An unloved South American city is home to the perfect sandwich

Almost every visitor to Peru goes to Callao, though, most don’t hang around for long. The country’s main international airport is located in this port city, which has been effectively subsumed by Lima, the capital. For the most part, Callao is the sort of gritty, unloved part of the world that most people are more than happy to leave. It’s a far cry from the beauty of Lima’s tourist hubs of Miraflores or Barranco.

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That lack of interest in Callao, however, is a shame because so many people miss La Punta, the finger of land in Callao’s far west.

This is an upper-class neighbourhood originally settled by a migrant Italian community, and you can still feel that influence at one of its most cherished, historic restaurants, Don Giuseppe.

The charming owners here, Juan Hernandez and wife Lidia Siles, have an Italian background, but their food at this no-frills diner is distinctly Peruvian, with home style dishes such as sandwiches and seafood soups, served with the sort of warm hospitality that will have you hankering for a Don Giuseppe visit long after your Peruvian adventure is over.

Don Giuseppe is best known for its “pan con pejerrey”, a sandwich featuring silverside, a small local fish similar in look to an anchovy. These pejerrey – meaning “king of fish” – are battered and deep-fried and served on a fresh bread roll with white onions dressed in vinegar. It’s a simple dish but when every ingredient is just so, as it is here, you have lunchtime perfection. Don’t miss the seafood soup too.

For down-home Peruvian food of high quality, in Sydney check out Ayahuasca in Glebe ( ayahuascarestaurant.com ). In Melbourne, try Inti Gourmet in Chelsea ( facebook.com/intigourmet ). And in Brisbane, visit Latin Manna ( latinmanna.com ).

Don Giuseppe is on Avenida Manuel Grau in La Punta, Callao, about a 30-minute taxi ride from Miraflores in Lima. The restaurant is open daily from 8am to 4pm, and is busiest over lunch. Expect to pay about $10 a person for an excellent meal. No bookings necessary. See instagram.com/dongiuseppe_lp