Diners on the end of the red line have several Peruvian dining options, including local favorite La Canela. Decorated with wrought-iron and ornately carved wooden chairs, this restaurant is operated by Peruvian natives who serve old family recipes. Full-sized ceviche is only served for dinner and can be accompanied by entrées such as Peruvian-style fettuccini with breaded sirloin steak. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Another favorite found in Rockville, La Limeña’s simple façade gives way to dishes acclaimed by locals and native Peruvians alike. The sizable menu includes everything from rotisserie chicken to the Chinese-Peruvian chicken fried rice. No item is more than $20, so head here for an affordable meal every day for lunch and dinner. 

While charbroiled chicken is its mainstay, this Edgewood restaurant features several other noteworthy menu items like palta rellena (avocado stuffed with chicken salad) and papa rellena, mashed potato croquettes stuffed with beef, onions, and pepper.

The 2-year-old bustling chicken and whiskey joint serves Peruvian favorites like pollo a la brasa and more than a dozen sides (sold separately) that can be a meal on their own. Choose from the cilantro mojo chicken or yuca fries. Wash down the menu with pours of whiskey, rye, and bourbon, available in a windowless back bar tucked behind a refrigerator door.

This Dupont Circle restaurant is a “dual concept” for modern Peruvian eats. The lower level, Mochica, is a Pisco and ceviche bar. Here eaters will find ceviches, such as Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei with tuna and wonton chips, and small plates. The second level, Nazca, is an upscale restaurant offering Thursday and Friday lunch, dinner Tuesday through Sunday, and Sunday brunch. 

What started as an Arlington carry-out eatery in 1975 is now a full-service Peruvian experience downtown. Not only does El Chalán claim to be the first Peruvian restaurant in D.C., but it’s also extremely affordable. Only four of the hearty dinner entrée options cost more than $20. Comforting Peruvian classics include boiled potatoes in creamy cheese sauce, served atop white-clothed tables. The drink menu includes chicha morada, a sweet fruit juice made from purple corn. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.

José Andrés’s Penn Quarter restaurant serves Chinese Chifa, a blend of Peruvian and Chinese cuisine; classics like hangar steak and soy sauce; sushi rolls that channel the Japanese-Peruvian Nekkei cuisine; and Peruvian Criollo, which infuses Spanish and West African flavors. It’s open every day for lunch and dinner, with brunch served on weekends.

Merrifield’s colorful new getaway pairs Peruvian comfort foods with a long lineup of Virginia craft beers. There are Japanese-influenced dishes like fried shrimp baskets and Asian-glazed chicken wings alongside traditional South American orders like fried empanadas, chicharron sandwiches, lomo saltado with fries, and cilantro-packed arroz con pollo. Some of Inca’s partners are part of Pio Pio, a Peruvian spot in Great Falls. —Tierney Plumb