Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [82]
Central Lima
Nightlife in central Lima is for the nostalgic, composed largely of vintage hotel bars and period halls.
El Bolivarcito (Map; 427-2114; Jirón de la Unión 958) Facing the Plaza San Martín from the Gran Hotel Bolívar, this frayed yet bustling spot is known as ‘La Catedral del Pisco’ for purveying some of the first pisco sours in Peru. Order the double-sized pisco catedral if your liver can take it.
Hotel Maury (Map; 428-8188; Ucayali 201) Another vintage bar renowned for popularizing pisco sours is this intimate, old-world spot lined with stained-glass windows and tended to by a battalion of bow-tie-clad waiters.
Other good evening hangouts include El Estadio Fútbol Club (Map; 428-8866; Nicolás de Piérola 934; noon-11pm Mon-Thu, noon-2am Fri & Sat), a soccer-fanatic hangout-restaurant, and Queirolo (Click here), an old-timey spot that stays open until 1am.
San Isidro
Bravo Restobar (Map; 221-5700; www.bravorestobar.com; Conquistadores 1005) An encyclopedic cocktail menu and an excellent selection of small-batch piscos make this mellow San Isidro lounge a good spot to sip and be seen.
Los Delfines Bar (Map; Delfines Hotel y Casino, Los Eucaliptos 555) This top hotel’s elegant bar marries all the best qualities of a corporate expense account with the dolphin trick show at the local aquarium.
Miraflores
Old-world cafes where suited waiters serve frothy pisco sours, raucous watering holes blaring techno and salsa – Miraflores has a little bit of everything. The area around the Parque Kennedy is particularly suited for sipping and people-watching.
Brenchley Arms (Map; 445-9680; Atahualpa 174; 6:30pm-close Mon-Sat) A popular hangout with foreign travelers in Lima, this mellow British-style pub has games of darts and a selection of Peruvian draft beers.
Café Bar Habana (Map; 446-3511; www.cafebarhabana.com; Manuel Bonilla 107; 6pm-close Mon-Sat) Boisterous Cuban proprietor Alexi García and his Peruvian wife, Patssy Higuchi, operate this homey drinking establishment that serves a highly delicious mojito (a cocktail of mint, rum and club soda). The couple, both of whom are artists, sometimes display their works in the adjacent gallery.
Huaringas (Map; 447-1883; Bolognesi 460; 9pm-close Tue-Sat) A popular Miraflores bar and lounge located inside the Brujas de Cachiche restaurant (Click here), Huaringas serves a vast array of cocktails, including a well-recommended passion-fruit sour. On busy weekends, there are DJs.
Old Pub (Map; 242-8155; www.oldpub.com.pe; San Ramón 295; 4pm-close Mon-Sat) At the far end of ‘Pizza Street,’ this flag-draped pub has darts, a large-screen cable TV blaring sports, a few British brews (in a tin) and plenty of Cusqueña (a light lager from Cuzco) on tap.
Media Naranja (Map; 446-6946; Schell 130; 10am-3am Mon-Sat) You can’t miss the enormous, brightly colored flags that hang over this boisterous outdoor Brazilian bar-cafe where the cachaça flows like water.
Barranco
Barranco’s bars and clubs are concentrated around the Parque Municipal, which is thronged with revelers on Friday and Saturday nights.
Ayahuasca (Map; 247-6751; www.ayahuascabar.com; San Martín 130; 8pm-close) Lima’s of-the-moment lounge resides in a stunning restored casona full of Moorish architectural flourishes. Not that anyone’s looking at the architecture – everyone’s checking out everyone else, in addition to the hyperreal decor that includes a dangling mobile made with costumes used in Ayacucho folk dances. There’s a long list of contemporary pisco cocktails, made with infusions of purple corn and coca leaves.
Ekeko Bar (Map; 247-3148; Av Grau 266; 10am-midnight Mon-Wed, 10am-3am Thu-Sat) From Monday-night poetry readings to local cover bands, this ragged two-story spot has it all. When popular acts are playing, expect to pay a cover (about S10).
Juanito’s (Map; Av Grau 274) This worn-in woody bar – it was a leftist hangout in the 1960s – is