Three Monkeys Coffee

Three Monkeys Coffee is the Cusco name that keeps turning up on international coffee lists. In 2025 it was ranked 22nd in The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops, the highest place of any café in Cusco, and travel guides report that it was listed again in 2026. Peru's official trade and tourism promotion body has described it as a reference point for specialty coffee in the Peruvian Andes, noting that it has its own roasting plant.

The business started small. It began as a little coffee cart in San Blas with a garden where people could sit, and a 2022 visitor's account described a simple menu, skilled baristas and no food to speak of, just very good espresso. From there it grew into a full specialty café, and its team aims to bring Cusco-grown coffee to different parts of the city. In 2025 Forbes Perú included three of its baristas, Neto Solórzano, Iván Salas and Diego Huillca, in its list of the 50 most creative people in Peru.

The café in the historic centre has been recognised for its design as much as its coffee. It was a semi-finalist in the Sprudge Design Awards in 2024, and has since won a Sprudge design award. The space, designed by Juan Carlos Pareja, is described as a modern interpretation of the brand that blends tradition and modernity and draws on local architecture, with clean lines, warm earthy tones and textured surfaces. The stated aim is to connect drinkers with the coffee-growing mountains and the lives of the farmers.

Coffee is the focus. Expect single-origin beans prepared by several brewing methods as well as espresso drinks, and ask the baristas for a recommendation if you want to taste the difference between Peruvian origins. Opening hours have been reported as 08:00 to 21:30, so it works for an early start before a tour pick-up as well as a late-afternoon break.

Three Monkeys suits coffee enthusiasts and anyone who wants to understand how good Peruvian coffee can be. Because opening times and branch locations can change as the company grows, check its social media channels before you go. The café is easy to combine with a walk through the historic centre and up into San Blas, where the business began.