In Lima, ceviche is a lunchtime ritual with rules — eaten fresh, eaten early, and never after dark.
Peruvian ceviche is built on leche de tigre, the citrus-and-chili marinade that 'cooks' raw fish in minutes, and the best cebicherías only serve it at lunch, when the fish market delivery is hours old rather than a full day. Arrive by 1pm; some of Lima's most respected spots close once the day's catch runs out, sometimes before 3pm.
Order the classic first — corvina or another firm white fish, cut into clean cubes, dressed table-side so the citrus doesn't over-cure it, served with sweet potato and toasted corn (cancha) to cut the acidity. Then branch out: tiradito, ceviche's Nikkei cousin, sliced sashimi-thin under a different sauce, reflects Lima's century-old Japanese-Peruvian food tradition as clearly as any dish in the city.
A cebichería is not a fine-dining occasion even when the plating is elegant — expect plastic chairs alongside white tablecloths, a short beer list, and a leche de tigre shot offered on the house once your plate is clean. Drink it; it's considered both a digestif and a hangover cure, and turning it down is a small missed rite of passage.
