What to Eat in Cusco: A Food Guide

What to eat in Cusco

• Cuy chactado

  Fried guinea pig — Andean ceremonial delicacy; try at Cicciolina or Pachapapa.

• Lomo saltado

  Peruvian-Chinese stir-fry — beef + tomato + onion + soy over rice + fries.

• Chicha morada

  Non-alcoholic purple-corn drink — Andean staple; also fermented chicha de jora at picanterías.

What to drink

Bottled water only. Pisco sour is the national cocktail; craft-beer scene rising in San Blas (Cerveceria del Valle Sagrado).

Dining etiquette and practicalities

• Tip 10% at sit-down restaurants; not expected at picanterías + market stalls.

• Coca-leaf tea (mate de coca) is legal + traditional Andean altitude remedy — accept freely offered cups.

Where to eat in Cusco

• Plaza de Armas + Centro Histórico

  Cathedral, La Compañía, colonial arcades — Belmond Palacio Nazarenas, JW Marriott El Convento, Palacio del Inka Luxury Collection.

• San Blas

  Cobblestone artisan quarter, viewpoints, boutique hotels — Antigua Casona San Blas, El Mercado Tunqui.

• San Cristóbal + Sacsayhuamán slopes

  Panoramic terraces above the plaza — Inkaterra La Casona (Cusco's finest boutique).

• San Pedro + Santa Ana

  San Pedro market + local life west of centre — mid-range hostals + apart-hotels.