Cusco Restaurants

With a dining scene that "has improved every year," Cusco has a "huge array" of restaurants, according to Frommer's. Informal "cheap eateries" are in abundance in the city, but more upscale restaurants continue to open as well.Frommer's: Cusco Restaurants Overview

Described by Concierge.com as one of Cusco's "swankiest eateries," the "ultramodern" MAP Café combines a "cutting-edge" ambiance with a "sophisticated" menu.Concierge.com: Map Café

1. Location: Casa Cabrera
2. Cuisine: South American
3. Prices: S/21 - S/50Frommer's: MAP Café
4. Hours: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Mon - SatOfficial Site: MAP Café
   • 12 p.m. - 10 p.m., SunOfficial Site: MAP Café
5. Reservations requiredFrommer's: MAP Café
6. Phone: (84) 242476
7. E-mail: mapcafe@cuscorestaurants.com
8. Recommended dishes: sesame-crusted tuna, penne rigate in pisco cream sauce, guinea pig confit with rocoto peppersFrommer's: MAP Café

Frommer's states that Jack's Café Bar is one of the "most popular gringo hangouts" in the city, offering a "variety" of "very, very good meals."Frommer's: Jack's Café Bar

1. Location: San Blas
2. Cuisine: International
3. Prices: S/8 - S/19Frommer's: Jack's Café Bar
4. Hours: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. dailyFrommer's: Jack's Café Bar
5. No reservationsFrommer's: Jack's Café Bar
6. Phone: (84) 806960
7. Recommended dishes: Pancakes, salad, sandwiches, green chicken curry, beef and mushroom casseroleFrommer's: Jack's Café Bar

If planning a trip, please see Cusco Vacation and Cusco Hotels.

• MAP Cafe International, Phone: 51-84-24-2476
  • Concierge.com Recommendation: "The fusion is highly successful in dishes such as fresh trout with a yellow-chile beurre blanc and a napoleon of Andean potatoes."

• • Frommer's Exceptional Rating: "[It] places its focus squarely on the food, which is elegantly prepared and presented."

• • Fodor's Review: "Museum eateries rarely warrant guidebook listings, but this small, elegant restaurant sits inside a small, glass-enclosed courtyard of the Museo de Arte Precolombino."

• Cicciolina Mediterranean, Phone: 51-84-23-9510
  • Concierge.com Recommendation: "Inside, the deep yellow and red walls make the place feel warm and cozy, and bunches of garlic and dried chile's dangle from the ceiling."

• • Frommer's Very Highly Recommended: "The menu focuses on unusual spices and accents, with a number of adventurous dishes."

• • Fodor's Choice: "Everyone seems to know everyone and greet each other with a peck on the cheek at this second-floor eatery, part lively tapas bar, part sit-down, candle-lit restaurant."

• Inka Grill Peruvian, Phone: 51-84-26-2992
  • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "A large and attractive modern two-level place right on the Plaza de Armas, popular with both young and old..."

• • Fodor's Review: "This bi-level, upscale restaurant on the Plaza de Armas draws tourists and locals alike to it reassuring surroundings and attentive service."

• • Yahoo! Travel 4 Stars (Note: Community rating; may change)

• Restaurante Illariy (Hotel Monasterio) International, Phone: 51-84-24-3820 Map
  • Frommer's Exceptional Rating: "Peruvian specialties include alpaca tenderloin with corn, sweet pepper chile, and mint sauce; and duck-and-rice stew with coriander."

• El Truco Peruvian, Phone: 51-84-23-2441 Map
  • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "El Truco combines good Peruvian cooking and platos tipicos with a loud and lively pena (criollo music) show every night (8:30-10:30pm)."

• Sumaq Misky Peruvian, Phone: 51-84-22-3353
  • Lonely Planet Selection: "Hidden up an alley of souvenir stalls, this friendly family-owned restaurant and bar targets adventurous travelers with special foodie nights..."

• La Retama Peruvian/International, Phone: 51-84-22-6372
  • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "Overlooking the Plaza de Armas from a huge second-floor space, La Retama is one of Cusco's most enduring favorites."

• • Fodor's Review: "The fish dishes are delicious -- try the trout in fennel cream sauce or the trout ceviche."

• A Mi Manera South American, Phone: 51-84-22-2219 Map
  • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "[This] is one of the most relaxed spots in town. It serves excellent, creative Andean dishes with plenty of vegetarian options."

• Don Antonio Restaurant Peruvian, Phone: 51-84-24-1364
  • Lonely Planet Selection: "Don Antonio is another top-notch dinner-and-show restaurant in a huge barn of a venue off the Plaza Regocijo. It's more elegant than El Truco, but also is often booked out by large tour groups."

• Greens International, Phone: 51-84-24-3379
  • Frommer's Very Highly Recommended: "In the heart of San Blas, on an atmospheric street just off the plazoleta, Greens is one of Cusco's most stylish and romantic restaurants."

• Kusikuy Andean/International, Phone: 51-84-26-2870
  • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "If you've resisted trying the Andean specialty that makes most foreigners recoil or at least raise an eyebrow, this could be the place to get adventurous."

• Jack's Cafe Bar International, Phone: 51-84-80-6960
  • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "[J]ack's isn't just a spot to have a drink and check out some American and British magazines; it serves very fresh, very good meals throughout the day..."

• • Fodor's Review: "A youngish expat crowd holds court at this Australian-owned restaurant heading up the hill toward San Blas."

• Chez Maggy Pizzeria, Phone: 51-84-23-4861
  • Frommer's Recommended: "[Most] people jam their way in for the freshly baked pizzas made in a traditional wood-burning brick oven."

• • Fodor's Review: "A branch of the well-known Maggy's in Cusco is the best of the ubiquitous pizzerias in Aguas Calientes..."

• Victor Victoria Phone: 51-84-25-2854
  • Lonely Planet Selection: "Around the corner from the plaza is this no-frills budget restaurant, which slips a few French, Israeli and vegetarian dishes into its primarily Peruvian menu."

• Rosie O'Grady's International, Phone: 51-84-24-3514 Map
  • Yahoo! Travel 4 Stars (Note: Community rating; may change)

• HappyCow: Cusco Vegetarian Restaurant Guide

• Granja Heidi Phone: 51-84-23-8383
  • Frommer's Highly Recommended: "With a high ceiling and the airy, sun-filled look of an art studio, it's perfect for the neighborhood."

• Moni Cafe Restaurants Phone: 51-84-23-1029
  • Frommer's Recommended: "This tiny cafe, a couple of blocks off the Plaza de Armas, is an unpretentious gringo hangout and a good spot for freshly prepared vegetarian fare."

• Muse Phone: 51-84-974-4669
  • Lonely Planet Selection: "A long-established bohemian hangout, this cafe has tables spilling out onto and around Plaza San Blas. It's always a popular spot for taking in the sun or curling up with a book on the cushioned window seats."