Cusco sits at 3,400 metres above sea level, and its food tastes like it: hearty Andean staples, slow-cooked meats, more than a thousand varieties of potato and grains like quinoa that grew here long before they became famous abroad. This is a short field guide to the dishes worth ordering while you are in the city — written by the team at INKAGRILL, a contemporary Peruvian restaurant that has been cooking on the Plaza de Armas since 1998.
The classics you should not skip
1. Lomo saltado. Peru’s beloved beef stir-fry: strips of tenderloin flash-fried with onion, tomato and a splash of soy sauce, served with fries and rice. It was born from Chinese-Peruvian fusion and it is, by a wide margin, the most praised dish on our own menu.
2. Cuy al horno. Roast guinea pig, Cusco’s most famous delicacy and a tradition thousands of years older than the Incas. It deserves its own explanation — we wrote one: Cuy in Cusco, explained.
3. Trout ceviche. Cusco is far from the ocean, so the highland answer to Peru’s national dish uses fresh Andean trout cured in lime, chilli and red onion. Brighter and more delicate than its coastal cousin.
4. Ají de gallina. Shredded chicken in a silky yellow-chilli and walnut cream. Comfort food at altitude.
5. Anticuchos. Skewers of marinated beef heart, grilled over high heat. Street-food royalty that translates beautifully to the dinner table.
Andean ingredients, contemporary plates
6. Alpaca. Lean, tender and lower in fat than beef. Try it modern: our alpaca roast beef sandwich reinterprets a highland staple.
7. Quinoa. The mother grain of the Andes. As a risotto it turns creamy and earthy — and it happens to be naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.
8. Yuca rellena. Golden fried cassava with a savoury filling — the Andean croquette you did not know you needed.
9. Chicharrón. Crisp pork served Cusco-style with mote (giant corn), mint and onion relish. A Sunday-morning institution in the city.
10. Choclo con queso. Giant white corn with fresh cheese — the classic snack of the Sacred Valley road.
Sweet endings and one sacred drink
11. Chirimoya. The custard apple: a creamy, fragrant fruit the Incas prized. As a dessert it needs almost nothing done to it.
12. Mate de coca. Coca-leaf tea, the traditional remedy for altitude. Locals drink it daily; most travellers are glad they did.
Where to try them
You will find most of these dishes across the city’s markets and restaurants. If you want them in one place, cooked with modern technique, INKAGRILL serves lomo saltado, cuy al horno, trout ceviche, ají de gallina, anticuchos, quinoa risotto and a rotating dessert trolley every day from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm at Portal de Panes 115, facing the Plaza de Armas. Thirsty? Read our guide to pisco and Cusco drinks.