Astrid y Gaston, La Cala

Two more reviews of fine dining restaurants from Lima, Peru.

Astrid y Gaston - (Cantuarias 175,444-1496, www.astridygaston.com) This Miraflores restaurant has long been the gem of Peru's dining scene and now has a total of five restaurants spread around the continent. Ingredients are fresh and gathered from across the country. Acurio, although I imagine is never there, styles up classic Peruvian dishes to modern standards and international tastes. Flashier restaurants with higher prices and international chefs have since appeared on the scene, but for contemporary Peruvian food this place is still an excellent choice.

La Cala - (Costa Verde) This restaurant/bar aims at attracting a high class crowd that likes to see and be seen. As soon as you walk in the door you are not asked for your reservation one time, but three times to the point it is insulting. The tables are so close to one another that the waiters have to run into the backs of every person. The food is reasonably priced, adventurous, but otherwide bland. Although I don't like this restaurant very much at all, I do applaud it for it's location on the Costa Verde....meaning right off the beach in Lima. The area has long been ignored for restaurants and all other activites but more and more construction is going that could soon make the Costa Verde sparkle as it should. Now if someone could just clean the water up.