Cusqueñísima Picantería

Cusqueñísima is the place to go if you want to eat where Cusco families celebrate, away from the tourist circuit around the Plaza de Armas. It is a picantería, the traditional kind of Andean eating house that grew over centuries out of the chicherías, where people gathered to drink chicha de jora, the fermented maize beer. They began by serving a small portion of spicy food to go with the chicha, and their menus grew from there. In July 2024 the Congress of Peru honoured Cusco's picanterías for their contribution to the region's cooking, tourism and traditions, as part of a wider push to have the city's culinary tradition recognised as national intangible heritage. Classic picantería dishes include cuy in various preparations, caldo de gallina, lechón and fried ribs. El Comercio's Premios Somos 2025 shortlisted it for best restaurant in Cusco, listing it at Av. José Gabriel Cosio 401 in the Urbanización Magisterio, a modern residential area outside the historic centre.

The food is regional. Dishes that have been singled out include chupe de pera, a creamy soup with stewed Andean pears, and rocoto relleno served in a broth of wild mushrooms, a local take on the stuffed hot pepper. A meal here is a chance to try dishes that are not the usual fare of the restaurants around the main square.

Like most picanterías, Cusqueñísima is a lunchtime place. It has been reported as serving lunch only and closing around 17:00, so plan to arrive early in the afternoon, particularly at weekends, when local families come for special occasions. The menu is in Spanish and staff may not speak English, so a translation app or a few words of Spanish will help. Prices are modest compared with restaurants in the tourist centre.

The restaurant suits adventurous eaters, families and groups who want a genuinely local experience. Locals come here for special occasions, so it is a place to linger rather than a quick stop.

Magisterio is outside the historic centre, so take a taxi or ride-hailing app from the Plaza de Armas. Because it is a lunchtime place, it fits best into a day when you are not out of town on an excursion.