Former capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is surprising not only for its Inca ruins and traces of Spanish colonization: the gastronomy It is one of the highlights for understanding the region.
Just like in Peru , it plays a fundamental role in the local identity. How about ceviches, fresh vegetables and fish and seafood prepared with primacy? Cusco serves all that and more.
In addition to historic beauties and landscapes, the trip is always better combined with good food. Next, check out where to eat in Cusco and even a bonus with houses that stand out in the gastronomic scene in the Sacred Valley.
cusco
Chicha, by Gaston Acurio
Chicha is a regional food space, not only because of the ingredients, but also because it emphasizes the culture and customs – ranging from the preparation technique and the promotion of local producers.
On the second floor of a colonial house just one block from the Plaza de Armas, the chef Gaston Acurio elected one of the best chefs in the world, honors and values ​​the flavors and wisdom of Cusco.
With several restaurants under his belt, Gastón is even more than a chef, but a promoter of Peruvian gastronomy – his credits go to the internationalization of ceviche, for example, a dish that is now spread all over the world.
With an ode to Cuzco wisdom, it presents traditional recipes, such as lamb, tiradito, in addition to its famous chocolate sphere.
The laid-back house offers us interesting combinations that work, such as alpaca and quinoa carpaccio. Ceviche, of course, is also a must. The house works with a regional menu, chef’s choices and also an eight-course tasting menu.
In short, it’s one of those restaurants that you can’t miss, whether to delve a little deeper into renowned cuisine, try local flavors, or even feel the vibe of the neighborhood.
Chicha: Plaza Regocijo 261, second floor, Cusco, Peru / Tel.: +51 84 240520 or 240717 / Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 12:00 to 21:30.
slime
Millennial, Japanese cuisine enchants wherever it goes. In fact, your palate mixes with the local ones as soon as you step on new ground. And not only that: its techniques and ingredients are also adapted.
And that is the proposal of the Limo restaurant, which – despite being on the second floor of an ancient building – has a very modern menu.
It inherited from the Japanese the tradition of clean taste, fresh ingredients and rich details. Ceviche, for example, is a fine example of how the two cuisines meet.
It is located in the heart of the Plaza de Armas, with direct views of the square, the Cathedral of Cusco and the Church of the Company of Jesus. To better accompany it, order a signature drink or refreshing juices.
Limo: Calle Simon Bolivar Mza B, Cusco, Peru / Tel.: +51 932 929 474 / Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 1 pm to 10 pm.
Cyccioline
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Already a traditional choice in Cusco, Cicciolina is a tapas bar with a traditional menu that is renewed with each dish of the day.
The house, located on the second floor of a colonial house on Calle Palacio, has different environments, such as the tapas bar and the restaurant itself. The place is peculiar with its trinkets in the hall.
From the kitchen come regional ingredients that mix tradition and modern touches. There are many flavors experienced by the dishes and the tip is precisely this: dive in head – and mouth! – in combinations, textures and tastes.
Food and wine are all around, and the smells that come from the kitchen are enchanting.
Cicciolina: Calle Palacio 110, Cusco, Peru / Tel.: +51 84 255763 or 994 059709 / Opening hours: Open every day from 12:00 to 21:30.
Baco – Food & Wine
The younger brother of the Cicciolina restaurant, Baco – as the name suggests – is a temple for the worship of wines, especially those from South America.
Summarizing the place is simple: destined for those who like to harmonize their favorite dish with a drink label.
Unpretentious and uncomplicated, the atmosphere is rustic, with colorful paintings and details in wood and iron. Dishes are made with fresh ingredients, in which oven pizzas, meats (barbecue type), vegetables and seafood also go well with soups, salads and pastas.
Baco: Calle Ruinas 465, Cusco, Peru / Tel.: +51 84 242808 / Opening hours: every day from 3:30 pm to 10:30 pm.
Inkaterra La Casona
Inside the charming hotel Inkaterra La Casona the first five-star boutique hotel in the city and part of the Relais & Chateaux portfolio, the restaurant offers meals amidst an environment of stone walls and local decor.
Very intimate – there are 12 diners arranged at six tables -, the restaurant has a kitchen that uses fresh, natural and nutritious ingredients in a delicious meal.
It is worth mentioning that the hotel is located in the traditional Plaza de las Nazarenas, surrounded by cobbled streets.
Inkaterra La Casona: Plaza Las Nazarenas 211, Cusco, Peru / Opening hours: every day breakfast from 5 am to 10 am; lunch from 12:00 to 15:00; afternoon tea from 4pm to 6pm; cocktails from 6pm to 7pm and dinner from 6pm to 10pm.
