Menu to Taste

El Mercado

Elevated Peruvian Seafood · Lima · Miraflores · Chef Rafael Osterling

Ranked No. 93 on Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, El Mercado in Lima is chef Rafael Osterling's daytime cevichería focusing on elevated Peruvian seafood. Housed in an open-air courtyard in Miraflores, the lunch-only kitchen serves raw bar seafood and dishes like Ceviche Mercado with fried squid.

Av. Hipólito Unanue 203, Miraflores, Lima 15047, Peru, Lima

  • #93 Latin America's 51–100 2024

Menu

Dishes

  • Cachetadas de Mero — Grouper Cheeks, Causa, Ají Amarillo Emulsion (68) — Grouper cheeks — one of the finest cuts of any fish, gelatinous and intensely flavoured from the constant movement of the jaw — prepared simply (pan-seared or braised) and served with causa (yellow potato terrine) and ají amarillo emulsion. A preparation built on the quality of an exceptional cut rather than complexity of technique.
  • Jalea — Fried Mixed Seafood, Yuca, Sarsa Criolla (65) — Jalea is Lima's great fried seafood mixed platter: a selection of Pacific seafood (squid rings, small fish fillets, shrimp, mussels) dredged in seasoned cornmeal and fried until golden and crisp, served with fried yuca (cassava) and sarsa criolla (the Afro-Peruvian raw onion-ají amarillo-lime salad). A preparation born in Lima's port neighbourhoods; El Mercado's version uses only the freshest day-boat catch.
  • Gyozas Marinas — Seafood Gyozas, Pacific Shellfish, Ají Amarillo Dipping (48) — Pan-fried gyozas filled with Pacific shellfish mixture (shrimp, crab, squid) seasoned with Peruvian ají amarillo — the Nikkei gyoza tradition absorbed into Lima's cevicheria culture. Served with an ají amarillo dipping sauce rather than standard soy-vinegar. A preparation that shows how Japanese culinary traditions have been fully integrated into Lima's coastal food culture.
  • Arroz con Mariscos — Pacific Seafood Rice, Ají Amarillo (72) — El Mercado's arroz con mariscos: a rice preparation with mixed Pacific shellfish (scallops, shrimp, mussels, squid, clams) cooked with ají amarillo until the rice absorbs the seafood richness and turns gold with chili. One of Lima's great communal dishes — traditionally shared at the table — made here with Humboldt Current seafood of exceptional quality.
  • Pato con Loche — Chiclayo-Style Duck, Loche Squash, Chicha (68) — El Mercado's version of arroz con pato — the great northern Peruvian dish from Chiclayo: duck braised with chicha (fermented corn), ají amarillo, and loche squash (the sacred Moche civilisation squash, irreplaceable in northern Peruvian cooking), served with the deeply-flavoured rice that absorbs the braising liquid. A dish that honours Peru's northern regional cooking traditions.
  • Pulpo al Olivo — Octopus, Botija Olive Cream, Andean Potato (65) — Pacific octopus braised until tender then sliced and dressed with a cream made from Peruvian botija olives — a preparation invented by Rosita Yimura (Lima great Japanese-Peruvian cook) and now part of Lima classic restaurant repertoire. The botija olive cream (olives blended with mayonnaise) has a deep, savoury character that coats the octopus perfectly. Served with Andean potato. One of Lima genuinely original dishes.
  • Sudado de Mero — Steamed Grouper, Chicha Broth, Ají Amarillo (68) — Sudado (literally 'sweated') is one of Lima's great seafood preparations: whole fish or fillets steamed in a fragrant broth of chicha (fermented corn), tomato, ají amarillo, coriander, and onion. The grouper is set in the broth and cooked until just done, absorbing the broth's flavours while releasing its own juices into the liquid. One of the most elegant and healthy preparations in Lima's seafood canon.
  • Ceviche Mercado — House Classic, Ají Limo, Leche de Tigre (52) — El Mercado's signature ceviche: market fish of the day (corvina, lenguado, or mero depending on availability) in the house leche de tigre — fresh lime, ají limo, ginger, coriander, celery, and fish stock. Served with cancha (toasted corn), choclo (large-kernel corn), and sliced red onion. The preparation is classical Lima ceviche at its best: nothing modernised, just exceptional fish and a perfectly calibrated marinade.
  • Postre de Lúcuma — Lucuma Mousse, Chancaca Caramel, Canela (35) — El Mercado's dessert built around lucuma — the Peruvian subtropical fruit with a distinctive dry, maple-sweet flavour, absolutely central to Peru's dessert tradition (ice cream, cakes, and mousses are all major lucuma expressions). A mousse with chancaca caramel (raw cane sugar) and canela (cinnamon). Simple, seasonal, and exactly what you want after a meal of ceviches and seafood.
  • Arroz con Leche — Traditional Rice Pudding, Cinnamon (25) — El Mercado house rice pudding: short-grain rice slow-cooked in whole milk with sugar, cinnamon stick, and lime zest until swollen and creamy, scattered with ground cinnamon. A Lima dessert staple that follows naturally after a seafood meal — its sweetness and dairy richness resetting the palate after the acid and heat of ceviche and leche de tigre.

Cocktails

  • Pisco Punch — El Mercado's Seasonal Punch, Tropical Fruit (35) — El Mercado's house punch: pisco (the Peruvian grape brandy), seasonal tropical Peruvian fruit (maracuyá, chirimoya, guanábana, or aguaymanto depending on availability), fresh lime, and a house-made syrup. The pisco punch tradition in Peru dates to the 19th century (the original Pisco Punch was invented in San Francisco using Peruvian pisco); El Mercado's version uses the freshest seasonal tropical fruit.
  • Pisco Sour El Mercado — Quebranta, Fresh Lime, Egg White (35) — El Mercado pisco sour: Quebranta grape pisco (Peru most important non-aromatic variety, earthy and robust), fresh lime juice, simple syrup, egg white, and Angostura bitters. The essential cocktail pairing for ceviche — the sour citrus and pisco strength amplifying the leche de tigre flavours. Served very cold, the foam set with three drops of bitters.

Wines

  • Chicha Morada — Traditional Purple Corn Drink (18) — El Mercado's house chicha morada: purple corn boiled with pineapple peel, apple, cinnamon, clove, and lime, served chilled. The best non-alcoholic pairing with ceviche — its sweetness cuts the acid of the leche de tigre while its corn character mirrors the cancha accompaniment. Peru's most beloved non-alcoholic beverage, made daily from Maíz Morado.

The Experience

A lively and relaxed room with garden or terrace dining. The meal is structured around à la carte dining.

  • Atmosphere: Lively, Relaxed
  • Format: À la carte
  • Setting: Garden / terrace

Phone: +51 1 221-1322

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