As many of you know by now, I’m a huge foodie. I’ve eaten at some of the best restaurants in the world, including Mirazur, Osteria Francescana, L’Enclume, and Le Manoir.
My main reason for going to Peru was the food – I’ve long been a fan of Peruvian food and was desperate to experience it properly for myself!
It didn’t disappoint, at all. In fact, it far exceeded my already-high expectations. So, I wanted to tell you all about the very best places I ate at in Cusco, and tell you why you should go there too.
1. Morena Peruvian Kitchen
I ate at Morena on my first night in Cusco and was absolutely blown away by the restaurant, service, and food & drink!
I didn’t have a reservation and it was fully booked, but as it was just me I sat up at the beautiful, contemporary bar and had the loveliest meal. I definitely recommend booking though, because it gets booked up quite quickly.
Thirsty and desperate for something refreshing, I started with a Passionfruit Pisco Sour. Passionfruit is native to Peru, so I ate and drank a lot of it while I was there, and this pisco sour was one of the best I’ve ever had.
While I sipped on my cocktail the staff brought me a basket of freshly baked breads, and I chose my dishes.
I chose three starters rather than a starter and a main: the Guacamole del Huerto, Croquetas de Choclo Con Queso (local corn and Andean cheese), and Ceviche de Trucha (Fresh Andean trout ceviche).
All three dishes were delicious – I was truly in foodie Heaven!
2. Chicha
Chicha is one of Gaston Acurio’s restaurants, and if you’re a foodie, you’ll know that name.
He’s the godfather of Peruvian cuisine and is the man responsible for making it popular around the world through his collection of Peruvian restaurants.
Chicha is one of his restaurants in Cusco, and it was every bit as good as they say it is.
Focusing on native, regional ingredients, I really recommend getting the Lucuma Tortellini. Lucuma quickly became one of my favourite ingredients in Peru – it has a very light, sweet, caramel flavour.
As well as the Tortellini, I also chose the Trout Ceviche as a starter, and a ‘Inca Kola’, which is a soft drink that was created in Peru in 1935 and has a light lemon verbena flavour.
3. Pachapapa
Pachapapa is a little, casual restaurant in the San Blas neighbourhood of Cusco, located opposite the cute little church of Iglesia de San Blas.
I was super impressed by the food and service at Pachapapa, it’s such a great restaurant that I’ve been recommending to everyone since I got home!
I chose the Chicken Causa (a traditional Peruvian dish made of layers of mashed potato and filled with chicken and avocado) and Empanadas, and then treated myself to the Quinoa biscuit for dessert.
A perfect Peruvian lunch!
4. Museo del Pisco
I went to both the Museo del Pisco in Lima, and the sister restaurant in Cusco, and loved both of them. The cocktails are incredible, and the food was very good too.
Of course, I chose the Ceviche, and then I also got the Tequeños, which consisted of Peruvian flavors wrapped in wonton pastry with guacamole.
5. Qura
I went to Qura for lunch on my first day in Cusco, and enjoyed it so much I wish I’d had time to go back again!
They serve the most beautiful fresh food and are famous for their Acai bowls. However, I needed something a little more substantial than an Acai bowl, so I opted for avocado, roasted tomato and poached egg on toast. I also ordered a cup of coca tea, and a mango and passionfruit smoothie to help keep my liquids up!
6. Aulita
Aulita Cafe is a very cute little cafe just round the corner from the Aranwa Boutique Hotel, where I was staying. My friend Pia and I went to Aulita for breakfast on our last morning, and although the service was veeerry slow, the food was amazing and it was the perfect breakfast spot!
Just make sure you’re not in a rush…
7. L’Atelier Cafe
Get a taxi or Uber up the hill of the San Blas neighbourhood to L’Atelier Cafe Concept, a cute, tiny little cafe with only a handful of tables and a concept store attached to it. I absolutely adored their carrot cake, and had a cup of coca tea with it to help take the edge of the altitude effects!
L’Atelier is famous for their really lovely view over the lane outside the restaurant (see below photo).
8. Cercanía Pan y Café
Cercanía Pan y Café is located on a small side-road behind the main square in Cusco.
It’s tiny and is the best place to go for a coffee and cake, or a loaf of their freshly baked bread! I loved their best freshly baked blueberry muffins (it was literally stuffed with blueberries!), so treat yourself and enjoy one with a drink!
The Best Peruvian Food
Cusco has some of the best food in the world, and these restaurants and cafes really give you a flavour of Peruvian food at its finest! I didn’t have a single bad meal the whole time I was in Cusco, and there’s something for everyone no matter what your tastes and preferences are.
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of Content Marketing at Amazon by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
