The experts in boutique travel To Peru and South America
There’s good news for travelers that need to eat gluten-free in Peru: you too can safely enjoy some of the country’s wonderful cuisine with the help of our translation card in Spanish, insights about Peruvian cuisine, and restaurant recommendations.
YoGluten-Free Peru Guide:
Gluten-Free Spanish Translation Card
Gluten-Free Peruvian Cuisine: Yes or No?
Gluten-Free Lima Restaurants
Gluten-Free Cusco Restaurants
Buen Provecho
Explaining your gluten sensitivity and what you can and cannot eat is difficult when you don’t speak the native language.
Our complimentary Gluten-Free Translation Card:
Save our translation card on your phone or print a copy to use during your trip.
Explore various savory and sweet dishes from Peru below. We’ve outlined some popular gluten-free options along with ones containing gluten (even if it’s only in trace amounts) that you’ll want to avoid. The country’s cuisine is as diverse as it is delicious.
Yes, These Peruvian Dishes Are Gluten-Free (typically):
* Er on the side of caution and check with your server to see if your order has gluten or not. These following Peruvian dishes are typically gluten-free, but recipes and cooking preparation vary from restaurant to restaurant.
Gluten-Free Peruvian Desserts
No, These Peruvian Dishes Are Not Gluten-Free:
Dishes That Contain Crackers/Bread
“Many creamy sauces like salsa de huancaína, salsa de rocoto, and crema de ají use saltine crackers or bread to make the sauce thicker. You can find photos and ingredients (in Spanish) of the major sauces and creams used in Peruvian dishes here: About Español: Cremas y salsa peruanas. Look out for the ones that list “galletas” in the recipe; these will look thicker and creamier than the others.”
Rachel Walker, Travel Advisor
Here are a few dishes prepared with these creamy sauces that are likely thickened with bread crumbs/crackers:
Dishes That Contain Soy Sauce
Soy sauce in Peru may appear on a restaurant menu as salsa de soya or sillao.
Drinks That Contain Barley
Lima is the gastronomic capital of South America and if you love food, you’ll likely want to spend a few days exploring the capital of Peru along the way to Machu Picchu. We’ve narrowed our selection of restaurants in Lima into two categories: 100 percent gluten-free restaurants and acclaimed restaurants with gluten-free options for a special dining out experience.
100% Gluten-Free
Twins Cafe GF
Twins Cafe is a quaint Barranco-based eatery with a dedicated gluten-free menu. With a thoughtful selection of sandwiches, pizzas, quiche, and desserts, this cafe is patronized by individuals sensitive and intolerant to gluten alongside local limeños seeking a casual meal. Pair your meal with a cold-pressed juice or coffee.
Jiron Colina 108, Barranco, Lima
Twins Cafe Website
Open daily – coffee and casual, a light meal
Lima Tours:
Veda Restaurante is entirely free of gluten and one-hundred percent vegan. Here, celiacs can enjoy a pleasant sitdown meal and don’t have to hold back from ordering anything on the breakfast, main course, and dessert menus.
The cuisine at Veda is wide-ranging and beautifully presented. In the morning, ask for gluten-free toast topped with guacamole or acai served with coconut shreds and fresh strawberries. International and Peruvian options for lunch and dinner range from rice-based pasta in alfredo sauce to vegan ceviche made from a base of mushrooms instead of fish.
Round out your meal with the restaurant’s signature kombucha infused with chicha morada (a sweet Peruvian beverage made from a base of purple corn) or maracuyá (ie. passion fruit).
Veda is modern and inviting. Potted plants dangle from the distinct bamboo frame covering the outdoor area, and inside Veda, there is more formal seating. Menus are available in English. And only three and a half blocks from Parque Kennedy in the heart of the Miraflores neighborhood, the restaurant is walking distance from Inca’s Expert Pick hotels in Lima.
Calle Schell 630, Miraflores, Lima
Veda Restaurante Website
Open daily – breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Gluten-Free Options
Our selection of acclaimed restaurants (listed below in alphabetical order) is a blend of award-winning establishments gracing the top spots of Latin America’s Top 50 Restaurants (announced Oct 2019) along with a handful of preferred picks from our Inca Expert team members in Lima. These restaurants do not have a dedicated gluten-free menu, but they can substitute ingredients for a particular dish when possible or make excellent gluten-free proposals.
Astrid & Gaston
# 13 of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019
Astrid & Gaston, the jewel of Gaston Acurio’s culinary crown, set the standard for Peruvian fine dining when it first opened in 1994. The cuisine is refined though still approachable, and likely what you want for sampling great Peruvian dishes, several of which are already gluten-free.
Central
# 2 of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019
# 6 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019
Central is for anyone who appreciates an adventurous meal taking two or more hours. The dishes at chef Virgilio Martinez’s flagship restaurant honor Peruvian cuisine with inventive touches and seasonal menu changes.
Central is not every-day eating and advanced reservations must be made up to three months before your trip to Peru. Inform the restaurant of your gluten-free diet restriction when you submit your reservation. During your unique dining experience at Cental, your servers will explain the ingredients mixed into each dish and adapt or substitute a course when necessary.
Maido
#1 of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019
#10 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019
The acclaimed menu at Maido traverses the landscape of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. Appreciate chef Maido Mitsuhari’s vision of Nikkei cuisine, refined after years of culinary training and on-the-ground experience in Japan, with the tasting menu that can be prepared with gluten-free substitute dishes.
El Mercado
Chef Rafael Osterling’s casual and cool restaurant features a refined menu of seafood specialties. Order the gluten-free ceviche or tiradito dishes to share. If you want to get a local feel, we recommend eating a meal here.
Inca Expert has a dedicated team of guest relations officers, operations coordinators, and content creators in Cusco who put together a list of their favorite cafes and restaurants with gluten-free pickings. Grouped by neighborhood and alphabetically ordered, these gluten-free options appeal to a range of preferences.
Plaza de Armas
A trip to Cusco would not be complete without visiting the iconic Plaza de Armas in the historic downtown where a bourgeoning culinary scene hosts wonderful restaurants with nice gluten-free options. The following are some of our Cusco team’s recommendations:
San Blas Neighborhood
Up the hillside from the city’s Plaza de Armas is the artisan neighborhood of San Blas. The cobbled streets are narrow and lined with colonial-style buildings, some of which are occupied by the following gluten-free friendly cafes and restaurants:
Bueno provecho is Spanish for “bon appetite” or “enjoy your meal.”
Food is a tremendous point of pride for Peruvians and a uniting emblem that honors the cultural and geographic diversity of their homeland. The gastronomy of Peru is famed for its flavor diversity and fusion, and with such a wide selection of restaurants to dine at in Lima and Cusco along the way to Machu Picchu, it’s easy to see how your days can be planned around mealtimes. Now, with our Spanish-English translation card and gluten-free tips, you can enjoy the world of Peruvian cuisine as a celiac. Buen provecho!
Britt is a California native who left her home to explore South America in 2013 and now lives in Peru. She's just a little obsessed about planning getaways with her family, scuba diving, and trekking.
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