What to Eat in Cusco: A First-Timer’s Food Guide
Cusco’s food scene is quieter and more contained than Lima’s — the city is smaller, the altitude means the body craves warming, substantial food rather than the acid brightness of coastal ceviche, and the culinary tradition here is specifically Andean rather than the coastal-Pacific fusion that defines Lima. But Cusco eats well, and eating specifically Andean food in the city where the Inca Empire was based gives the experience a context that no restaurant in Lima can replicate.
The Andean kitchen is built on ingredients that are genuinely extraordinary. The potato — in its hundreds of native varieties, from the starchy papa amarilla to the freeze-dried chuño (a technique of freeze-drying at altitude that the Inca developed and that modern food science is still studying) — is the foundation. Corn (choclo) in its large-kernel Andean form, quinoa, and the kiwicha (amaranth) grain add depth to the starch base. The proteins are Andean: cuy (guinea pig, the traditional prestige protein of the Inca), alpaca (leaner than beef, with a slightly gamey flavor), and trout from Lake Titicaca and the highland rivers. Aji amarillo and rocoto chiles provide the heat. Chicha de jora — fermented corn beer — is the ancestral drink of the Andes.
On our visit, we found the food in Cusco genuinely excellent — especially at the better restaurants that take Andean cuisine seriously and at the mercados where the working population eats. The altitude note is relevant here too: the body at 3,400 meters tends to want carbohydrates and warmth. The Andean kitchen obliges perfectly.
This guide is part of our broader Peru travel coverage. For city orientation, see our Cusco City Guide. For accommodation, see our Cusco where to stay guide.
👉 Cusco City Guide: The Plaza de Armas, Inca sites, the Sacred Valley & getting around →
👉 Where to Stay in Cusco: Find the right hotel for your altitude acclimatization →
Must-Try Foods in Cusco
Cuy (Guinea Pig)
The most specifically Andean food experience available in Cusco — cuy (guinea pig) has been the prestige protein of the Andes since well before the Inca Empire. It is served whole and roasted (the traditional preparation) or fried, and appears at celebratory meals throughout the highlands as an expression of hospitality and abundance. The Last Supper painting in the Cathedral of Cusco famously features cuy on the table in place of lamb — a detail that is both historically accurate (it was the prestige protein available to the artist) and deeply Andean in its cultural logic.
We tried cuy. The flavor is richer than chicken, slightly gamey, and the texture varies by preparation — the roasted version is crisp-skinned, the fried version more tender throughout. It is worth ordering not because it is the finest thing you’ll eat in Cusco (it is not) but because it is irreplaceably specific to this place and this culinary tradition. Order it at a traditional restaurant with a full appetite and an open mind.
Alpaca
Alpaca meat — served as steak, in stews, or in sandwiches — is one of the most accessible Andean proteins and genuinely excellent when well-prepared. Leaner than beef, with a slightly gamey, mineral flavor that reflects the high-altitude pastures the animals graze on. Alpaca steak with Andean potato varieties and a rocoto sauce is one of the better meals available in Cusco’s mid-range restaurants. Available throughout the city; the quality at serious restaurants is significantly higher than at tourist-facing establishments.
Sopa de Quinoa
A warming quinoa soup — made with the Andean grain alongside vegetables, herbs, and sometimes meat — that is one of the most restorative things to eat at altitude. Quinoa has been cultivated in the Andes for 3,000–4,000 years and its protein content (complete protein, containing all essential amino acids) makes it genuinely sustaining. A bowl of sopa de quinoa from a market comedor or a traditional restaurant is excellent for the first day in Cusco when altitude makes heavy food unappealing.
Papa a la Huancaína
Boiled yellow potatoes in a creamy aji amarillo and fresh cheese sauce — one of the most beloved Peruvian dishes and one that performs particularly well in Cusco where the highland papa amarilla potatoes are at their finest. The sauce is slightly spicy, rich, and deeply savory; the potatoes absorb it beautifully. Available everywhere in Cusco as a starter; the versions made with genuinely fresh aji amarillo are significantly better than those made with paste.
Chicharrón de Cerdo
Slow-fried pork — marinated, pressure-cooked, and then fried until the skin is crackling — served with hominy corn, mint, and rocoto salsa. A Sunday morning tradition throughout the Andes, available from market stalls and traditional restaurants. The combination of the crispy pork, the fresh herbs, and the acid of the rocoto salsa is deeply satisfying. One of the best breakfasts available in Cusco for visitors who have acclimatized enough to handle a substantial morning meal.
Choclo con Queso
Fresh Andean corn — the large-kernel choclo, entirely different from sweet corn — boiled and served with a slab of fresh white cheese (queso fresco). Sold from market stalls and street vendors throughout Cusco. Simple, specific to the Andes, and the best possible expression of choclo’s distinct flavor and texture. Costs almost nothing; worth eating multiple times.
