Lima zumba recientemente compite con sitios antiguos de Perú para la atención de los visitantes

Few people visit Peru for contemporary culture. Most tourists head straight to Cusco and Machu Picchu, with just a stop-off in the capital, Lima. But this summer, style magazine Dazed and Confused described Lima as an “unexpected new art world star”. Next spring, British Airways will launch the only direct UK flight to the city, and its food scene, at the forefront of Peru’s cultural renaissance for a decade or so, continues to be praised globally.
I joined Nora Sugobono, food writer for newspaper El Comercio, at Isolina, an earthy yet modern restaurant in the Barranco district that has been called the biggest opening of the year. It serves large bowls of classic Limeño home cooking and is part of a new wave of relaxed restaurants offering reasonably priced but impeccably prepared food – mains cost around £10. Another is nearby Sibaris, opened two years, which also operates a food truck.

And chef Virgilio Martinez, who played an integral role in raising the profile of Peruvian cuisine, has just opened a casual restaurant, Nos, up the road from his chart-topping Central restaurant in upscale Miraflores.

“Gastronomy changed the whole city,” said Nora. “And that opened up opportunities for fashion, art and more.”

Isolina, Lima, Peru
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Modern twist … Isolina, in the barranco district
In recent years the number of galleries, design shops and indie food joints in the Barranco and Miraflores districts has swelled, with boutique Hotel B capitalising on Barranco’s upwards swing and growing appetite for local artisan fare. I found locals cramming into gourmet gelateria BLUfor an (excellent) ice cream and nearby brewpub the Barranco Beer Company, opened two years ago.

Contemporary art fairs ArtLima and PArC are helping develop a new audience for visual arts in the city, and Mario Testino’s museum, MATE, which opened in 2012, is another symbol of growing pride in Peru (and Lima), from one of its best-known creatives. One homegrown artist now enjoying widespread popularity is “Peruvian Warhol” Cherman Kino Ganoza, whose pop art prints can be seen everywhere – including boutique B&B Casa Nuestra, in Barranco. His Miraflores gallery/shop, La Kasa Roja, also has work by other local graphic artists. Also hanging on walls in Lima, and painted on them too, is work by Elliot Tupac, a sign writer whose classic Chicha style has gained him international acclaim.