Editorial
Lima invented the Pisco Sour — and Carnaval is now Best Bar in South America. The 10 below show why.
Bar Cordano is a historic bar-restaurant by the Government Palace, open since 1905 and declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 1989. Presidents and writers have passed through its salon over more than a century. Come for the history, a pisco, and a butifarra sandwich.
Sargento Pimienta is a Barranco rock bar and live-music institution running since 1975, a launchpad for many Peruvian rock bands. Live sets fill the evenings and the kitchen sends out pizza and rolls. Check the listings and go for a show.
The 10 above are where Lima actually drinks — mezcal temples, Pisco Sour institutions, cachaça cellars, and modern cocktail rooms.
West Coast Editor — Los Angeles to Mexico City. Casual luxury, never aspirational.