Arguably Peru’s most famous (fictional) resident was once Paddington Bear and in Larco Parque, near the British Embassy, now lives a statue of the marmalade-loving creature. Naturally our new selfie stick is brandished and we get our snap.
Saying hello to Paddington
Larco Parque sits above Larcomar shopping mall which is built into the cliffs of Miraflores and is host to international brands like Banana Republic and Nike, whilst having some great restaurants. We’re pretty peckish by now and following Carlos and Andrea’s recommendation we seek out Mangos which has a fantastic terrace overlooking the Pacific and load up on their buffet whilst wrapped in complimentary blankets to take the edge off the sea chill.
Once fed and watered (well, wined) we walk along the cliff top promenade to Parque de Amor with its huge statue of lovers kissing and curvy, tiled structures reminiscent of Barcelona’s Parque Guell. Just beyond we watch paragliders fling themselves off the cliffs with thrill-seeking tourists and locals attached filling the skies above us. Far below, by the main road which stretches along the sea acting as coastal bypass to various city districts and the airport, a pier stretches out along a spur of rock beside which dozens of surfers are bobbing in the waves.
Lunch at Larcomar
We continue on to the lighthouse and then cut down Calle Madrid to walk up to Parque Kennedy and Parque Central de Miraflores, where locals hang out at the weekends. There’s food stalls and shoeshines, sculptures and vast amounts of paintings for sale. We resist the temptation to purchase, promising ourselves that we’ll go shopping in Cusco.
Our hotel is only a couple of blocks away so we head there for a short rest before planning our evening ahead. My long-held hope had been to dine at the hugely acclaimed restaurant Central - named one of the top five restaurants in the world - but getting a booking has proved impossible, despite many attempts, so we’re keen to find a suitable replacement.
The Pacific at Miraflores
Following our guides’ recommendation once more we take a taxi out to the Pueblo Libre district and the privately owned Larco Museum. It’s an amazing building, a grand hacienda with bougainvillea spilling across it and beautiful gardens leading to a stunningly located restaurant, which regularly features in the top ten places to eat in Lima. Not that we’re ticking these lists off…
We start in the separate section housing erotic art from the pre-Incan Peruvian cultures. Huge phalluses and copulating couples adorn all sorts of ceramics, celebrating fertility and power across many centuries. There’s some pretty eye-opening pottery to say the least! Next up in the hacienda itself is the main collection, a truly bewildering display of artefacts stretching over millennia, showcasing the rich history of the Peruvian nation.
Overwhelmed by the Larcomar Museum
There’s so much to take in, and so much information to read, that it becomes somewhat overwhelming; the chronology alone requiring a huge amount of comprehension. Headdresses, weapons, jewellery, textiles, pottery and more are artfully displayed but even more mind blowing are the store rooms where tens of thousands more items are piled high in glass display cabinets, like a warehouse of antiquity.
Cultural duties done, we head to the restaurant and are served novoandea saulito - quinoa and fava bean salad - with funghi ravioli, accompanied by a delicious coca leaf pisco sour. It may not quite be the seventeen course degustation menu of super-hyped Central but it’s a marvellous setting and a lovely meal to end our stay in Lima... coming in at about a tenth of the price we would have paid if I’d secured that elusive gastronomic table. Who’s winning now?