Where to Eat in Cusco
Around the Plaza de Armas — Choose Carefully
The restaurants immediately on the Plaza de Armas and the main tourist streets cater primarily to international visitors and vary widely in quality. The tourist-facing establishments with laminated menus and photographs of dishes are not the right choice. Two blocks from the Plaza in any direction and the situation improves considerably. For the neighborhood context, see our Cusco City Guide.
San Blas — Best for Mid-Range
The San Blas neighborhood above the Plaza de Armas has Cusco’s best concentration of genuine restaurants — small, owner-operated places with short Andean menus, good ingredients, and fair prices. An afternoon of exploring San Blas naturally includes several excellent eating and drinking stops.
Mercado San Pedro — Best for Budget and Traditional
The Mercado San Pedro, a short walk west of the Plaza de Armas, is Cusco’s main traditional market — food stalls serving full meals of Andean classics (quinoa soup, stews, chicharrón) at prices that reflect local rather than tourist economics. The market is a genuinely local environment and one of the most direct ways to eat authentic Cusqueño cooking at minimal cost. Arrive by 11am for the best selection.
Our Recommended Restaurants in Cusco
Mil — Moray, Sacred Valley (Fine Dining Andean)
Virgilio Martínez’s (Central, Lima) restaurant in the Sacred Valley — set on the Andean plateau near the Moray Inca agricultural terraces, serving a tasting menu built entirely on ingredients from the immediate micro-ecosystems of the high Andes. The most extraordinary fine dining experience in the Cusco region and one of the most important restaurants in South America. Open for lunch only; requires a significant journey from Cusco and advance planning. Book months ahead through the Central reservations system. Worth the effort for serious food travelers.
Chicha por Gastón Acurio — Plaza Regocijo (Traditional Andean)
Gastón Acurio’s Cusco restaurant — serving elevated traditional Andean cooking in a beautiful colonial building adjacent to the Plaza de Armas. The cuy, alpaca, and Andean potato dishes are prepared with Lima-level attention to detail while remaining rooted in Cusqueño culinary tradition. One of the most reliably excellent restaurants in the city. Book in advance for dinner.
MAP Café — Museo de Arte Precolombino (Sophisticated Peruvian)
A restaurant inside the Museo de Arte Precolombino courtyard — a beautifully preserved colonial space with pre-Columbian art on the surrounding walls and an excellent menu of Peruvian-Andean cooking. The setting is extraordinary; the food is excellent; the combination of cultural experience and good eating makes it one of the most atmospheric dining options in Cusco. Book ahead.
Cicciolina — San Blas (Contemporary Mediterranean-Peruvian)
A beloved Cusco restaurant in a colonial building in the San Blas area, serving a Mediterranean-influenced menu with strong Peruvian ingredients. The tapas upstairs are particularly good for a relaxed evening with Peruvian wines or pisco. A warm, consistently excellent mid-range restaurant that has maintained its standard over many years.
What to Drink in Cusco
Pisco Sour
Available throughout Cusco at every restaurant and bar. The altitude caveat: pisco sours hit considerably harder at 3,400 meters than at sea level. Drink water between them; be genuinely conservative on the acclimatization day.
Chicha de Jora
The ancestral fermented corn beer of the Andes — made from germinated and dried maize, fermented in large clay pots. Light, slightly tart, and mildly alcoholic. A chicha morada (the non-fermented purple corn version) is available everywhere; the fermented chicha de jora is found at traditional picanterías and market stalls. Drinking fermented chicha in Cusco is as culturally connected as drinking sake in Kyoto or wine in Burgundy.
Mate de Coca (Coca Tea)
Coca leaf tea — made from the same plant as cocaine but in a preparation that is entirely legal in Peru and that has been used in the Andes for thousands of years as a mild stimulant and altitude remedy. Available at every hotel, restaurant, and market stall in Cusco. It tastes like green tea with a mild herbal quality; the altitude-relief effect is real. Drink it freely throughout your Cusco stay.
Tips for Eating Well in Cusco
- Eat lightly on the first day — altitude reduces appetite and makes digestion less efficient. Quinoa soup and light Andean dishes on arrival day; fuller meals as you acclimatize
- Book Chicha and MAP Café in advance — particularly for dinner. The best Cusco restaurants fill up during dry season
- Mercado San Pedro for breakfast or lunch — the market comedores serve authentic Andean food at genuinely local prices. Go before noon
- Try the cuy — at least once. It is the most culturally specific food experience in the Andes and worth engaging with even if it’s not destined to be your favorite meal
- Altitude and alcohol — drinks hit harder at 3,400 meters. This is worth repeating because it’s genuinely important for a comfortable Cusco experience
👉 Cusco City Guide: The Plaza de Armas, Inca sites, the Sacred Valley & getting around →
👉 Where to Stay in Cusco: The best hotels for altitude comfort and city access →
For our full Peru coverage, visit our Peru travel guide.