Peruvian gastronomy is already known worldwide for its quality and variety, so much so that for six consecutive years Peru has received the award for Top Culinary Destination, awarded by the World Travel Awards. Peruvian cuisine is one of the most varied in the world, with a pre-Inca, Inca, Spanish, African, French, Chinese-Cantonese, Japanese, and Italian heritage, mainly until the 19th century.
We recommend the 10 best restaurants in Cusco.
1.- MIL
It is located 53 kilometers northeast of Cusco and 500 meters from the archaeological center of Moray, the enormous circular stone terraces used for centuries by the Incas as a place for agricultural experimentation.
Virgilio Martinez’s success comes from executing his food philosophies through high-quality ingredients, conscious farming practices, and expert preparation. He creates innovative dishes that you won’t find anywhere else but in his exclusive restaurants Central in Lima and MIL in Cusco.
This gastronomic project of Central’s chef number 6 on the list of “The 50 Best Restaurants in the World” owes its essence to Cusco’s cuisine, full of cereals, roots, and tubers (there are more than 4,000 types in Peru). It is no coincidence that 55 varieties of native potatoes grow in the surroundings of Mil, as well as beans, quinoa, and kañihua, ingredients that are produced in the Cusco region and that feed ancestral recipes of this area. For Virgilio “Cusco is a place where things of immense biodiversity, rich culture, and stories to be collected and told.”
2.- MAP CAFÉ
It is located in Plaza Nazarenas N° 231, three blocks from the Plaza de Armas of Cusco. It has a very particular architecture: it is nothing more and nothing less than a large glass cube! The place where culture and a good culinary experience come together. With a privileged location inside the Pre-Columbian Art Museum, get ready to enter and be amazed. Delight yourself with Peruvian fusion food served by elegant waiters. Discover the interesting reinvention of traditional Peruvian dishes and take a break from the tours to enjoy a candlelight culinary tour. Don’t miss the black and red quinoa flavored with truffle cannelloni, hot shrimp ceviche, and their mushroom capchi.
3.- LIMO (PERUVIAN NIKKEI)
A restaurant with an unbeatable view of Cusco’s Plaza de Armas, located on the second floor of a typical colonial house. Limo offers the fusion of Peruvian-Japanese cuisine (Nikkei), which amazes many visitors and earns a place at our top.
Its dishes include tiraditos, ceviche, and the famous sushi bar. It’s worth mentioning that Limo has a wide variety of piscos, making it an excellent place to discover Peru’s emblematic liquor.
5.- CHICHA
The restaurant Chicha, by the renowned chef Gaston Acurio, is located in the Plaza Regocijo, a few blocks from the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. It pays homage to the ancient culinary wisdom of Cusco and promotes its value. Chicha offers Peruvian dishes, such as anticuchos (sliced and seasoned beef hearts), Chupe 5 flavors, vegetarian stuffed rocoto, and a stunning Andean soup containing olluco, quinoa, curry, coconut milk, and pumpkin.
6.- CICCIOLINA
It is one block from the Plaza Mayor on the second floor of a charming colonial house on Calle Triunfo. The kitchen is modern, delicious, and impeccable. The cuisine is contemporary and the dishes are delicious and impeccably presented, almost a recognized standard for Peruvian cuisine that is so varied and rich, for many it can only be compared in Latin America with Mexican food for the diversity of dishes it has.
The atmosphere is warm and soft lights make the place a great option for couples looking for romance. It is also ideal to go with a group of friends and discuss the beautiful views of the city of Cusco.
7.- PACHAPAPA CUSQUEÑA CUISINE
If you want to try the traditional food of Cusco you must visit this restaurant, it is located in the traditional neighborhood of San Blas, Pachapapa is known for its picturesque and rustic patio, perfect for an outdoor lunch next to the wood oven accompanied by a melodious Andean harp.
In Pachapapa they offer typical ingredients such as native potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn are the perfect accompaniment to dishes such as its famous trout baked in a tile oven, the huatia de lomo in a clay pot, and the legendary lomo saltado.
8.-MORENA PERUVIAN KITCHEN
Morena Peruvian Kitchen is a modern and bright restaurant in the heart of the ancient city of Cusco. It offers an experience of Peruvian flavors from the coast, jungle, and highlands.
Whether it’s meat, fish, or vegetables, Morena wants to showcase the true cultural mosaic that is Peruvian cuisine. To do so, it uses only the freshest local ingredients.
9.- INCANTO
Located in the narrow Santa Catalina Street in the main square of Cusco, offers an interesting gastronomic proposal of Italian-Peruvian fusion in a magical atmosphere where the imposing stone walls of what was once an Inca palace Tupac Yupanqui is now a cozy restaurant with a minimalist style and a huge wooden oven, Incanto offers one of the best pizzas, bread, and pasta.
10.- GREENS ORGANIC
Located in the city of Cusco on Santa Catalina Angosta street, they offer healthy food with vegetarian touches combining Peruvian, international, and healthy cuisine. It uses fresh and organic products from a bio garden in Lamay, which is located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Among its outstanding dishes and drinks are delicious juices from the extensive variety of regional fruits harvested in the same valley. In addition, a rich asparagus cream and its famous steamed trout with fennel aroma and trout with asparagus.
