Calle del Medio
This is the best place for drinks with a view of the Plaza de Armas
Considering the dozens of times that I’ve been to Calle del Medio, I have very rarely eaten there. The food is good, though the menu is quite limited. Before the pandemic, there was a great salad on the menu and one other vegetarian dish with wild mushrooms and potatoes. When the restaurant opened back up in late 2020, the menu was significantly reduced and there are no vegetarian options in the main courses. They have brought back a vegetarian risotto in the main courses and a salad on the starters. The menu still needs work and has several strange typos in the description of “Sousage and fries.” I’ve given them feedback on the mistakes in the English on the menu, so I’ll update this when they change it.
I’ve had the trout escabeche, which is excellent and the pumpkin risotto, which is good. Both the trout ceviche and the chaufa are good, but don’t stand out as anything special. For appetizers, the sliders were very good but I was not impressed by the cheese sticks. Of the many times I’ve been there, sometimes I got good service and sometimes excellent, but I’ve never had bad service.
Why would you need food …
… when you have a view and amazing drinks like this?
Ceviche and chicha morada
You can’t get much more Peruvian than ceviche and chicha morada. Though many countries serve a version of ceviche, the Peruvian way of preparing ceviche certainly stands out. Chicha morada is made from purple corn, another unique Peruvian item.
How to get there?
If you are in the Plaza de Armas, stand with your back to the cathedral and you’re looking right at Calle del Medio. The restaurant is named after the narrow pedestrian street that links the Plaza de Armas to the smaller Plaza Regocijo.
From the street, which is of course named Calle del Medio, there is a narrow passage next to the Illaria jewelry shop. The restaurant name is above the passage, but since it’s also the name of the street that can be confusing. Go in the passage and up the stairs on the right to the restaurant itself.
The Plaza de Armas, as taken from the Calle del Medio balcony.
