- As Lima is known as the culinary capital of South America, Cusco’s own culinary delights have flown somewhat under the radar. Yet, anyone familiar with the dining scene in the ancient Inca capital will know Cusco as a deserving rival. Over the last few years, however, the city continues to further establish itself as a foodie destination in its own right. From classic burger joints to farm-to-fork Peruvian cuisine, Cusco’s catalog of restaurants is diverse, innovative, and exciting. To help you make dinner plans for each night you’re in the city, we have whittled the choice down to a list of our six favorite establishments.
Mil by Virgilio Martinez
Mil is the second restaurant by acclaimed restauranteur Virgilio Martinez, owner of Central in Lima, which holds second place on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants List for 2022. Occupying a former vicuña breeding farm built with mud-brick walls and an ichu grass roof overlooking the ancient Inca ruins of Moray, the restaurant is simplistic and understated. A winding 45-minute drive from Cusco towards the Sacred Valley, it shouldn’t technically be on this list. Yet, we believe it’s very deserving of a spot, and here’s why.
Mil is not just a restaurant, it’s a full-day experience worth a journey in its own right. Focused on using only local sustainable ingredients, Mil works directly with local Andean farmers to cultivate and harvest Andean herbs, crops, and vegetables. Visitors can spend the day in the on-site cacao lab or alongside farmers as they cultivate and harvest their crops, bringing them closer to ancient Andean culture and traditions. This makes the eight-course tasting menu all the more delectable.
The menu, consisting of light dishes to suit the high altitude, features brick-oven-baked mashwa and leona tubers, tunta (traditional freeze-dried potato chips) with a tamarillo uchucuta salsa dip, and tender lamb tartare. Of course, each tasting dish is colorfully curated and artistically presented. At $160 per seat, Mil is certainly the most expensive restaurant on our list. However, if you think about it as a cultural excursion with world-class food instead, we think the price is justified.
Address: Vía a Moray, Maras 08655
Opening Hours: Open for lunch from Tuesday – Sunday
Reservations: +51 926 948 088; https://milcentro.pe/en/
El Tupay
If you’re looking for an unapologetically elegant dining experience, look no further than El Tupay. This fine-dining restaurant is part of Monastario, a Belmond Hotel, which occupies a historic Spanish colonial monastery so beautiful that it has become a protected national monument.
The restaurant itself is set within a long and narrow dining hall made intimate with rows of low-hanging arches, much like a fairytale castle. The castle-like atmosphere is enhanced by the crisp white tablecloths, chandeliers, Renaissance-style paintings in regal gold frames, and candelabras on each table. As you dine, the archways resonate with the entrancing sounds of Cusco’s best soprano and tenor as they sing live within the hall.
El Tupay’s menu focuses on a fusion of the most elegant Peruvian and international cuisines with a specific emphasis on succulent meats. Start with foie gras escalopes with caramelized pears, red fruits sauce, and wheat toast with raisins before digging into marinated suckling pig in elderberry and soy honey sauce, or a juicy Angus flank steak with steamed baby vegetables and chimichurri sauce for mains. The evening will set you back around $200 for a two-course meal for two people with a good bottle of wine, but the quality of the food and the atmosphere makes it worthwhile.
Address: Nazarenas 337, Cusco 08002
Opening Hours: Open for dinner from 6 pm – 10:30 pm every day
Reservations: +51 84 604 000; [email protected]
Organika
Of all the restaurants on our list, Organika is the least assuming. Instead of trying to compete with the superiority complex exuded by some of Cusco’s other high-flying eateries, it stays grounded — literally. Organika doesn’t care about the frills and exclusivity of fine dining, all it cares about is creatively designed and scrumptiously tasting dishes made using only organic ingredients from its Sacred Valley garden.
From the salads and soups to the Peruvian-inspired mains, handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and desserts, each of its dishes are exceptionally fresh, flavorful, and floral. That’s right; no Organika dish is complete without lavender and fuschia edible flowers poised on top. We believe the ‘Quinotto Organika’ with tender vegetables, Andean cheese, beans, and garden sprouts best represents the restaurant’s farm-to-fork menu. Although, the sweet potato ravioli and apple, fig, and blue cheese pizza are equally delicious.
Organika’s down-to-earth ethos is exuded through the restaurant’s casual community atmosphere. Split into three levels, including a terrace, the space is both cosy and private and light and spacious. The staff reflects Organika’s vibe with a friendly welcoming persona and a clear passion for all things organic that makes the experience all the more pleasurable. The prices here are as unassuming as the restaurant itself meaning you can eat as much as you like and the bill still won’t reach $100.
Address: Ataud 154, Cusco 08000
Opening Hours: Open 11 am – 10 pm every day
Reservations: https://www.organikacusco.com/reserves/
Cicciolina
Don’t be fooled by the name. Cicciolina is not just another Italianesque Cusco tourist magnet with “real wood-fired pizzas”. No, it’s a swanky tapas bar, wine bar, breakfast joint, and fine dining restaurant, conveniently located just a hop, skip and jump from the Plaza de Armas.
One of Cusco’s most popular and highly-rated eateries, Cicciolina consistently gets the thumbs up from customers who flock here morning, noon, and night.
The extensive a la carte dinner menu features a good selection of Peruvian and international dishes. They can be enjoyed in the informal bar area with its high vaulted ceiling and rustic wooden beams, or the more sophisticated dining room or salon with deep red walls, huge modern art canvases, and period furniture. You do have to pay an extra 7 soles (about £1.50 or US$2.50) for the privilege but it is worth it for that sense of occasion.
