Things to do in Huancayo
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Detrás de la Catedral
This well-run, attractively presented place exudes a woody, warm feeling and has garnered plenty of regular patrons with its broad menu selection – helped by a user-friendly picture menu decoder. Enjoy filling burgers (veggie or carnie), specials like asado catedral (barbecued meats done in house style) and tasty desserts like chocolate-drenched pionono helado (pastry with caramel filling). Surrealist paintings grace the walls.
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La Leña
This is the most lavish place around (check the waterfall at the entrance) to sample parrilladas (grills), as well as the usual chicken dishes in the company of well-heeled, carnivorous locals. Several branches are found city-wide and it does delivery.
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Casa del Artesano
Casa del Artesano, on the south corner of the plaza, has a wide range of art souvenirs for sale in a somewhat secure environment.
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Huancahuasi
The local eatery of choice for breakfast through to early evening is this classy establishment. A flower-filled courtyard and walls decorated with San Pedro de Cajas tapestries and local poems set the ambience for tucking into regional goodies like pachamanca, papas a la huancaína and ceviche de trucha (river-trout ceviche). It’s all well presented and the service comes with a smile. North-west of town, Real becomes Mariscal Castilla in El Tambo district. A taxi ride from the center is S3.
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C
Feria Dominical
Feria Dominical, the Sunday craft market, occupies numerous blocks along Huancavelica to the north-west of Piura. There are numerous non-craft items as well as weavings, textiles, embroidered items, ceramics and wood carvings. Mates burilados (carved gourds) and many other items from various villages in the Río Mantaro valley are also sold here – handy if you don’t have time to make the trek out to the villages yourself. Keep an eye on your valuables though.
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La Estancia
Northwest of town, Real becomes Av Mariscal Castilla in the El Tambo district. La Estancia does a great lunchtime pachamanca containing cuy, pork, lamb, potatoes, beans and tamales among other possible ingredients, wrapped in leaves and cooked in an underground earth oven (basically, a hole in the ground). Go early and watch them disinter it. Cheaper plates also available.
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La Pergola
Upstairs with a plaza view and courtly atmosphere, La Pergola offers a varied menu ranging from inexpensive sandwiches and snacks to full-blown meals. The daily midday menú is usually a very good option though the chicken fried rice is exceptionally filling and goes down well with a bottle of Cusqueña Malta (malt) beer.
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E
Panadería Koky
This modern bakery-coffee shop is a contender for the best breakfast stop in the Central Andes, serving tasty sandwiches, pastries, empanadas, real espresso and other coffees. It’s lively from morning until evening and now even does a line in pizzas and other more substantial fare. There’s live music sometimes from the upstairs balcony.
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La Divina Comida
Capitalizing no doubt on Dante's comedy classic there is nonetheless nothing infernal about the simple meatless fare at this busy hole-in-a-wall. Hearty fried rice, tortillas with spinach and lomo a la macho feature on a small but refreshing menu in an otherwise meat-dominated culinary scene.
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F
Nuevo Horizonte
Inside an atmospheric older house with attractive ceilings, this place has an excellent vegetarian menu using soy to recreate Peruvian plates such as lomo saltado (strips of beef stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, potatoes and chili), as well as straightforward veggie meals.
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Restaurant Olímpico
Here for more than six decades, this is Huancayo’s oldest (though modernized) restaurant. It features a large open kitchen where you can see the traditional Peruvian dishes prepared and a popular Sunday buffet lunch.
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H
Café Obama Pub
New on the eating scene but linked to the president only by name, Obama Pub has Beatles memorabilia as the decor theme and hamburgers, huge sandwiches and cakes as the grub of choice. It does good pisco sours too.
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Café Paris
A hip little joint that favors Nirvana over Andean music and is frequented by trendy young huancaínos (Huancayo residents). It does elaborate coffees and cakes, among other snacks.
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Discoteca Taj Mahal
There are no stand-out nightclubs: at the time of research, one of the best was flashy Discoteca Taj Mahal. Take a taxi back late at night.
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Galileo Disco-Pub
There are no stand-out nightclubs: at the time of research one of the best was Galileo Disco-Pub. Take a taxi back late at night.
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Museo Salesiano
Museo Salesiano can be entered from the Salesian school. It has Amazon fauna, pottery and archaeology exhibits. Hours vary.
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Delicias Marinas
They say the highlands can’t do ceviche (raw seafood marinated in lime juice): this bright little place is out to prove them wrong.
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Chicharronería Cuzco
Traditional plates of chicharrones (deep-fried pork chunks) at this carnivore-dedicated hole-in-the-wall are about S7.
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M
Chucclla
The favored spot in town for folklórica. A couple of similar places are on the same block.
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Taj Mahal
A club with video karaoke and dancing and catering to a somewhat more mature crowd.
reviewed
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Antojitos
Local bands perform at this bar-restaurant most nights from 9pm.
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La Cabaña
This haunt is popular with locals and travelers alike for its relaxed ambience, hearty food and tasty pisco sours. When you’re suitably mellow order a scrumptious pizza or graze on trout, juicy grills, al dente pastas, among other less-filling appetizers. Live folklórica bands play Thursday to Saturday. Next door and part of the same establishment, El Otro Lado is open for lunch from April to October.
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