Cool Neighborhood: Barranco

I'm still getting my bearings here in Lima, and fortunately I've made some new friends who have been kind enough to show me around. I've been to Barranco twice in the last couple of weeks and it's my favorite neighborhood so far. Full of old Colonial architecture and beautiful graffiti, it has a cool hipster vibe to it I haven't seen here in Lima yet. (And please pardon my terrible photography - I took these on the fly.)




Two weeks ago we went to lunch with an awesome couple and their little boy. They introduced us to what may be my favorite restaurant in Lima so far: La 73. It's just a small restaurant with an almost diner-y atmosphere, but it had a wide menu featuring Peruvian, Italian, and even American cuisine. I'm told the hamburgers are delicious, and the fish sandwich looked really good. I had mushroom ravioli that were light but still filling (I got a second meal out of it). The choclo (that fabulous giant corn) con queso (in this case, melting cheese curds among the corn AND fried cheese on top) was amazing. John and Jack had - you guessed it - octopus!



Once again I chose to forego the tentacles and stuck to my carbs. Yum. But the highlight of the meal was dessert. The churros were RIDICULOUS. An entire pile of caramel-filled, sugar-dusted fried dough with melted chocolate for dipping. I'd go back for those alone.

Afterward we played at a park across the street. It was a Sunday afternoon and families were out together enjoying the sunshine.



Once the boys had their fill, we walked to the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, which is just a couple of blocks away. We didn't go in the museum since we had the kids with us, but the grounds there are just beautiful. The shop was also excellent - I definitely need to go back! And yes, I'll go in the museum next time too.




On Tuesday another friend took me to her favorite restaurant in Barranco, La Bodega Verde. The place is adorable - it reminded me of some of the cute cafes in San Diego. Not only did the waiter speak English (not necessary, but always welcome) but they had crayons for Jack, which was good because I'd left mine in the car. 



We walked around a little and stopped in a cool coffee shop. I didn't get anything because I was stuffed full of quinoa pancakes, corn soup, and avocado with warm baguette, but I bought John some very fresh local coffee beans. It was a lovely day - warm and clear. The view from the pedestrian bridge was gorgeous.



I can't wait to go back and explore more of this fun neighborhood!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts