República del Pisco

República del Pisco is a lively pisco bar on Calle Plateros, one of the streets running off the Plaza de Armas and one of the centres of Cusco's nightlife. It occupies a colonial house and specialises in drinks made with pisco, Peru's grape brandy, using local ingredients, with snacks to go with them and live music.

The pisco sour is the drink to start with, and the bar has been known for versions flavoured with passion fruit and mango as well as the classic. There is a wide drinks selection beyond that, so it suits groups where not everyone wants pisco. Travel writers have described it as a funky little bar, and its combination of good drinks, music and a central location makes it a natural meeting point at the start of an evening.

The bar has been reported as open every day from 17:00 to 02:00, so it works for an early-evening drink after sightseeing as well as later in the night. Live music adds to the atmosphere.

República del Pisco suits couples, groups of friends and travellers who want to try pisco in a relaxed, sociable setting rather than a formal tasting. If you want to learn more about the spirit itself, combine it with a guided tasting at Museo del Pisco on Santa Catalina Ancha, a short walk away, and you will have a good grounding in Peru's national drink.

Calle Plateros is also home to Ukukus, one of the city's best-known live music bars, and Paddy's Irish Pub and the Mama Africa club are close by on and around the Plaza de Armas, so it is easy to move on from here. If you want to eat first, the Italian pizzeria Carpe Diem is a few doors along at Plateros 361, and Inca Rail's guide to the city's nightlife lists República del Pisco among its recommended places for an evening out.

The bar is a few steps from the Cathedral and the arcades of the Plaza de Armas, and many of the city's restaurants, including LIMO and Morena on the square, are within easy walking distance for dinner before or after your drinks.