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Cusco's dining scene is surprisingly vast. Gone are the days when visitors had only touristy restaurants to choose from. You'll encounter everything from Andean grills to Middle Eastern kebab shops. Restaurant employees on Cusco's Plaza de Armas and Plateros and Procuradores streets—any of these could be renamed Restaurant Row—stand in their doorways, touting their establishments, menus in hand, to entice you. Browsing many menus, you will come across the Andean specialties of cuy and alpaca. The former is guinea pig and is usually served roasted (sometimes with peppers stuffed charmingly in its mouth). The latter is the furry llama-like creature you'll see wandering the Cusco streets with its indigenous owner for photo ops. In addition to the wider variety of cuisines, there are also far higher-quality restaurants than there once were. You may not find Cusco to be as cheap a place to eat as before, but what you will pay for a gourmet meal at a place like MAP Café is far less than you would pay at its equivalent in New York or Los Angeles and is just as good.
Everyone seems to know everyone at this second-floor eatery, part lively tapas bar, part sit-down, candlelit restaurant. The tapas are delicious and varied, while the main dishes offer fabulous Mediterranean cuisine with twists from the Andes. You can order off the restaurant menu in the tapas bar, but not the other way around.
Reservations are very strongly encouraged.
More a wine bar than a restaurant, La Cantina has walls lined with Italian vintages that are poured by a friendly and attentive staff, creating a setting that invites both sampling and lingering. For your meal, there are delicious pizzas with wafer-thin crusts and high-quality ingredients, plus meats and cheeses from the Old Country and a killer tiramisu for dessert. If the location in the center is full, there's another in the Magisterio neighborhood.
Walk through a dimly lit tunnel directly below the Mirador de San Blas to find this stylish bistro boasting some of the best views of Cusco—especially from the balcony terrace after sunset, when the city lights start flicking across the hills like fireflies. Besides the views, patrons come for the menu of burgers, Peruvian mains like cebiche and lomo saltado, and grilled meats. It’s also a great place for a sundowner, with disco music beats, a relaxed atmosphere, a great wine list, and a creative selection of cocktails that blend local tastes such as agave, hibiscus, and herbal infusions with international spirits.
Nestled amid the charming cloisters of Belmond’s posh Hotel Monasterio, OQRE opened in 2024 and offers the haute pan-Peruvian cuisine of Michelin-star chef Jorge Muñoz, who mixes ingredients from the coast, the mountains, and the forest. Standout dishes include tiradito al olivo (with leche de tigre, olive oil, and crispy garlic) and the delicious cochinillo crujiente (chunks of pulled pork compacted into a crispy, irresistible skin, served with mashed potatoes). A live band performs romantic opera music in this dimly lit space.
The menu at this restaurant, which is modeled after a typical open-air quinta, with wooden tables scattered around a large patio, gets its influences from all over Peru, and the waiters are happy to explain what makes each traditional dish special. For a special treat, go for the underground-oven-baked pachamanca, in which different types of meats are slow roasted together with potatoes and aromatic herbs. This dish, as well as the cuy, has to be ordered 24 hours in advance, so plan ahead.
Pouring some of the best coffee in the city from a special house blend, this café is a Cusco icon; Martin Chambi photos help anchor it in Peru, but the jazz and bohemian atmosphere make it feel more cosmopolitan. It's great for a quick bite, as well as for picking up fliers on current cultural offerings. Try the passion-fruit cheesecake or tiramisu with your cappuccino, and head next door to the Cusco School of Fine Arts to see what's on display.
With just a handful of tables and a couple of employees, this local patisserie surprises with some of the neighborhood's most delicious homemade pastries, juices, and hot drinks. Savor the local coffees, hot chocolates, and Andino herbal infusions.
Facing the plaza with a great view of the cathedrals, this smart, intimate café serves vegetarian and vegan fare using organic ingredients, from breakfast platters with avocado toast and healthy waffles to caprese salads, hearty lasagnas, and a smattering of Thai staples such as pad Thai. There is, of course, great coffee poured from an imported Italian espresso machine.