The scallops with dark ginger, honey, sesame, and soy sauce, and the chargrilled seafood brochettes come highly recommended. We also have it on good authority that the osso buco is hard to beat. There are a handful of vegetarian options, a reasonably priced wine list, and a small but perfectly formed dessert menu too. Expect to pay around 100 soles per head for three courses without drinks. Reservations are very strongly advised.
Address: 2nd Floor, 393 Calle Triunfo, Cusco
Opening Hours: Open daily for breakfast – 8 am to 11 am, lunch – 12 noon to 3 pm, and dinner – 6 pm to 10 pm
Reservations: +51 (0)84 239 510; [email protected]
Chicha, by Gaston Acurio
Anyone who knows anything about Peruvian cuisine will have heard of Gaston Acurio. The chef’s global culinary empire already extends across three continents and his flagship Lima restaurant Astrid y Gaston is considered on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Whilst the price tag of that particular restaurant more than reflects its rank, luckily for visitors to Cusco, Chicha offers a taste of the master’s renowned cuisine at much more affordable prices.
The menu is built on a foundation of Peruvian 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 cuy, more widely known as a guinea pig. Even the cosmopolitan pizza couldn’t resist a Peruvian twist with an alpaca topping. Of all Chicha’s dishes, the grilled octopus with pickled radish and micro herbs and the pork chicharron with native potato fries, giant corn, and fresh herby huacatay sauce comes most highly recommended. Its huge, well-cooked portion would satisfy even the healthiest of appetites.
Whilst the service can be a bit spotty – and you can’t tell which dishes are starts and which are mains from the menu – the quality of the food and the reasonable prices make it a top contender. For around 100 Soles per head, you’ll get three courses without drinks. Top it off with a desirable location in one of the Centro Historico’s most picturesque squares, and Chicha becomes a no-brainer for those keen to sample Gaston Acurio’s cuisine.
Address: 261 Plaza Regocijo, 2nd floor, Cusco
Opening Hours: Open daily from noon to 11 pm
Reservations: +51 (0)84 240 520/240 717
Uchu, Peruvian Steakhouse
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. Those lucky enough to be staying here need only take a short stroll downhill to slip into the unassuming courtyard of this rustic restaurant.
Banish all thoughts of giant steaks being served by stetson-wearing cowboys in gingham shirts. Instead, picture a sophisticated dining experience where traditional meets glamorous in a historic bare-brick Cusco building with glittering chandeliers swinging from the ceiling.
While the restaurant specializes in steaks (and trust us, nowhere in Cusco does them better), Uchu’s menu extends to a variety of traditional Peruvian dishes. Starters include causas (those tasty little potato stacks) with seared alpaca, as well as a range of classic ceviche-based marinated fish dishes. The main draw is the steak, fish, or seafood mains which are served on sizzling, heavy volcanic stone slabs. It may sound gimmicky but it works. Two courses, excluding drinks, will set you back around 75 Soles, and managing three would be a struggle.
Address: 135 Calle Palacio, Cusco
Opening Hours: Daily from 12:30 pm to 11 pm
Reservations: +51 (0)84 246 598; [email protected]
Limo
Limo enjoys one of the best locations of any restaurant in Cusco, on the upper floor of an ancient colonial building overlooking the gorgeous Plaza de Armas itself. Sectioned by the main restaurant, pisco bar, and an enclosed balcony area, Limo is a multifunctional and dimensional space. Each space is tied together with a rich and relaxing décor. Deep red and purple walls, dark wood and white leather furniture, large modern art canvases, and big vases of lilies decorate the space.
The menu is a Peruvian-Japanese fusion with artistically presented and colorfully-tasting starters. Think ceviche-style sushi rolls and crunchy panko-coated causa rolls with smoked trout and avocado served up with soy sauce, slivers of pickled ginger, and wasabi paste. Of the mains, we recommend the hearty osso buco (veal shanks with vegetables in a white wine broth) and the alpaca loin with quinoa risotto.
The delightful food and atmosphere come at a hefty price tag. Expect to pay at least 100 Soles for three courses without drinks. Evening sittings are 7 pm and 9 pm and reservations are recommended.
Address: 2nd Floor, 236 Portal de Carnes, Plaza de Arma, Cusco
Opening Hours: Open daily for lunch and dinner; Dinner reservations are available for 7 pm or 9 pm.
Reservations: +51 (0)84 424 068; [email protected]
Papacho’s
There are two reasons we put a burger joint on our list of best places to eat in Cusco. Firstly, it is another affordable opportunity to sample the sensations of the ever-growing empire of Peruvian wonder-chef Gaston Acurio (see Chicha above). Secondly, the food, service, ambiance, and location all conspire to make it a wonderfully palpable experience — even if the specialty is the humble hamburger.
Papacho’s is located in a lofty industrial upstairs space in a colonial building on the corner of the Plaza de Armas. If you come for lunch, you may be lucky enough to get a table on the small balcony overlooking the atmospheric square and the Andes. Things can get pretty lively at Papacho’s, particularly at night when it becomes very popular with groups. However, there is a veritable army of highly efficient and friendly waiting staff who all speak good English, so you never have to wait too long to order. But if you get bored easily, you can take advantage of the jar of crayons on each table and decorate your paper mat while you wait.
There are more than burgers on the menu, including some tasty vegetarian options. Trust us when we say, however, that you don’t want to pass up the opportunity to try a ‘Cordon’ burger, with ham, cheese, crispy onions, and elderberry sauce. The ‘Guacha’ burger with provolone cheese and avocado is also a top choice. And the really good news is you can get two burgers with all the trimmings and a bottle of wine for under 150 Soles.
Address: 2nd floor, 115 Porta de Belen, Plaza de Armas, Cusco
Opening Hours: Daily, from noon til midnight
Reservations: +51 (0) 84 245 359; [email protected]
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