Lima's La Rosa Nautica Charts a New Course
Sampling the new menu changes from Chef Miguel Schiaffino
On the last day of my three-month stay in Lima, we had a long lunch at La Rosa Náutica which has been undergoing a revival under the leadership of Chef Miguel Schiaffino, one of Peru’s most creative chefs.
Founded in 1983, La Rosa Nautica has long been an iconic restaurant. If you’ve been to Lima and didn’t eat at La Rosa Nautica, you probably driven past it on the way from the airport. It was and is the only restaurant in Lima perched directly over the Pacific Ocean.
Re-invention of a Classic
As I heard that Chef Miguel Schiaffino was taking over La Rosa Nautica, I knew that we were due for a return visit. Since transitions take time and La Rosa Nautica was especially known for its lengthy menu, we waited a couple of months to be able to try as many of the new menu enhancements as possible. Thus, we made a reservation at La Rosa Nautica for my last full day in Lima.
I was familiar with Chef Schiaffino’s work because one of his previous restaurants Amaz had been one of my favorite restaurants in Lima. It boldly featured Amazonian flavors and ingredients. There are more great Amazonian restaurants in Lima than ever before, but I think the magic of Amaz has yet to be replicated.
Now, at La Rosa Nautica, Chef Schiaffino shifts his focus from the jungle to the sea. The old-world charm of the restaurant itself remains largely unchanged. One of the most noticeable changes is that the menu has been condensed. La Rosa Nautica’s menu has always been focused on seafood, but the emphasis now is more apparent as the menu has been tightened. Chef Schiaffino acknowledges that much work remains in streamlining and modernizing the menu1.
A Taste of the New La Rosa Nautica
For our lunch, we had our waiter guide us on which dishes were new. First, we ordered the Ronda Marina since it provided a sampling of three new dishes plus La Rosa Nautica’s version of classic ceviche.

The Ronda Marina captured a full range of flavors elegantly:
The almejas toshi offered a very delicate treatment of the clams with the tobiko and avocado adding textural variety.
The shrimp ceviche had an intense smoky flavor that contrasted well with the cocona, one of my favorite jungle fruits. The cocona and the delicate ribbons of chonta (heart of palm) played homage to the years that Chef Schiaffino dedicated to highlighting the culinary potential of jungle ingredients.
The blue tuna tataki also had a smoky flavor but it had a different flavor profile because it was smoked with charcoal whereas the shrimp was smoked with wood. The tataki also felt like it had a touch of Nikkei with the ponzu.
I also enjoyed the classic ceviche because I wanted to make sure to savor classic ceviche for the last time in a couple of months.




For our main course, we ordered the jumbo shrimp and the gratin clams. The shrimp were simply prepared with butter, garlic, wine, and the deliciousness contained within the shrimp heads. The preparation beautifully highlighted the natural flavors of the shrimp.
Similarly, the gratin clam was prepared in a simple fashion with white wine, garlic, and bread crumbs so as not to overwhelm the delicate flavors of the clams.


The cocktail menu was playful featuring ten different signature cocktails as well as the classics. I especially enjoyed the pacífico because of the interplay between the whiskey and the fruit and herbal flavors of the passionfruit, strawberry, and huacatay (black mint). I think the cocktail menu and the food menu offer two different experiences and expect that they’ll naturally converge a bit more with time.
We look forward to returning to La Rosa Nautica periodically. Next time, I would like to try the grilled sole which seems to lend itself well to the new style.
The new La Rosa Nautica celebrates simplicity and the natural flavors of fresh seafood. The menu is currently in a transition state with a mix of new and old. The old menu seemed to want to be everything for everybody which includes featuring every possible protein and a variety of French-inspired sauces. With the new dishes, you can see that all of the ingredients fit on one line.
Our Memories of La Rosa Nautica


Many Limeneans remember the Rosa Nautica of yesteryear where Rosa Nautica it had a disco and hosted many weddings and quinceaneras. Although the history of La Rosa Nautica doesn’t reach back that far, it does have a special place in our memories.
About two years ago, my flight out of Lima got re-scheduled for the next day which meant that Mariela and I had an extra day together in Lima. I had already packed the night before with the expectation that I was flying out early in the morning. Being fully packed with a bonus day together was incredibly liberating. We decided to head out for lunch at La Rosa Nautica.
We took our time and spent our time walking along the pier that juts into the Pacific. Many bright red crabs were walking among the rocks below. It was a simple day but I felt full of gratitude that Mariela and I were able to spend another 24 hours together.
Many Limeneans felt that La Rosa Nautica’s old menu was dated and the food mediocre. We enjoyed the food for what it was. We went for atmosphere, knowing that things would be a little more expensive than the same food elsewhere. The food turned out to be better than expected.
We started with one of my favorite starters, conchitas a la parmesana, scallops served in the half shell with an oozy layer of Parmesan cheese. We also ordered the classic ceviche along with a couple of Pisco cocktails. Then we had the molten lava cake for dessert.
The menu refresh is much-welcomed, though I hope they keep a couple of their classic dishes especially the conchitas a la parmesana.
Visiting La Rosa Nautica
A visit to La Rosa Nautica would be a great addition to your Lima itinerary. Reservations are highly recommended. I would also allow extra time since La Rosa Nautica is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace. You can spend time enjoying the boardwalk before or after your meal. There are even small shops on the boardwalk.
The restaurant itself is large so there’s a good view at just about every table. I could spend hours watching the surfers or watching the birds. La Rosa Nautica is also one of the best spots in Lima for watching the sunset.
You can follow La Rosa Nautica on Instagram at @larosanautica.
If you’re interested in reading more about restaurants in Peru, check out the Restaurant Notes section (currently focused on Lima). I publish a write-up there every Thursday. Larger stories are published on Sundays.
https://www.7canibales.com/entrevistas/schiaffino-rosa-nautica/