Cebichería La Mar

Description:

• The restaurant everyone in Lima seems to be lining up to get in -- no reservations are accepted, so get there early or sneak in late in the afternoon -- is this upscale cevichería, courtesy of hot chef Gastón Acurio. Fashionable, stylishly designed, and moderately priced, it represents the best of traditional Limeño cooking, but with an edge. Some ceviche purists will tell you that you don't need to go to a hip, expensive spot for ceviche, and while it's true the most authentic ceviche spots are no-frills neighborhood joints, there's nothing wrong with jazzing up the formula in my book. The airy, plant-filled space has a chic, modern touch, with an angular, poured concrete facade, bamboo roof, turquoise chairs, and cement floors. The fish -- choose from a couple dozen types of ceviche, as well as rice-based seafood dishes and whole fish -- is always fresh and carefully prepared. The restaurant even features a cool cocktail bar with great pisco-based drinks, like the "Cholopolitan," that would surely be a hit late into the night were it to stay open. But owing to cevichería tradition, it's strictly a daytime affair. For now.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010