18 Best Restaurants in The Central Highlands, Peru

Dining in this charmingly refitted family home is like dining at Grandpa's house—if Grandpa were an internationally trained grill expert who served only the most exquisite cuts of meat. That's because the steaks, fire-cooked pork, and whole salmon at the sumptuous parrilla (grill) are the best in Ayacucho, with delicious sauces to boot. Sit on the red-tile porch after finishing and gaze up at the chirimoya trees.

This two-story establishment housed in a colonial casona takes Ayacucho dining to another level. As the name indicates, the program here is contemporary Peruvian cooking with plenty of international accents, but in reality, chef Pepe Gamarra uses the fusion angle as a pretext to flaunt his virtuosity with all manner of meats, from Argentine sausage to pork and top sirloin. Traditional favorites such as tallarines a la huancaína con lomo (spaghetti with Huancayo cheese sauce and steak) get a fresh update, but even better are plates like the osso buco with puréed yucca. Gamarra's rosemary potatoes alone are worth the price of admission.

A festival-hall atmosphere and mind-blowing updates of Peruvian classic dishes make this Huancayo institution one of the sierra's best restaurants. The papas nativas con tres uchus (potatoes in three scrumptious sauces) and cordero asado (roast lamb) are like nothing you've had before, and the brightly costumed waiters take joy in introducing the region's cuisine to visitors. The Lima branch ( Av. Javier Prado Este 1405) of this eatery is equally exquisite.

This hillside restaurant is a perfect lunchtime pit stop after seeing Quinua's battlefield and before heading back to Ayacucho. The owners work with a Dutch nonprofit to provide training for disadvantaged local kids, and the food—including a heavenly asado negro con puré (beef roast over mashed potatoes)—rivals that of any (okay, almost any) top Lima chef.

Grilled meats, wood-smoked pizzas, and hearty sandwiches draw a diverse crowd of travelers and locals alike to this dimly lit, wood-paneled restaurant. Try the anticuchos (charcoal-grilled skewers of beef heart) and a glass of Peruvian wine while enjoying the live band, and stay for the disco atmosphere that prevails after midnight.

Grilled meats and local fare like puca picante are the stars at this popular lunchtime spot, housed in a pretty, old mansion with both front and back patios. During the week, the three-course fixed-price lunch is a steal at S/12.

Rustic wood tables and soft candlelight set the mood for a meal of roasted lamb, grilled trout, pasta, and other platos típicos in this cozy restaurant just steps from the cathedral. Service can be slow, so be prepared to linger or take advantage of the free Wi-Fi.

Over-the-top decorations and labyrinthine rooms give this restaurant charm, but the food has made it a favorite. Wash down wood-fired pizzas and grilled meats with a pitcher of calientitos (hot spiced rum punch). The service can be slow, but sitting in the garden on balmy days or by the fire on cooler ones makes it worth it. The owner can arrange cooking classes, Spanish lessons, music instruction, and long-term local homestays.

If you've been searching for an aircraft hangar that's flooded with green light and packed with model trains and airplanes, 1930s radios, and pre-Hispanic artifacts that also serves stick-to-your-ribs Peruvian mountain food, then you're in luck. Founded in 1983, this Huancayo institution is as imaginative in its cooking as in its decor. The food somehow manages to be both homey and exotic: huallpa chupe, an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Andean concoction, blends beef, lamb, and chicken with herbs and red pepper, while mondongo huancaíno (a rich broth known as patasca elsewhere) is more filling than most stews and will warm you on even the coldest Andean nights. This is traditional Huancayo cooking at its best.

With its simple platos típicos and selection of warm beverages, this café-restaurant is one of the most consistent options in Huancavelica. Don't expect gourmet cooking: just solid versions of old standbys like burgers and lomo saltado, plus good dessert coffees.

On cold Andean nights, this wood-oven pizzeria will have you hugging yourself in the glow of its crackling fires. There's no decor to speak of, just delicious, belly-warming pizzas and pastas in a cheerful communal setting of wooden benches and stone walls.

Perched on the banks of the Huallaga River, this family-style restaurant offers the best of Huánuco cooking, including specialties like gallina con locro (chicken soup), pachamanca, and fresh river trout. Come at lunch, and lounge on the open-air terrace while you enjoy the view and live music. Make sure you check out their batanes, stone mortars used to grind herbs and peppers. Dishes are huge, so be prepared to share.

This popular, country-style restaurant has simple local decor and lively lunchtime crowds. It serves tamales and sweet coffee for breakfast and comida típica—including hearty stews, rice dishes, grilled meat, and fish for lunch and dinner.

This throwback restaurant, open for more than 80 years, still serves cheap, hearty Andean specials to a downtown crowd. It's the kind of place you come to with your grandparents for a leisurely Sunday lunch; tables are consistently packed, but the food is worth the wait. Try the chicharrón colorado (fried pork in red sauce) or patasca (beef broth with boiled corn) for a taste of some lesser-known Andean fare.

The killer trifecta of delectable eats, verdant open-air terraces, and rock-bottom prices gives this restaurante campestre (outdoor country eatery) a winning hand. Dishes are mostly criollo standbys but with the intriguing addition of a few specialties from Arequipa, which are typically hard to come by outside the White City itself. Go on a weekend for the lechón al horno con pastel de papas (oven-baked pork with potato quiche). The place is a S/5 taxi ride from the Plaza de Armas.

The focus of this establishment facing the Plaza de Armas is regional cuisine with a fusion edge. Ayacucho classics like trucha chactada de maíz o de quinua (cornmeal- or quinoa-crusted trout pressed under hot stones) are top sellers, but you can also get soups, salads, pastas, grilled meats, and even chicken cordon bleu. Service can be a bit leisurely, but the second-floor balcony views are so grand, you won't even notice. An added plus is that the menús (fixed-priced lunches) here are a cut above the local competition.

Perched above the Plaza de Armas, this wood-paneled restaurant offers an ample menu that includes both highlands specialties and backpacker favorites. Enjoy a relaxed breakfast in the morning or an artisanal ice cream in the afternoon while taking in the view of the cathedral from the expansive terrace. At night, the bar serves up classic cocktails as well as pricier Belgian Trappist brews.