Although there are plenty of vegetarian options elsewhere, here vegetarians and vegans can order anything with a clear, animal-loving conscience. You can even have your coffee with nut milk. The menu of the day (S/22), which includes salad, soup, main course, dessert, and a drink, is one of the best deals in town and one many nonvegans flock to as well. You can also pick up some of that nondairy goodness to go, as well as a variety of fresh breads.
Stylish contemporary design in an Andean setting has made this large, upscale restaurant near the Plaza de Armas a hit with those looking for a classy night out. It dishes up Mediterranean-Andean fusion cuisine, meaning that traditional Italian favorites are given a twist thanks to the use of Peruvian ingredients and flavors. Wander down the back to the open kitchen, and don't forget to have a look at the original Inca wall on the way.
Scrumptious breakfasts can be had all day at this bright, busy, American-style café with Aussie roots, where you can order granola and yogurt, large fluffy pancakes, or a grand "brekkie" with bacon and eggs. Also on the menu are gourmet sandwiches, fresh salads, and a variety of other satisfying dishes. Everything is prepared in-house, including the delicious breads, and the coffee and hot chocolate are excellent. If you come during high season, you may have to line up to get a table; this jumping spot stays open well into the night.
If you're craving Japanese food, you can get the real deal at Kintaro. Amid a quietly elegant atmosphere, you can order miso soup, udon, teriyaki dishes, tempura, a wide variety of fresh and authentic sushi, and hot or cold sake.
There are plenty of chifa (Peruvian-Cantonese cuisine) restaurants to be found along the side streets of town, but the best by far is Kion, with its modern decor and attentive service. Although the menu has many familiar Chinese offerings, like wontons and fried rice, the Peruvian influences and preparations make it a nice change from your neighborhood wok and, indeed, from straight-up Peruvian eateries.
For a quick bite, it's hard to go wrong with the flavorful Franco-Peruvian crepes served on the ground floor of this backpacker hostel; with both savory and sweet to choose from, they're the perfect meal or pick-me-up any time of day. The prix-fixe lunch is a delicious deal, and there's a great tea selection for an afternoon break.
The wide selection of pizzas, pastas, soups, and salads here, as well as a few great desserts, ensure that you will leave feeling satisfied. In particular, the unique blue cheese, bacon, and sauco (elderberry) pizza can't be beat. Be sure to accompany it with one of their reasonably priced wines or a selection from the extensive list of craft beers.
This is a great spot to regroup, caffeinate, and make use of the Wi-Fi after a hard morning's sightseeing. The coffee is quality, there's a huge range of mouthwatering cakes, and you can also grab breakfast, sandwiches, and slices.
Pizza is the only thing on the menu here, and drinks are limited, but if it's pizza and wine you're craving, this is one of the best places to get them. The atmosphere is relaxed—starting from the moment you enter the courtyard—but the colonial building is cozy, with only a few tables, so get here early.
Museum eateries don't routinely warrant a mention, but this small, glass-enclosed, elegant café inside the courtyard of the Museo de Arte Precolombino is actually one of the city's top restaurants. It has top prices to boot, but it's still a bargain compared with what this quality meal would cost in New York or Los Angeles. Of its novel and exciting twists on traditional Peruvian cuisine, try the chicken estofado (stew) with goat cheese and raisins or the pork adobo on a bed of sweet potato mousseline à l'orange. The dessert presentation is so clever that you may not want to ruin it by eating it—but you'll be glad you did. The menu is prix-fixe after 6 (S/225), and you can choose one each from any of the appetizers, main dishes, and desserts; between 3 and 6, only dessert and coffee are served.
Hip bakery and café on a corner of the Plaza Regocijo where travelers can find a taste of home comforts. Take a break from Andino food with sourdough bread, patisserie, healthy vegetarian breakfasts, coffee, and pastas. All ingredients are sourced from a farm in the Sacred Valley that employs local Indigenous people.
You could easily just feast on tasty appetizers at this upscale, minimalist-design spot, but you'd be missing out on the real highlight—an entrée cooked at your table on a heated volcanic stone. Choice, fresh selections of beef, alpaca, fish, chicken, and shrimp are brought to your table seared on the outside, allowing you to complete cooking them to your personal preference. Unlike other table-side cooking techniques, there's no smoke or strong odor to follow you home.
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