If you are visiting Cusco – Peru or you plan to visit this ancient Inca city, don’t worry about the best food. Well, Cusco has one of the most ancient and exquisite cuisines in the world. And it also has a wide variety of exclusive and world-renowned restaurants. In addition, restaurants in Cusco are very famous for serving traditional dishes that have delighted even the most demanding palates in the world.
The cosmopolitan city of Cusco receives travelers from all corners of the world, and the gastronomy of this beautiful city welcomes them with different Novo Andino-style dishes carefully prepared with the most delicate hands of the best Peruvian chefs. If you are one of the travelers who explores the world to know not only its archaeological treasures, but also taste its gastronomy, Cusco is the destination that you should definitely visit. Savor the flavors of the city in its exclusive restaurants, guariques, bars and local markets such as the Mercado de San Pedro.
There are places in the world that are very popular for having famous and lavish tourist attractions. But the city of Cusco not only has impressive tourist attractions, this navel city of the world also has one of the best gastronomy in the world. Dare to try the exquisite flavors of the land of the Incas.
Touring Cusco is discovering endless mysterious places, with hidden stories in corners that you may have never seen before stepping on this country. We recommend you to visit another impressive destinations in Cusco like the tour to rainbow mountain peru or the humantay lake tour from cusco, which only takes one day. But if you are gonna to stay more days in Perú, other archaeological places you can know will be the choquequirao trek peru, the salkantay trek to machu picchu, and the classic inca trail 4 days 3 nights.
The 10 Best Restaurants in Cusco
Most of the best tourist restaurants in Cusco are located around the Plaza de Armas or close to it. They offer a wide variety of dishes (traditional and international) for all tastes. They highlight the gastronomic value of Cusco food. And they strive to provide excellent service. Each dish they serve is carefully prepared to delight the palates of each traveler who ventures to the city of Cusco. Therefore, wherever you go, there will always be a good place where you can sit and enjoy the local cuisine.
Some of the best and most exclusive and visited Cusco restaurants that we recommend are the ones mentioned below:
Greens Organic
Located on the second floor of a colonial building, with carved Inca stones, Incanto is by far the ideal place for a healthy snack after a tiring day in Cusco. With only organic proposals on the table, this restaurant offers you the best lunch or breakfast prepared with fresh ingredients from the Sacred Valley. Start your day with its refreshing juices made with local fruits. Don’t miss out on their hearty salads, homemade pasta and their famous trout with asparagus with their succulent alpaca medallions. A friendly, relaxed place for you to recharge your batteries to continue your adventures in Cusco.
Incanto
It was once the Palacio del Inca Túpca Yupanqui, now a cozy restaurant that combines Italian and Peruvian cuisine. Located across the main square of Cusco, and with a huge wood oven, Incanto offers one of the best pizzas, breads and pastas. The tagliteles in squid sauce, local Cusco cheese accompanied by quinoa croquettes, make a perfect combination that you will find in Incanto. We recommend the osobuco accompanied by mashed potatoes. Accompany them with the best selection of wines to create the perfect combination and enjoy an unforgettable lunch or dinner in the city of Cusco.
Inka Grill
It was one of the first restaurants in Cusco and has one of the best locations, right on the corner of the majestic Plaza de Armas. Its specialty is New Andean food and international cuisine, offering delicious creations using fresh ingredients such as: trout, alpaca, quinoa and Andean cheese. Its menu reinvents international dishes giving rise to creations such as the highly recommended quinoa risotto. Inka Grill encompasses 15 years of gastronomic experience in an excellent location in the heart of the city with a cozy and friendly atmosphere. A place that you cannot miss.
Le Soleil
Tired of Andean food? How about French food for dinner? Le Soleil is the perfect alternative if you are looking for an elegant restaurant with French flavors and an extensive wine list. If you are celebrating a special occasion, the confit duck, rillettes and a creème brulee are waiting for you and your partner. With a subtle and romantic decoration style, be dazzled by a sparkling champagne or a traditional Bordeaux wine. We recommend you try the 7-course menu, the orange duck and the ratatouille baked in the capital of the Inca empire, but with the elegance of Paris.
Silt
A restaurant with an unbeatable view over the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, located on the second floor of a typical colonial house. A chic, contemporary place with an outstanding variety of piscos. Have you never had Pisco before? It is the flagship liquor of Peru! It is a kind of grape brandy that offers intriguing flavors when mixed with exotic fruits from Latin America. A good place to relax and admire the view. And about the food? La Cocina specializes in Peruvian-Asian seafood from seafood dishes, such as fantastic dishes such as sushi (which you will only taste in Peru) and tiraditos (a kind of sashimi with an electrifying flavor). Limo is a mandatory stop for foodies and lovers of Peruvian food.
MAP coffee
The place where culture and a good culinary experience come together. With a privileged location within the Museum of Pre-Columbian art, prepare to enter and be amazed. You will be dining surrounded by glass walls so you can appreciate the colonial architecture that you have a few meters away. Delight in Peruvian fusion food served by elegant waiters. Discover the interesting reinvention of traditional Peruvian dishes and take a break from the tours to enjoy a culinary tour by candlelight. You can’t miss the black and red quinoa flavored with truffle cannelloni or hot shrimp ceviche.
Pachapapa
This rustic restaurant is located in the bohemian district of San Blas and specializes in traditional gourmet Andean food. The place is perfect to eat on a sunny day while you sit on the wooden stools in its open patio. If it’s a little cold, don’t worry, the patio is kept warm with heaters and a huge clay oven. We recommend the typical dishes of Cusco such as baked trout or alpaca anticucho. If you feel particularly adventurous in a culinary way, pre-order their specialty: baked guinea pig with red pepper sauce. Discover the purest traditional flavors in a charming atmosphere!
Pirqa
With a privileged view located inside the 16th century colonial monastery, Pirqa (JW Marriott Restaurant) serves modern Peruvian food using regional ingredients such as yellow potatoes, trout, quinoa and Quillabamba chocolate. Experience a fine culinary experience in a historic site designated by the Peruvian government as cultural heritage. Enjoy a delicious dinner in its elegant interior and compare the contrast with the old architecture of the renovated convent. Do you want to reinvent Peruvian recipes? So that you get used to Andean food, why not learn how to make it? The JW Marriott offers culinary classes too!
Cicciolina
One of the most popular, charming and delicious restaurants located on the second floor in an old colonial house minutes from the main Plaza. It offers an international menu that welcomes guests to have a casual meal or an intimate dinner by candlelight. Its ocher walls and wooden beams create an attractive atmosphere. The place is always quite full of diners, and they don’t take reservations so we recommend arriving early.
The Winery 138
One of our favorite restaurants. Simple, not expensive and extremely delicious. Bodega 138 welcomes you with its incredible and cozy vibe, offering you one of the best pizzas in the city with its original recipes. You cannot miss the spaghetti carbonara, simply one of the best we have had (without exaggeration) They do not take reservations either, so you must arrive early so as not to miss this culinary experience.
