Best Places to Eat in Cusco
Our trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu was amazing! Aside from the headache and slight dehydration from the first day (the altitude is not your friend) everything else was awesome and we quickly acclimated.
I think what helped the most was that we found medicine at a local store specifically for altitude sickness, so remember that! The medicine in conjunction with some coca tea had us feeling fine within the day.
Thankfully we felt better, which meant finally enjoying the trip and trying some authentic Peruvian food!
Be warned though, this guide is not vegan/vegetarian friendly. There are meats mentioned in this guide! To specify, common Peruvian dishes do include Alpaca and Guinea Pig. Mind you, those aren’t the only options at the restaurants and there are plenty of other options!
Many of the places we ate were at Plaza De Armas, as it was the city center and had numerous options.
Inka Grill
This was one of our favorite restaurants for quality. It’s not the cheapest place on the block, and sadly the portion sizes could’ve been a bit bigger, but overall, I loved it.
This was the place we decided to try Cuy (guinea pig) as well! I can’t say I’ll ever eat it again, but we tried it for the sake of the experience, and it was surprisingly delicious. Don’t worry if you’re not into trying it, Inka Grill has other selections as well that were also tasty!
Limbus Restobar
While in Cusco, we met a group of people and all decided to go out for drinks in the evening. This was the restaurant of choice and was surprised at how potent their cocktails were. On top of great drinks, they had a delicious Tex Burger and local Peruvian delights.
I highly recommend getting a reservation for the evening though, as it gets crowded and overlooks the city, making it a top choice for everyone.
Pachapapa
Pachapapa has a nice selection of different dishes to try and all are reasonably priced. My personal preference, if you are planning on trying Alpaca while you’re in Cusco, then Pachapapa’s signature dish is a marinated alpaca brochette with assorted potatoes and delicious Andean cheese! It’s also a great place to try the Crema Volteada, a Peruvian flan!
Uchu Peruvian Steakhouse
This place has some of the best meat dishes in Peru! I recommend getting the lamb and fries, but all their dishes looked delectable. Even though it’s a steakhouse, there are vegan/vegetarian options as well. They really cater to anyone’s taste, even having gluten free options.
A Random Restaurant at Plaza de Armas
I know, this is a restaurant. But while we were in Cusco, we tried 95% of the restaurants in the city center and were never disappointed.
Every night and some afternoons, we walked around the center and let the people outside pitch their menu to us and tried a new one every time. That’s why I recommend doing the same, support the local restaurants and give them a shot!
As a hint, look for one that has the upstairs open in the evening, that way you can overlook Plaza de Armas as you enjoy your meal and a cool Pisco Sour!
If you have any other suggestions for places to eat in Cusco, please leave them below! Also, if you want to share this post, please feel free to use the image below!
