Maido

Verdict: Book Maido If You Can Get a Table

Maido is the most decorated restaurant in Lima right now, by most measures, the most decorated in the world in 2025. Named The World's Leading Restaurant 2025 by the World's 50 Best, ranked #5 globally in 2024, this is not a venue you visit casually. The tasting menu format means you are committing to a full evening and a serious spend. If Nikkei cuisine; Japanese technique applied to Peruvian ingredients; interests you, there is nowhere else in Lima, or arguably anywhere, that executes it at this level. If you want something shorter, lighter, or easier to book, look elsewhere. But if this is your one major dining commitment in Peru, Maido earns it.

The Space

Maido is located at Ca. San Martín No. 399 in Miraflores, Lima's most polished residential and dining district. The room is considered formal without being stiff: a considered dining environment where the pacing of a multi-course tasting menu feels natural rather than rushed. The scale is intimate enough that service reaches every table with attention, but large enough that this is not a tiny counter experience. For a special occasion, an anniversary, a significant birthday, a business dinner where the setting needs to signal seriousness, the room works well. Dress accordingly: this is not a casual drop-in.

What to Know About the Menu and Seasonal Rotation

The menu at Maido changes with the seasons, built around the leading available local ingredients at any given time. The tasting menu runs more than 10 courses and has historically included dishes that draw on both Japanese culinary tradition and Peru's extraordinary ingredient diversity: from Pacific seafood and highland produce to Amazonian ingredients that have become increasingly prominent on the menu. The Amazon angle is worth noting specifically: courses referencing ingredients like paiche (a sustainable Amazonian fish), palm heart, yucca prepared with Amazonian beans reflect a deliberate expansion of the kitchen's geographic reach within Peru. This is not a static menu, the dishes described publicly from past menus, including the Triple (avocado, eggs, tomato and chashu pork belly) and sea snails with yellow chilli foam, may or may not appear on the menu during your visit. An a la carte option is also available for those who prefer not to commit to the full tasting experience, filled with seasonal products and a catch of the day.

Timing your visit matters. If Amazonian ingredients are the draw, the menu references them most heavily when rainforest-season harvests are at their peak. If Pacific seafood is the priority, the catch-of-the-day format means a coastal season visit rewards you with more variety. The kitchen has been explicit that the menu evolves to reflect what is leading in each season, so visiting at different times of year will produce meaningfully different experiences. For a first visit, any time works; for a second, plan around a different season deliberately.

The vegetable-forward option is worth flagging: Maido has been recognised for its vegetable program, with chef Tsumura personally overseeing entirely plant-based experiences on request. Since being named the World's Leading Restaurant in 2025, demand has made this a near-impossible reservation. Check the official website for release windows, as tables often drop at specific dates. Dress: Smart casual at minimum; the room and occasion call for more. Format: Tasting menu (10+ courses) is the primary experience; a la carte is available. Dietary: Vegetarian and plant-based menus available on request, contact the restaurant directly. Groups: Possible but require advance coordination; contact the restaurant for group arrangements. Location: Ca. San Martín No. 399, Miraflores, Lima.

How It Compares

Pearl Picks: More Lima and Beyond

• Central (Progressive Peruvian), Lima's other global benchmark; a different tasting format but equally hard to book
• Kjolle (Modern Peruvian), Easier to book than Maido or Central, with serious cooking and a strong seasonal program
• Astrid & Gastón (Modern Peruvian), The original Lima destination restaurant; more accessible booking, broader menu
• Mayta (Peruvian Modern), A credible fallback if Maido is fully booked
• Costanera 700 in Miraflores, For seafood-focused dining in the same neighbourhood
• Mil Centro in Moray, If you are travelling beyond Lima, one of Peru's most distinctive dining experiences
• Chicha por Gaston Acurio in Cusco, Strong regional cooking if your itinerary includes Cusco
• TokyoLima, Nikkei in Hong Kong, If Nikkei cuisine is the draw and Lima is not the destination
• Cosme in San Isidro, Lima dining with a different register
• Our full Lima restaurants guide
• Our full Lima hotels guide
• Our full Lima bars guide
• Our full Lima experiences guide

Frequently Asked Questions

How far ahead should I book Maido?

• Aim for 2 to 3 months minimum. Since winning the World's Leading Restaurant title in 2025, demand has intensified sharply.
• Tables release on a rolling basis, check the restaurant's official booking channel regularly for cancellations.
• If you are planning a trip to Lima specifically around a Maido booking, secure the reservation before booking flights.

Is Maido good for a special occasion?

• Yes, with confidence. The multi-course tasting format, attentive service, considered room make it well-suited to anniversaries, significant birthdays, or business dinners where the setting needs to carry weight.
• The Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award 2024 and its World's Leading 2025 status mean guests arrive with high expectations, the kitchen is built to meet them.
• If budget is a concern, note that a special occasion here requires a full commitment to the tasting menu experience; this is not a venue for a quick celebratory dinner.

Can Maido accommodate groups?

• Group bookings are possible but require direct contact with the restaurant well in advance.
• Given the booking difficulty for standard tables, groups should expect a longer lead time and potentially different seating arrangements.
• The vegetable-forward tasting option, managed personally by chef Tsumura, is available for groups with specific dietary needs if arranged ahead.

Can I eat at the bar at Maido?

• Maido is primarily a sit-down tasting menu and a la carte restaurant; it does not operate as a bar-dining venue in the way some casual Nikkei spots do.
• If you want a lighter Nikkei experience without a full tasting commitment, the a la carte menu is the practical alternative.
• For bar-led dining in Lima, see our full Lima bars guide.

Does Maido handle dietary restrictions?

• Yes. A fully plant-based tasting menu is available on request and has been recognised publicly as a genuine program, not an afterthought.
• Contact the restaurant directly when booking to flag any restrictions, the kitchen's flexibility here is documented, but advance notice is required.
• The Nikkei format uses seafood, soy, Japanese pantry staples extensively; guests with soy or shellfish restrictions should communicate this clearly at booking.

Is Maido good for solo dining?

• Solo dining at Maido is possible, the tasting menu format works well for a single diner who wants full focus on the food and service.
• The room is not a counter-centric format, so solo diners should expect a table rather than an interactive kitchen perch.
• Given the booking difficulty, solo diners may find it slightly easier to secure a single seat at short notice than a table for two or more, worth trying for cancellations.

What are alternatives to Maido in Lima?

• Central Restaurante is the direct peer comparison: similar booking difficulty, similarly global reputation, different cuisine focus (altitude-led Peruvian rather than Nikkei).
• Kjolle offers serious cooking with a more achievable reservation window.
• Astrid & Gastón is the most accessible of Lima's top-tier options and offers a broader menu format.
• If the Nikkei cuisine specifically is the draw rather than Maido as a destination, TokyoLima in Hong Kong offers that format in a different city.