Lima's bar scene tracks its restaurant scene — a handful of internationally famous places, a lot of competent middle ground, and one classic drink that defines them all: the pisco sour, made with the unaged grape brandy that is Peru's spirit. Where to drink it depends on what you want from the evening. For the traditional version, head to the Gran Hotel Bolívar on Plaza San Martín or the wood-panelled Bar Cordano across from the Government Palace; both have been serving since the early 1900s, both cost about a third of what Miraflores charges. For modern cocktail bartending, the World's 50 Best-ranked Carnaval in San Isidro is the technical leader, and Ayahuasca in a converted Barranco mansion is the busy hipster favourite.
Barranco is the obvious district for an evening bar crawl: most of the cocktail bars, music venues, and after-hours spots cluster within a few blocks of the Puente de los Suspiros. Miraflores leans more toward restaurant bars and rooftop terraces; San Isidro is sleeker and quieter. For wine, the bistros around Calle Sáenz Peña in Barranco have the deepest South American lists.