Mérito

Mérito is a restaurant on Jirón 28 de Julio in Barranco, Lima, where chef Juan Luis Martínez joins the cooking of Peru with that of his native Venezuela. He opened it in 2018.

Martínez comes from Caracas and studied at La Casserole du Chef there. He came to Lima to cook at Central and, working with Peruvian produce, began to see how much the two countries' kitchens have in common. Mérito grew out of that idea, and he later added a café, Demo, and a second restaurant, Clon, nearby. Only after several years did the restaurant settle on its first official tasting menu.

Corn, roots and tropical fruit link the two traditions. Grilled corn comes with Venezuelan cheese, and an arepa keeps the Caracas side present, while an Andean curry and a plate of beef with arracacha and mango lean on Peruvian ingredients. Crab is served with Andean grains and bright powders, scallops and razor clams come from the coast, and paiche, the large Amazon river fish, also appears. A course of cocona with mashua and lemon verbena brings together Amazonian fruit and an Andean tuber.

The restaurant fills two floors, with exposed adobe walls and natural wood, and the open kitchen can be seen from the street. Beverage director Kyra runs a cocktail list of its own, such as a pisco infused with cinnamon and apple liqueur. Mérito was on the World's 50 Best list in 2026, and local diners count it among their own favourites. Cooking two national kitchens side by side, rather than blending them into one, lets each plate show where its ingredients come from.