Cuzco Restaurants

  1. Al Grano

    Al Grano has a nonspicy menu of hot plates from nine Asian countries, including Thailand, India, Vietnam and Indonesia, plus big breakfasts and coffee. Downstairs there's a pool table, cards and games, and a book exchange.

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  2. Blueberry Lounge

    Global fusion rules the roost here, with a menu that throws together everything from South Asian curries to teriyaki alpaca steaks. The atmosphere after dark is more hip than at the touristy, run-of-the-mill plaza restaurants. There's an older branch called Greens (24 3379) at Tandapata 700, near Plaza San Blas; it's open from to .

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  3. Café Cultural Ritual

    This is a bright, cute little option near the South American Explorers. A mostly vegetarian menu boasts Andean specialties such as quinoa pancakes, fried yucca and fresh trout cooked in all sorts of delicious ways, including stuffed with mushrooms and orange slices. There is a more carnivorous branch on the Plaza San Blas.

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  4. Café Dos X 3

    This retro café spins jazz tunes and has black-and-white tiling straight out of a 1950s movie. Don't you dare leave without tasting its out-of-this-world passion-fruit cheesecake.

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  5. Chez Maggy

    The original travelers' haunt is still the best; Chez Maggy has virtually taken over Gringo Alley with three déjà vu-inducing branches, all serving up wood-fired pizzas and pastas.

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  6. Cicciolina

    Inhabiting a lofty colonial courtyard mansion, this eclectic bakery and restaurant has just about everything to tickle your palate. Head downstairs to the bakery for generous breakfasts, sandwiches made from sliced bread that's hot out of the oven, and afternoon tea. Upstairs is a svelte tapas bar and Spanish restaurant with a balcony and a stellar wine list for tasting, including some European vintages.

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  7. Coco Loco

    This hectic fast-food joint serves international - and Peruvian-style snacks into the wee hours. It's just the place to satisfy your postclubbing cravings.

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  8. Cusco Curry House

    A favorite with British expats, this family-run kitchen dishes up a rainbow of Indian curries and desserts, along with enough artery-choking pub grub to chase those homesick daydreams away.

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  9. Don Antonio

    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.

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  10. El Buen Pastor

    You can't get much better than El Buen Pastor for a morning bakery. The warm glow isn't just from sipping a rich cappuccino with your pastries - it's also from the knowledge that all profits benefit charity.

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  11. El Encuentro

    This busy, happy vegetarian kitchen offers all-day breakfasts, a lunchtime salad bar and dinners featuring fake meats. It comes recommended by many readers.

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  12. El Truco

    This restaurant combines a mix of lofty architecture with murals, an original ceiling and a nightly dinner show starting at (cover US$2). Make reservations in the high season, because it's popular with tour groups.

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  13. Granja Heidi

    Follow the pictures of cows upstairs to this light Alpine café with terrific fresh produce, yogurts, cakes and other snacks on offer. The hot breakfasts are gigantic, and can satisfy any carnivorous cravings you may have.

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  14. I Due Mondi

    If it's ice cream you want, you'll find over a dozen seductive flavors (including coca and chicha !) to choose from at this chic Italian-style café. Takeout available.

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  15. Inka Panaka

    Along an alleyway west of the plaza, this ambitious and artistic restaurant has just a half dozen candlelit tables at which you can fork into novoandina (Peruvian nouvelle cuisine) fare, including delicious breakfasts, steaks and desserts. There's a chill-out soundtrack and artisan crafts for sale.

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  16. Inka's Hut

    Though all-business Av El Sol is almost a wasteland when it comes to restaurants, this humble locals' joint with a few outdoor and indoor tables is a real gem. Skip the á la carte menu and instead go for the special menú (set meal) of the day, which features true Peruvian fare, including some of the most lip-smackingly good ceviche (raw seafood marinated in lime juice) in the Andean highlands.

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  17. Inkafe Café

    With an art gallery on the walls and magazines scattered on the front table, this intimate café does a stellar job not only with breakfast, but also with regional Peruvian dinners and desserts, real Italian espresso and a short, but sassy wine list.

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  18. Jack's Cafe

    Before struggling uphill to the Plaza San Blas, refuel here on a hearty menu of modern international fusion fare and nouveau comfort food, such as gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches. The ginger-lemon tea alone will cure all ills.

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  19. Kaschiwache Coffee Zone

    This hole-in-the-wall joint will irresistibly draw you in from the street with the carnivorous aromas of hot grilled sandwiches and savory kebabs - the diablito (little devil) is a feast. Some vegetarian items also available.

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  20. Kin Taro

    As authentic a Japanese menu as you'll find anywhere outside of Lima, with sake to swill and trout sushi among the more unusual fusion dishes.

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  21. Lemon Bee

    Extending back from busy Plateros street, this lime-green-colored eatery and lounge with globe lamps may not have the swiftest service, but each small plate is exquisitely done, from salads with glazed fruit and Andean cheeses to lomo (beef) in gourmet wine sauce. The cocktail list is lusciously long.

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  22. MAP Café

    Inside the gorgeous Museo de Arte Precolombino, this is the city's most sophisticated restaurant and lounge. Outdoor tables with starched white tablecloths sit royally upon a glass-enclosed patio, while attentive waiters pour ruby red glasses of fantastic South American, European and New World wines. The menu ranges from Italianesque salads to Andean steak and guinea-pig confit. The crowd of movers and shakers is always dressed to the nines.

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  23. Moni

    Moni is run by a Peruvian-English couple and is highly recommended for it's à la carte vegetarian fare, including a mean veg curry and adapted organic Peruvian dishes. There's a laid-back coffee-bar ambience and sweet-tooth desserts.

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  24. Muse

    A long-established bohemian hangout, this café 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. The farm-fresh menu features bold salads and tons of other vegetarian options.

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  25. Pachapapa

    With rustic wooden tables and a crackling fire pit just off the Plaza San Blas, this airy outdoor restaurant has a menu full of classic Peruvian dishes with African, European and Asian accents, from cuzqueño lamb soup to roast trout with wild fennel, plus oven-fired pizzas and fruit-flavored piscococktails. There's live Andean harp music on most evenings.

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