (at Larcomar Shopping Center) is organizing this themed party, this time focused in the most important Inca celebration. Tickets range from 30 to 750 soles. For more info and reservations email mkt@xslarcomar.com or call 2558406 / 992508110.

Happy New Year 2012!

Christmas Tree at Jockey Plaza Shopping Center. Photo: (c) Rodney Dodig.

Here, the most important celebration is Christmas’ Eve, or Nochebuena; it’s a very late dinner (around midnight), with all the family, including children (at least, those old enough to stand being awake!).

You can expect a full table and a big, big dinner, Those families who can afford it will have a stuffed turkey; others will have many other different dishes; however, one thing you will see everywhere is the panetón, a kind of sweet Christmas cake.

One thing that makes Christmas Season in Peru very different is that it takes place in summer, not in winter. You may miss making a snowman or go skating, but you can enjoy almost anything else, including of course shopping!

Make sure to check the newspapers and ask your friends for season-related public activities: some local Municipalities organize band concerts at parks, some shopping malls prepare shows for kids; and of course, there are many street fairs.

So, if you are leaving Lima just before Christmas, you can still buy not only souvenirs, but also some very Peruvian gifts for your family and friends.

Other good options for shopping are the big malls like Larcomar or Jockey Plaza, as well as supermarkets like Wong and Vivanda. However, if you are trying to make the most of your budget, remember that places like the Indian Market usually prepare special offers for this time of the year.

Merry Christmas!

Some hotels are a true haven for romance (Photo: Spa Golf Los Incas)

Coming to Lima with your partner? Looking for a good, luxurious, romance-friendly hotel? There are many options in Lima. We are suggesting here just five, but maybe you should peruse our complete hotels section since there are plenty of other possibilities, so you can have a better idea.

JW Marriott Hotel and Casino: may be a great choice for those who crave for a fantastic ocean view. Conveniently located by the sea, at the top of Miraflores’ cliffs and in front of Larcomar Shopping Center, it has a casino, a great restaurant and bar, and provides easy access to nightlife spots. One of the best value places in Lima according to Frommer’s guide, its rooms and suites are fully equipped to grant a fantastic, unforgettable romantic getaway without leaving the city.

Swissotel: Although it’s a little more more business-oriented, its location in San Isidro (near a huge golf court) plus the extreme class and luxury makes this place another good place for leaving everything behind and focusing on spending quality time with your partner.

Sofitel Royal Park: Located also in San Isidro, in a modern building decorated with Peruvian motifs, textiles and and handicrafts, this five-star hotel features exclusive suites and a superb, 24-hour room service. It also offers also nanny services, which may be of interest for those couples traveling with their children.

Miraflores Park Hotel: This is another hotel in Miraflores, the most tourist-friendly district in Lima: and apart from being top notch, having excellent restaurants and drinks and a cozy atmosphere excellent for romance, you will find Zest Spa, with plenty of options for pampering your partner and you with couple treatments: the star of the house are the massages, but there are many package treatments available.

Hotel Spa El Golf Los Incas: This is a true getaway. Located in Surco, to the east of Lima, it’s close enough to certain upscale commercial areas, like the Jockey Plaza Shopping Center, La Molina residential district, or the Panamericana Sur highway; but it is situated on a hill and behind a golf club, so it is surrounded by nature and offers you a superb view of Lima. In addition to all the ammenities that a five-star usually features, it runs its own spa, Spa Golf Los Incas which offers several Day Spa packages, including the one called “”You and Me”: (Jacuzzi with candles, petals, bubbles, Maras salt and essential oils, aromatic herbs, relaxation massage, feet treatment and clay mask) specially intended for two persons

Christmas Cupcakes at L'Artisan.

December is a good time for satisfying your sweet tooth: and in Lima, that’s pretty easy. Limenians have always loved sugar and sweet flavors: history states that one of the Viceroys tried to correct this situation using the force of the laws… with no success at all.

Nowadays you will find many places to enjoy excellent desserts, either from Peruvian or international gastronomy. We will name just a few things and places, at least to start with.

Picarones: we already have posted in detail about them. Today we will just mention that they are a very typical Limenian dessert, served covered with some dark syrup, and that they must while you are in Lima. Find them at the Miraflores central park, or some restaurants and cafeterias, and specially at evenings/nights in certain street corners and popular fairs.

Champuz, Arroz con Leche, Mazamorra: these are other very popular Limenian desserts, still quite easy to find in popular fairs, street markets, certain cafeterias and restaurants, and at the Miraflores central park stalls. Ask your Peruvian friends and they will gladly suggest some recommendable spots nearby.

