A few years ago it was hard to get a good meal in Peru's Andean city of Cusco, now the problem is deciding which place to go.
A few years ago dining in Cusco was limited to poor quality tourist restaurants and local dives. Now it rivals Lima for fine foods and trendy cafes. Here are the very best:
La Cicciolina (Triunfo 393, 239-510) - Run by an Argentine chef this Tapas bar cum Peruvian/ Mediterranean restaurant based on a Melbourne, Australia original is outstanding. The mood is set with deep red and yellow walls and glowing candles. The menu is varied with excellent soups, pastas, steaks (including alpaca), desserts and a long wine list. The sell organic local products such as cardamom seeds, quinua, coffee, and have a takeaway bakery downstairs.
MAP Café (Plaza Nazarenas, 242-276, www.map-cafe.com) - Located in the courtyard of the MAP (Museo de Arte Pre-Colombiano) this glass building serves some of the most creative dishes around. Think of it as contemporary Peruvian cuisine and Novo Andino, or New Andean. Main courses and appetizers are works of art, and the sandwiches are simply amazing. It's just a year old but as long as the standards remain high it will be there for a long, long time.
Inka Grill (On the Plaza, 262-992) - This is Cusco's original fine dining establishment. It's well known by many tourists and for its well executed Andean dishes using fresh ingredients and clean atmosphere. It's a good place to start for dishes using Alpaca, cuy (guinea pig), or quinua.
Illary (Plaza Nazarenas, 243-820) - Inside the Hotel Monasterio this restaurant overlooks the courtyard at this hotel that was once a monastery that was once an Inca palace. Duck and Rice stew, alpaca tenderloin, and an array of French influenced dishes using local ingredients and seafood from the coast. Prices are the highest in Cusco and quoted in dollars rather than soles if that tells you anything.