Ceviche – Meat & Wine Co.
Younger brother of Morena Peruvian Kitchen, which imprints the cultural (and colorful) mosaic of Peruvian cuisine on the dishes, Ceviche also takes the flavors of the country’s coast to the Andes.
He puts a modern twist on traditional Peruvian cevicheria, using the freshest seafood and very local ingredients.
The kitchen awakens the curiosity to see the preparation of the dishes. When you go, be sure to try one of the three types of ceviche: classic, with catch of the day; Andean, with fresh trout; and barrio, with fish of the day and squid chicharrón
Ceviche: Portal de Harinas, 181, Plaza de Armas, Cusco, Peru / Tel.: 51 993 652 202 / Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 12h to 22h.
Mauka
PÃa Leon chef behind Central, Latin America’s best restaurant five times in a row, and Kjolle, both in Lima, is the culinary director of the brand new Mauka, a restaurant at Belmond Palacio Nazarenas.
The new house aims at the abundance of Cusco cuisine and its various products, ranging from inputs from the Andean mountains to the Amazon rainforest. To this end, the restaurant works closely with local farmers.
Andean mashwa paired with local trout, traditional chuño with alpaca or fresh ceviche with native onions and spicy tangerine are among the options.
Mauka: Nazarenas 223, Cusco, Peru / Tel.: 51 084582222 / Opening hours: every day from 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm and from 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm.
Bonus: Worthwhile Homes Around the Sacred Valley
The Sacred Valley of the Incas got its name because of its representation for this civilization: it represented heaven on earth. This is due to its geographical and climatic qualities, with a very rich soil.
It was one of the main production points of the Incas, due to the wealth of land, hydraulic mastery techniques and agriculture. The corn grain stands out here, as well as its variety of vegetables and greens.
MIL Center (Moray)
Getting a reservation at Central, in Lima, is a rather difficult task, as there are only a few and disputed seats for an experience at the best restaurant in Latin America.
But at more than 3,500 meters of altitude, the chefs Virgilio MartÃnez and PÃa León invite diners to taste the high altitudes at MIL, where the varied species found in Peru are worked on in a veritable laboratory.
All ingredients are from communities less than 50 km away or from our own production. The tasting menu costs US$ 290 (about R$ 1,440), full of flavors and ingredients that you will never have seen in eight stages with inputs from the surroundings. The restaurant – or laboratory – is currently ranked 44th among the 50 best restaurants in Latin America.
Beside the ruins of Moray , the site holds incredible views of the Peruvian Andes. The house also offers an immersion experience in the gastronomy and ingredients of the surroundings with a tasting menu afterwards (US$ 550, about R$ 2,740).
MIL Center: Moray, Maras, Cusco (53 km northwest of Cusco) / Hours of Operation: Lunch Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 14:30; immersion from Tuesday to Sunday at 9:30 am / Reservations through site.
El Huacatay (Urubamba)
It is a small restaurant that has become a reference in creative cuisine in the Urubamba region.
Dishes are not limited to just being tasty, but it is an experience. the chef Pio Vasquez Velasco believes that the atmosphere of the place and aesthetics should be part of the charm.
In its menu there are influences and elements of different cuisines with an emphasis, of course, on Peruvian and regional.
El Huacatay: Arica 620, Urubamba, Peru / Tel.: 51 974997590 / Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 12:30 pm to 8 pm; Sunday with breakfast menu.
Hacienda Huayoccari (between Cusco, Pisac and Urubamba)
Huayoccari is a private farm located on a road between Cusco, Pisac and Urubamba.
To have a meal here is to enjoy the hospitality of a traditional Peruvian family. Each diner, individual or group, is received by a member of the family.
Meals take place in the historic mansion, next to a rich compilation of ceramics and beautiful flower gardens with an unparalleled view of the Urquillos Valley and the Sacred Valley.
Here there are Peruvian classics like trout, ajà de gallina or a succulent lomo saltado, as well as regional dishes like sara lawa (creamy Andean white corn soup) or a pork chop. Peruvian desserts are also part of the experience: volador, pine cone meringue, cheesecake with elderberry grown on the property.
Hacienda Huayoccari : Cusco-Pisac-Urubamba road, between km 60 and 61 – Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco, Peru / Tel.: +51 984690703 / Opening hours: lunch from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm; dinner from 6 pm.
Source: CNN Brasil
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