Restaurants in Arequipa & Canyon Country
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Fez
Have you been craving authentic falafel ever since you landed in South America? Step up to the counter here and order yourself a sandwich dripping with juicy goodness. Crêpes are equally delicious. Garden tables are out back.
reviewed
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Los Leños
Pizzas for homesick travelers are baked in a wood-burning oven that adds warmth to the laid-back atmosphere. Rock music is the only soundtrack. If you’re more impressed by the food than we were, add your personalized scribble to the already-covered-with-graffiti walls.
reviewed
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Crepisimo
A cozy place to get your caffeine fix, this cultural cafe has a crackling fireplace, balcony tables, board games and more than 100 kinds of sweet and savory crêpes filled with everything from Chilean smoked trout or wild Swiss mushrooms to exotic South American fruits.
reviewed
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Mixtos
Tucked away in the alley behind the cathedral on the Plaza de Armas is this popular and quaint restaurant that serves mainly Italian and criollo (spicy Peruvian fare with Spanish and indigenous influences) seafood dishes. Try the enormous and flavorful sudado de pescado (fish stew) while enjoying the view from the outdoor balcony.
reviewed
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Zig Zag
The upscale sister of Crepisimo, this European restaurant inhabits a two-story colonial house with an iron stairway designed by Gustave Eiffel. The expensive menu features decadent fondues, carpaccio, stone-grilled steaks and other South American game dishes.
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La Trattoria del Monasterio
A helping of epicurean delight has descended upon the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. The menu of Italian specialties was created with the help of superstar Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, and is infused with the flavors of Arequipa. Reservations are essential.
reviewed
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La Cantarilla
You'll be greeted by an ostrich statue at this rustic open-air restaurant in the southwestern suburb of Sachaca. Mostly catering to tour groups, it serves some international fare as well as good-quality Arequipeño food, including freshwater shrimp.
reviewed
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Manolo’s
With a decidedly retro atmosphere, this mirror-filled cafe looks as if it were established in the early days of the Republic. Its endless menu lists coffees, ice creams, desserts, sandwiches and full Peruvian home-style meals.
reviewed
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Mandala
This humble, health-minded café affably cooks up quick, quality vegetarian fare (breakfasts are huge!) in a subterranean space with tables that probably look just like the ones at your grandmother's house.
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El Viñedo
This intimate spot is one of the best places to knock back a steak or platters of traditional Peruvian food, all in an ornate Victorian atmosphere. The wine list features South American varietals.
reviewed
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Inkari Pub Pizzeria
This pizzeria has a delicious happy-hour special of a personal pizza and a copa de vino (glass of wine) for just S13.
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Chicha
Famed chef Gastón Acurio arrived in Arequipa with Chicha. As with the astutely crafted menus he is celebrated for elsewhere in Peru, Chicha’s selections turn the freshest local ingredients and regional specialties into noteworthy flavor fusions such as the cuy laqueado (guinea-pig appetizer with Arequipan touches of corn and rocoto pepper) and the rocoto relleno (in this dessert version red peppers are stuffed with cream cheese and dulce de leche ). The experience is rounded off with a tantalizing list of cocktails and service that leaves no detail unattended to.
reviewed
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Tradición Arequipeña
This locally famous restaurant has mazelike gardens, live folklórica and criollo music (upbeat coastal music), and offers a Sunday morning breakfast of adobo de cerdo, a traditional slow-cooked pork dish. It’s 2km southeast of the center; a taxi ride here should cost S4.
reviewed
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El Gaucho Parrilladas
Not one for vegetarians: these guys are experts in steak and steak alone, and they don’t skimp on portions. On a lower level off the Plaza de Armas, the restaurant has a snug atmosphere. It’s popular with locals and tourists staying at nearby hotels alike, so reservations are recommended.
reviewed
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Café Casa Verde
This nonprofit courtyard cafe staffed by underprivileged kids is the perfect spot for a morning or afternoon break. It dishes up yummy German-style pastries and sandwiches, though service can be slow. Attached is a local handicraft store where proceeds also go to helping kids in need.
reviewed
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Velluto Crepes
This newcomer to Calle Jerusalén has a twin operation in Cuzco. Sandwiches are substantial, soups are made from fresh ingredients, and crêpes are a twist on the traditional. Additionally, the place boasts a selection of imported beers and wines not available at many places in Peru.
reviewed
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Cevichería Fory Fay
Small and to-the-point, it serves only the best ceviche (seafood marinated in lime juice) and nothing else. Pull up a chair at a rickety table and crack open a beer – limit one per person, though! By the way, the name is a phonetic spelling of how Peruvians say ‘45’ in English.
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Nina-Yaku
This nouveau Peruvian eatery wouldn’t look a bit out of place in NYC’s Soho or Buenos Aires’ Palermo Hollywood. The modern menu includes reinventions of traditional arequipeño tastes, with salads, sandwiches and tastebud-tingling desserts, plus coffees and cocktails.
reviewed
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Cafe Restaurant Antojitos de Arequipa
This café-restaurant is a bright beacon in the dead of night. An enormous menu of comfort food and Peruvian favorites, plus espresso machines and locks on the chairs for safeguarding your pack make it ideal for waiting out that tiresome late-night bus departure.
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Ary Quepay
This place offers traditional plates, including alpaca and cuy (guinea pig), in a colonial-style building that extends out to a dimly lit rustic area dripping with plants. There’s enthusiastic música folklórica (Andean folk music) most evenings.
reviewed
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Restaurante Gopal
This basic, health-conscious vegetarian cafe specializes in traditional Peruvian dishes made with imitation meats, so you can enjoy lomo saltado (strips of beef stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, potatoes and chili) meat-free.
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Paquita Siu
Worth going out of your way for, this Asian fusion restaurant specializes in hard-to-find Thai and Japanese favorites like pad thai and sushi. It lies directly behind the department store Saga Falabella on Av Ejército.
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La Canasta Baguetería
This French-style bakery serves up flaky pastries, as well as a solid selection of sandwiches, salads and hearty breakfasts. You might have to search a bit as it’s situated at the back of a colonial-style courtyard.
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Ribs Cafe
This surprising storefront cooks up BBQ ribs in a rainbow variety of sauces, ranging from chocolate to honey-mustard to red wine, as well as empanadas (meat or cheese turnovers) and solid American breakfasts.
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Sambambaia’s
Located just 2km outside of the city center, this restaurant is an elegant upper-crust alternative with both Italian and Peruvian specialties and live music on the weekends in a tropical garden setting.
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