Cusco’s culinary scene is second only to Lima, the capital of Peru. In Cusco, you can find a wide range of restaurants, from fine dining to casual snack bars; traditional Peruvian gastronomy to innovative fusion dishes. Peru’s eclectic culinary heritage has gained the country worldwide recognition as one of the world’s leading culinary hotspots. Set high up in the Andean peaks, Cusco´s unique food venues and some of Peru’s leading chefs can be found serving up mouth-watering regional fare and international specialties. Here is our pick of the best dining options available in Cusco for your Peru vacations.
Pachapapa
Located in the bohemian district of San Blas, Pachapapa is a rustic restaurant specializing in high-quality, traditional Andean cuisine. Surrounded by whitewashed columns and scattered pot plants, diners sit on wooded banquettes in an open courtyard that is warmed by outside heaters and an enormous clay oven. If visiting at the weekend, the presence of a harpist adds to the restaurant’s atmosphere. This is one of the best places for sampling Peruvian classics such as oven-cooked trout and Alpaca anticuchos. Those brave enough to try the local speciality of cuy, a whole-roasted guinea pig, and local favourite.
Cicciolina
Found on the second floor of an old colonial house just minutes away from Cusco’s central plaza, Cicciolina is a charming venue split between a low-key tapas bar and an intimate candle-lit restaurant. With its old wooden beams, impressive photographic displays and dried garlic bundles and paprika garlands hanging from the ceiling, the place exudes a warm ambience where guests are welcomed like old friends. Served from an open-plan kitchen, the menu offers many Mediterranean flavours, with tasty small plates of pan-fried scallops and squid-ink pasta that work as perfect accompaniments to a glass of fine vintage from the bodega’s extensive collection. One of Cusco’s most popular and highly-rated eateries, Cicciolina consistently gets the thumbs up from customers who flock here for breakfast, lunch, tapas, bar meals and dinner. The extensive a la carte dinner menu which features a good selection of Peruvian and international dishes can be enjoyed in the informal bar area with its high vaulted ceiling and rustic wooden beams, or in the more sophisticated dining room, where fine dining is at its most exclusive in the city. This restaurant is a must-visit on your holidays in Peru.
Uchu
It seems only fitting that restaurant as good as Uchu should be located close to the beautiful Plaza Nazarenas, home to no less than four of Cusco’s most charming, luxurious and exclusive hotels. If you are lucky enough to be staying here then take a short stroll downhill from the square and slip into the unassuming courtyard that leads to this Peruvian Steakhouse. Where alpaca and regular steaks, as well as seafood dishes are served up fresh on a hot stone, so that you can cook it to your preference, yourself! Picture a sophisticated dining experience in slightly traditional, slightly glittery surroundings, with an excellent wine menu, all served up by friendly and very professional staff. A Peruvian Steakhouse has to be the perfect complement when planning a trip to Peru.
Morena
Morena is a sophisticated restaurant located in the Plaza des Armas. The menu is a mix of traditional Peruvian dishes with contemporary recipes, and the Lomo Saltado is one of the best in town, with the beef au jus mixed with cheesy quinoa as an accompaniment to die for. The Alpaca Risotto is also an excellent way to sample this local cuisine in an exquisite setting and the ambiance is the perfect balance of Peruvian hospitality, delectable cuisine and the perfect location on the Plaza de Armas.
Chicha
Named after the ancient corn beer of the Incas, Chicha is one of Cusco’s famous restaurants so make sure you reserve well in advance to secure a table. It’s owned by Peru’s award-winning celebrity chef Gastón Acurio who has found great success with his restaurants in Lima and other cities in both North and South America. The restaurant overlooks the Plaza Regocijo and diners can enjoy balcony views while tucking into sophisticated dishes that put an imaginative twist on traditional Andean recipes. While Gaston himself doesn’t cook here, the menu is mostly Peruvian cuisine with staples such as causa – mashed native potatoes topped with trout, avocado, quail’s egg and hot red pepper; ceviche; adobo – a rich meat stew; and, of course, guinea pig. All the best Peru culinary vacations make a stop-off at Chicha in Cusco!
La Cantina
Cantina Vino Italiano is a lovely intimate wine bar only a few blocks from the Plaza de Armas. The owner is from Italy and offers wines and specialty imported items from his home country. There are a few tables with a welcoming, yet romantic atmosphere and the best authentic Italian cuisine in the city… and did we mention the Italian wine?
– Cafes
Cicciolina Cafe
Originally called Baco. Cicciolina Cafe offers a laid back and rustic setting with colorful paintings, decorations made from iron and wood, and fresh flowers. This sister restaurant of Cicciolina, allows for a more casual and slower-paced dining experience. Here, you can hang out for hours and enjoy the warmth of their mud oven.
Jacks Café
When it’s time to take a break from the scrumptious Peruvian fare, head on over to Jack’s Café, a local hotspot that serves both American favourites and Australian staples. This may come as a shock when it comes to the best restaurants in Cusco, Peru! While the food is a definite reason to stop here, it’s the camaraderie that will keep you heading back to this spot time after time. The staff is incredibly accommodating, and they make you feel like family when you are far from home.
D´Wasi
D´Wasi is close to the main plaza and offers the best coffee in Cusco. Their snacks and smaller dishes are excellent and there is often a queue, which tells you something about the place. The perfect option for a meal on-the-go, in between tours, or a welcome cappuccino to kick-start your day.
– Vegetarian Options
Greenpoint
Thanks to Cusco being such a touristic place, attracting thousands of travelers throughout the year, finding restaurants that offer vegetarian or organic food options is not a problem. Green Point is a vegan restaurant, very popular among all types of diners, vegans or not, who are amazed by the creativity of the recipes and the richness of the ingredients in each dish. Their must-try dishes are oyster mushroom ceviche, quinoa salad, and Cusco grill plater, but you can’t go wrong with whatever you order! Make sure you wash your meal down with a homemade kombucha or a local craft beer. Greenpoint is our pick of the vegetarian restaurants available for your vacations in Peru.
Greens Organic
With a farmhouse ambience and a tantalizing, natural menu, Greens Organic offers the perfect health kick after a night on the Cusco tiles. Located on the second floor of a colonial building on the main plaza, Greens sources local ingredients, many from the nearby Sacred Valley, to create its meals. Homemade wheat pasta, generous salads packed with goats’ cheese, quinoa and roasted beetroot provide vegetarians with something special. Meat-eaters can tuck into succulent organic Alpaca medallions. Don’t miss the delicious tropical fruit juices or for something stronger, there is a top-notch selection of organic wines and beers.
La Bodega 138
This Italian restaurant in Cusco offers a wonderful variety of salads and pastas with a Peruvian chef’s fascination. It can be a bit on the expensive side, but the friendly atmosphere makes it worth checking out. One of those places where everything is done really well. A really fine restaurant in the middle of a lot of touristic restaurants. Big portions, good prices, and everything is delicious. This will possibly be the best meal of your trip and is so much more than just a pizza place.