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.
The dishes you have to try
Cusco's food is a highlight in its own right, blending Andean ingredients with Spanish and modern influences. A few dishes are essential.
| Dish | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cuy | Roasted guinea pig — a traditional Andean delicacy for special occasions |
| Alpaca | Lean, tender red meat, often grilled as steak |
| Lomo saltado | Stir-fried beef with onions, tomato and chips — Peru's beloved fusion classic |
| Chicharrón | Crispy fried pork, a Sunday favourite |
| Chiri uchu | A cold ceremonial platter eaten during Corpus Christi |
Andean ingredients and drinks
The region's staples reach back millennia: hundreds of varieties of potato, nutritious quinoa, giant-kernelled choclo (Andean corn) and chuño (freeze-dried potato). To drink, try chicha morada (a sweet purple-corn drink), the fermented chicha de jora, and of course the pisco sour. A warm coca tea is the local remedy for altitude and a daily ritual.
Where and how to eat well
For an authentic, affordable lunch, look for a menú del día (set lunch) at a local restaurant. The San Pedro Market is the place to graze on juices, soups and street snacks. San Blas and the centre hold Cusco's growing fine-dining scene, where chefs reinvent Andean ingredients. A food-led wander makes a perfect gentle activity on an acclimatization day — pair it with the city tour.
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.
