The Barranco district in Lima is synonymous with nightlife – dance, listen to live music, hang out in old mansions converted into bars and mix it up with the bohos, hipsters and other friendly locals in Peru’s capital city.

Juanito de Barranco

If Barranco has some of the trendiest bars in Lima, you’ll find some of the neighbourhood’s trendiest people in down-to-earth, inexpensive and much-loved Juanito – a local institution with seven decades of history. Juanito is named after Juan Casusol; today, Casusol’s sons run it. The bar serves jugs of beer, heady Chilcanos, snacks and meals – including spicy cooked tripe, ceviche and more – though the local hero is the sandwich made with pork smoked according to Juanito’s secret recipe. A former pharmacy with poster-plastered walls and fluorescent lighting, cash-only Juanito is casual, friendly and open daily from 11am to 2.30am.

Avenida Almirante Miguel Grau 270

Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca is a powerful brew consumed in the Peruvian Amazon under the direction of shamans. It is said to release the “divine within”. Ayahuasca the bar is both divine without (set in a magnificent mansion built in 1895) and within. Its many eclectic rooms and outdoor spaces give this great bar the atmosphere of a sophisticated funhouse. Open from Monday to Saturday, 8pm to 3am, the bar offers a mind-blowing selection of flavoured pisco sours (Peru’s national cocktail). Popular with tourists, Ayahuasca gets more local as the night wears on. 

Avenida San Martin 130

La Noche

La Noche is one of Barranco’s most popular indie music venues. Housed in an old casa (house), it features indoor balconies overlooking the stage and an elegantly curved wooden bar serving drinks that won’t break the budget. Pop in any night from Monday through Saturday: the entertainment ranges from jazz and punk to pop and poetry. La Noche is consistently named one of the best bars of Barranco.

Passaje Sanchez Carrión 199a

Hotel B Bar

Chic and intimate, the cosy bar in this Belle Époque mansion is a good place for a romantic date. It’s not cheap but there’s a variety of mariscos (seafood) to have with your pisco. Famous for its generous gin-and-tonics, it has a good wine list and a selection of Peruvian craft beers as well. There’s a tiny terrace with a few tables that, on a balmy evening, makes every hour happy hour.

Sáenz Peña 204

Barranco Beer Company

Barranco Beer Company is the best bar for lovers of craft beer. If you can’t decide between a classic Hefeweizen (wheat beer) and one made with Peruvian coffee beans or flavoured with Cusco honey, you can try a “tasting plate” of brews. Sit in beer-barrel seats and munch on hearty snacks such as pizza with Amazonian tomato sauce and “purple corn crust”, burgers on beer bread and empanadas. Or just enjoy a fat quinoa pretzel while watching the brewers work their magic behind the glass wall.

Avenida Almirante Miguel Grau 308 

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