Antigua Taberna Queirolo

Antigua Taberna Queirolo is one of the most traditional places in Lima to drink pisco and wine. Its story begins around 1880, when the Queirolo family arrived in what was then Magdalena Vieja, today the district of Pueblo Libre, and opened a typical general store of the period, selling preserved foods, wines, groceries and household goods. Over time the shop became a tavern, and it still trades on that long family history.

The tavern describes itself as a traditional Peruvian restaurant where you can enjoy the best piscos and wines. The menu is divided into Queirolo traditional dishes, sandwiches and sharing plates, cocktails and mixed drinks, and wines, so it works as well for a long lunch as for an evening drink. Start with a pisco, either neat to appreciate the spirit or in a cocktail, and order a sandwich or a few plates to share. The full menu is available as a PDF on the website, so you can check it before you go.

The main tavern on Avenida San Martín opens early, at 08:00, every day. It closes at 22:00 from Monday to Wednesday, at 23:00 on Thursday, at midnight on Friday and Saturday, and at 17:00 on Sunday, when it is a lunchtime outing rather than a night out. A second branch on the Pasaje del Criollismo, at Jirón Julio C. Tello 886, opens only at weekends from 12:00 to 17:00. Reservations are taken by WhatsApp.

Queirolo suits anyone interested in Lima's food and drink traditions, from couples to groups of friends, and its long opening hours make it flexible. It is a good contrast to the cocktail bars of Miraflores and San Isidro: here the appeal is history and simple, traditional food rather than mixology.

Pueblo Libre is also home to Museo Larco, so a visit to the museum followed by a late lunch and a pisco at Queirolo makes for a satisfying day. The Origen coffee roastery has a café on Avenida Bolívar in the same district. Delivery is also available through the PedidosYa app if you want to try the food at your accommodation.