One of Lima’s classic cafés is surely Haiti (Diagonal 160, tel. 01/446-3816, 7 a.m.–2 a.m. Sun.–Thurs., 7 a.m.–3 a.m. Fri.–Sat., US$9), in operation for more than half a century on Parque Kennedy. Indoor and sidewalk tables are overflowing with Peruvians day and night. Haiti is less known for its food than its intellectual conversation, good coffee, and pisco sours.

Right across the street is La Tiendecita Blanca (Larco 111, tel. 01/445-1412, 7 a.m.–midnight daily, US$11), an elegant Swiss-style café and deli that has been in business since 1937. Anything you eat here will be excellent. This is Miraflores’s most happening business breakfast spot, and, in the evenings, steamy fondues emerge from the kitchen.

The youthful, trendy Café Zeta (Oscar Benavides 598, tel. 01/444-5579, 7 a.m.–11:30 p.m. daily, US$6–10) is straight out of Chicago. Here you can sip mango tea while nibbling banana bread, or down a big sandwich and beer.

Ugo, the Italian owner of La Bodega de la Trattoria (General Borgoño 784, tel. 01/241-6899, 7:30 a.m.–2 a.m. daily, US$9–13), claims that sitting on his patio is almost like being on a European plaza. His Italian menu and strong espressos aid in the illusion, and the effect is the whiling away of a Lima afternoon. Meals are also served.

Try the lomo saltado sandwich at Pasquale Hnos. Sangucheria (Comandante Espinar 651, tel. 01/447-6390, noon–10 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–1 a.m. Sat., 10 a.m.–midnight Sun., US$6). This sandwich joint makes fast food fancy and purely Peruvian, since all sandwiches are inspired by classic Peruvian plates.

San Antonio (Vasco Núñez de Balboa 762, tel. 01/241-3001, 7 a.m.–11 p.m. daily) is a bakery/café/deli with 35 gourmet sandwiches (including smoked salmon and Italian salami), huge salads with organic lettuce, and an extensive dessert case with an out-of-this-world tortaleta de lúcuma. Across the street, T’anta (28 de Julio 888, tel. 01/447-8377, 7 a.m.–midnight Mon.–Sat., 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Sun.) is similarly gourmet, but the menu is all Peruvian.

Your dessert choices are twofold, chocolate or ice cream. Limeños are right when they say that Quattro D (Angamos Oeste 408, tel. 01/447-1523, 6:30 a.m.–12:30 a.m. Sun.–Fri., 6:30 a.m.–1:30 a.m. Sat.) has the best ice cream and gelato in Lima, but at Chocolates Helena (Chiclayo 897, tel. 01/242-8899, www.chocolateshelena.com, 10:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. daily) the chocotejas and truffles are hard to resist.