Lima Restaurant and Pisco Bar sits just off Tamiami Trail East, and while it’s far enough back that you might miss it on a first drive-by, inside it feels very much like what it aims to be: a polished little slice of Peru in Naples. Open since 2016, it’s the realization of Chef Dario and Amanda Gonzalez Zuñiga’s long-held dream to bring Peru’s capital to Southwest Florida, and the result is a space that leans upscale without feeling fussy.

The dining room is cozy with white tablecloths and well-spaced tables. There’s a small bar up front that doubles as the restaurant’s pisco hub. And if the weather cooperates, a handful of outdoor tables extend the room onto a peaceful deck which is the ideal place to enjoy this meal.

You’d be hard-pressed to come here and not start with ceviche, and Lima leans into that expectation with multiple versions, plus a ceviche trio that lets you sample more than one style at once. There are familiar openers like fried calamari with yuca and salsa criolla and tenderloin anticuchos served sizzling in a cast-iron skillet, but they arrive with Peruvian flourishes that keep things just different enough from standard Naples starters. A well-made pisco sour, the house specialty, is as much a part of the opening act as any appetizer.

Mains are a tour of Peru’s coast and countryside: lomo saltado, shrimp tacu tacu (white beans and rice bowl), macho fish with a hearty seafood stew over rice, grilled octopus, and homey dishes like aji de gallina. Portions are generous without being over the top, and there are enough options that even guests new to Peruvian food find something in their comfort zone.

With an understated elegance, Lima Restaurant is truly a hidden gem. You can taste the pride coming out of the kitchen in every dish, and for a moment, it feels like you’ve stepped out of Florida and into an entirely different culinary world. If you’re looking to break routine and experience something memorable, make this your next culinary adventure.

Lima Restaurant and Pisco Bar
5047 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34113
Monday: Closed
Tuesday–Sunday: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (dinner only)
(239) 280-0167
lima-restaurant.com
Parking: Free off-street parking in the plaza lot

Originally published in
The Naples Florida Review.
Read the full edition here.