World City Guide

Nightlife

Lima’s nightlife is buzzing. Bars and clubs are full of young Peruvians and ‘gringos’ gyrating to anything from salsa to Argentine rock. The evening doesn’t really get going until late and Limeños tend to dress up to go out. The heart of the city’s nightlife is focused in Miraflores, San Isidro and Barranco. The live music bars and clubs around the Parque Kennedy and flashy discos (Señor Frogs and Teatriz) in the Larco Mar shopping mall, dominate Miraflores nightlife. San Isidro offers a more sophisticated scene for the more mature. The perennial hot spot is Barranco, which bursts into life on Thursday night and carries on until the early hours of Monday morning. Here a bar can fall out of favour within weeks, so it is always best to ask locals for guidance.

The smartest places have a dress code and nightclubs charge between PEN18/US$5 and PEN36/US$10 entrance. There are no strict licensing laws in Peru, which means that children are allowed into most bars and cafés, although one must be over 18 years to drink. A beer usually costs around PEN4-5, while a cocktail costs PEN10-15. Licensing hours are flexible and the most popular bars are open throughout the night or for as long as there are customers to serve.

Information on Lima's nightlife is available online (website: www.concierge.com/lima/nightlife/search/index.ssf or www.elcomercioperu.com.pe).

Bars: For a taste of an old-fashioned Miraflores bar, head to Haiti, Avenida Diagonal 160, which, with its large terrace and smoked glass, invokes memories of the Parisian boulevards. It is a good place to enjoy a pisco sour, before heading to the nearby cinema. La Bodega de La Tratoria, Calle General Borgoso 784, Miraflores, is a perfect site for elegant tapas-type snacks and a beer, all within sight of an ancient Peruvian burial site, La Huaca. For a relaxing Irish-style pub that is not a ghetto for homesick ex-pats, it’s hard to top O’Murphy’s, Calle Schell 627, Miraflores, which serves draught beer, hosts live music and has been expanded to include a dancefloor. An honest, spit-and-sawdust Barranco bar is Juanito’s, Avenida Grau 274, serving beer in pitchers and delicious cured ham sandwiches with onions and chilli. The odd, often-inebriated wandering minstrel supplies the music. La Noche, Avenida Bolognesi 307, Barranco, just off the main square, is one of the most popular spots. Barranco is also home to several small, ‘hole-in-the-wall’ bars, which, because of their cheap prices, are favoured by students and die-hard drinkers, who swig back the beer or spirits until they can hardly stand.

Casinos: There are several casinos and slot-machine halls in Lima. One of the most accessible and enjoyable is probably Casino La Hacienda, Avenida 28 de Julio 511, Miraflores, which is part of the luxury hotel of the same name. The rooms are comfortable, the waiter service attentive and there is plenty of parking space. Casino La Hacienda does not operate a dress code, although this tends to be formal. The minimum age is 18, although a passport is not required. The casino is open 1800-0600.

Clubs: Bar Kitsch, Avenida Bolognesi 743, Barranco, is for disco lovers, who come to revel in the flowery wallpaper, the impromptu bar dancing and excellent cocktails. It gets busy on Friday and Saturday. Much larger and trendier is La Noche, Avenida Bolognesi 307, which has two bars, dozens of tables on two floors and a stage for live music – for which there is a small entry fee. The owners have just opened a second bar in central Lima, in the third block of Jiron Quilca. In Miraflores, Santa Sede, block six of Avenida 28 de Julio, is the regular haunt of the young and bohemian. It plays a pleasing mix of pop and salsa. Before leaving Lima, the visitor should sample at least one salsodromo, a salsa dance club, such as Kimbara, Avenida Republica de Panama 1401, La Victoria, for a true taste of South American smouldering style.

Live music: Lima rocks at the weekend, although there is usually something going on during the week too. A cool, mellow jazz evening on Monday and Saturday nights can be had at Jazz Zone, Avenida La Paz 656, Miraflores, which lays on a variety of bands from blues to experimental jazz. La Casona de Barranco, Avenida Grau 329, Barranco, also offers good live jazz sessions on Monday nights and at the weekend.