What to eat in Cusco: a local food guide
Peru is one of the world’s great food countries, and Cusco is a delicious place to dig in. Here are the dishes and drinks worth seeking out — and a few tips on eating well when you are over 3,000 metres up.
Dishes to try
- Lomo saltado — stir-fried beef with onions, tomato and chips, Peru’s comfort-food classic
- Ají de gallina — creamy, mildly spicy shredded chicken
- Alpaca — lean, tender and genuinely local; often served as a steak
- Cuy — guinea pig, a traditional Andean delicacy for the adventurous
- Trucha — Andean trout from the highland rivers and lakes
- Chocolate and quinoa — Cusco is a great place for both
Drinks worth ordering
Try chicha morada (a sweet purple-corn drink), a pisco sour, and of course coca tea — the local remedy that also helps with the altitude.
Eating well at altitude
For your first day or two, eat lighter meals, go easy on heavy food and alcohol, and stay hydrated — it genuinely helps you acclimatize. More in our altitude guide. Then enjoy a well-earned feast after your city tour or trek.
Taste Cusco for yourself
Build a trip that mixes the sights, the trails and the flavours.
Frequently asked questions
Andean specialities like alpaca steak, cuy (guinea pig) and trout, alongside Peruvian classics such as lomo saltado and ají de gallina, plus quinoa and excellent chocolate.
Try chicha morada (purple-corn drink), a pisco sour, and coca tea, which locals use to help with the altitude.
Busy stalls with high turnover are usually fine, but for your first days favour cooked, hot food and bottled or purified water while your stomach adjusts.