Acknowledgments

In 1877, the Queirolo family arrived from Genoa, Italy, and settled in Lima’s old Magdalena Vieja district, now known as Pueblo Libre. This history is narrated by Santiago Queirolo, the heir to a long-running tradition and general manager of this iconic spot.

In time, the business that opened in 1880 as a tavern under the command of the Queirolos’ grandfather, Don Santiago Queirolo Raggio, became the beloved and much-celebrated Antigua Taberna Queirolo, a classic housed in an old mansion with a European air to it. Along with the traditional bar counter, the tavern is home to one of the first telephones in Peru, a phonograph, and an old cash register, as well as dozens of photographs depicting the tavern’s hustle and bustle.

“These days, we serve all kinds of people; older folks and young people alike. It’s a mixed crowd. The Queirolo’s bar is possibly the oldest in Lima,” says Santiago. “It’s a place where you’ll always find people gathered together in conversation.”

The menu is a classic, with its ham sandwiches, cau cau, escabeche, papa rellena, and of course, its pisco and the bar’s classic chilcanos. Today, the Queirolo employs over 70 waiters and cooks who are proud to form part of this great family.