La Mar (Lima, Peru)

Located in the Miraflores district of Lima, La Mar is an epicure's dream restaurant. La Mar is the brainchild of Gastón Acurio, one of the most prominent ambassadors of peruvian cuisine and a leader of the peruvian gastronomic rennaissance.

The extensive menu features all kinds of delicacies from under the sea. Cebiches, the specialty, are small pieces of raw fish or other seafood in a rich sauce, served cold. I found the Nikei and Mistura cebiches to be especially tasty. Tiraditos are Cebiches siblings where the emphasis is stronger on the seafood and less on the sauce. The menu features many other seafood-based specialties such as the delicious Arroz La Mar, which is most easily described as a peruvian interpretation of Paella. What is most important is that every ingredient is incredibly fresh, rendering the flavors more authentic and rich.

And for those of us who don't happen to be in Lima often, La Mar has branches in San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Mexico, Panama, Santiago and soon in Bogotá.