Alameda Chabuca Granda: this is a nice park located beside the Rimac River, behind the Government’s Palace. Not only it is an excellent place to take a look at Lima from a different viewpoint, it has three amphitheaters and many food stalls, where you will find all kind of typical Peruvian foods, including desserts, of course.

Pasteleria Wong: There’s a Wong Supermarket almost anywhere in the city. And there’s a Pasteleria Wong inside each one. Besides being quite affordable, here you can find many different stuff, from freshly baked bread to very elaborated cakes (the whole cakes or just individual servings), as well as cookies, chocolates and many kind of desserts, both Peruvian and international.

Pasteleria San Antonio: a place which is already famous for its cakes, sandwiches and desserts. Whipped cream, chocolates, pies, you name it… almost any kind of dessert can be found here, and of course, including Peruvian flavors like Lúcuma (a 100% Peruvian fruit) or Maracuyá (Passion fruit). And with a little luck, you may also find the traditional Turrón de Doña Pepa. They serve Peruvian coffees, so you can order a small cup of expresso, to fully enjoy your dessert.

Manolos: Focused mostly in sandwiches, they have also some very good desserts, specially chocolates, mousses and cakes. But our top suggestion here is the Spanish-style Chocolate con churros: order the “thick” chocolate (a cup of very thick hot chocolate, with fritters). Specially during Lima’s rainy winters.Yummy!

La Folie (Primavera 1070) and L’Artisan (Primavera 640, Chacarilla): Both are top notch places, located in Surco, with exquisite gastronomic creations; this includes excellent desserts, both located to the East side of the city, and offer a fusion of the most classic desserts and new, Peruvian flavors, all of them served beautifully, making a complete experience that you will not forget.

Hot Stones Massage at Zest Spa, Lima.

There are certain hotels who not only offer five-star, luxury services, but also special care to pamper your heart and soul: certain hotels that have one or more spas that will not only please, but greatly surprise you. Let’s take a quick look at some of these places, located in different Lima districts.

Hotel and Spa Golf Los Incas: Probably one of the best, here you may as well receive a traditional body massage, foot massage, Reiki treatments or try any modern treatments like Chromotherapy or massages with hot stones. Or you may as well try any of the complete packages, that combine several treatments, or even a romantic spa session for a couple.

Thunderbird Hotel Fiesta and Casino: Here you will find Zaphira Spa, with five rooms dedicated to provide you a complete experience of relaxation: massages, facial treatments, aromatherapy, massages with hot stones, shiatsu, reflexology, exfoliation, body wrappings etc.

Miraflores Park Hotel: Forget about stress! This top hotel (formerly Miraflores Park Plaza) houses Zest Spa, that provides several treatments incorporating indigenous products from Peru and the Amazon, in a cozy environment that guarantees peace and tranquility.

Casa Andina Private Collection: This is another place ideal to relax and come back home feeling renewed: its Joop Salon Spa has steam rooms and saunas (free of charge to hotel guests) plus three massage rooms and a beauty salon. You will also find a nice, warm and covered pool, an open and sunny terrace with reclining chairs, for sunbathing or simply for relax.

Radisson Hotel Decapolis: This hotel offers “spa suites”, that is, suites with improved, luxury bathrooms that include shower and jacuzzi (in separate facilities). In addition, the hotel has a fitness center, pool and sauna.

Menu at Gonzi's (Photo: Isabel Guerra)

You may be traveling on a budget but you can always find some good options for a cheap lunch, specially in Peru. Here’s some recommendations specially picked for you!

Cordano: Established in 1905, Cordano is almost an institution. Good food, affordable prices, and a glimpse of Lima’s past times in the photographs hanging on the wall. It serves local cuisine:  meats, seafood, chicken, salads, desserts, plus beverages, and drinks. Remember to try the Chilcano de Pisco.

Norky’s: A nice and cheap place to enjoy Peruvian Roasted Chicken, locally known as “Pollo a la brasa”, and many other BBQ specialtes, Peruvian and international as well; a good option when traveling with kids, since it has some kid-friendly options (nuggets, hot dogs, etc.) and a covered playground.

Gonzi’s: A hidden spot in San Isidro, not far from the intersection of Javier Prado and Arequipa avenues, where you can enjoy a complete three-course lunch (entreé, main course, dessert, and a beverage) for only US $5 or even less. In the middle of the way from Downtown to Miraflores, it’s a perfect place for for making your budget last!

Canta Rana:  A very good and family-run cevicheria in Barranco, where you will often see the owner, Vicente, chatting with the guests. You can expect almost any kind of Limenian seafood here, and also the possibility of meeting new friends. Good drinks are a plus to be considered, too.

Cafe Z: In Miraflores, you will find good Peruvian coffees plus fruit juices and all kind of big-served sandwiches that can make up for a delicious yet quick lunch or dinner. And some weekends they have live music in the evenings.