Peru: The Edit | Our favourite places to eat, stay, shop and explore
The places we loved, the shops worth seeking out, the meals we still think about, and the little finds that made our travels special.
Favorite places to eat, drink, stay, shop and explore.
I spent a month travelling around Peru, discovering its extraordinary landscapes, ancient towns, wonderful food and remarkable craftsmanship. My friend Phoebe, an artist and textile collector with a fabulous eye for beautiful things, spent a couple of weeks there recently as well.
We decided to bring our discoveries together in one list: the places we loved, the shops worth seeking out, the meals we still think about and the little finds that made our travels special.
From contemporary Peruvian cooking and characterful places to stay, to traditional textiles, folk art, ceramics and botanical treasures, these are the places we'd recommend to a friend.
(L) Lulu's recommendations
(P) Phoebe's recommendations
Happy exploring!
LIMA
DRINK
Hotel B Bar (P)
Barranco
My first choice for a drink in Lima. A beautiful historic building with sophisticated interiors, an excellent bar and wonderful art throughout. Very atmospheric and conveniently close to Dédalo.
Find it: Hotel B website · Google Maps
EAT
El Cordano (P)
Historic Centre
A historic tavern beside the Government Palace, worth visiting as much for the atmosphere as for the traditional Peruvian food.
The portions are enormous and the food is quite heavy, but the setting is great fun. I loved seeing the elderly ladies lunching over huge pitchers of pisco sours.
Find it: Google Maps
Cosme Restaurante y Bar (P)
San Isidro
A contemporary Peruvian restaurant led by chef James Berckemeyer, known for his creative interpretations of traditional comfort food.
Delicious tiradito! A very good choice for modern Peruvian cooking.
Find it: Google Maps
Awicha (L)
Barranco
One of our favourite meals in Lima. A small, relaxed restaurant in a colonial house, where chef Jason Román draws on Peruvian ingredients and traditions while incorporating French, Italian and Japanese influences.
Start with a Pisco Sour and the tiradito. The roasted tomatoes with whipped garlic ricotta, strawberries and aguaymanto were a lovely surprise. The duck was another standout, particularly the magret de pato with gnocchi and mushrooms, or the duck confit with huacatay pesto.
Thoughtful cooking without unnecessary fuss.
Read more: Two Tables in Barranco: Duck, Flan & the New Lima
Links: Official website · Google Maps · Instagram
Reservations: +51 921 828 779
Demo (L)
Barranco
A relaxed café and restaurant from the team behind Mérito, and a place we liked enough to return to.
Come for brunch or lunch, with excellent coffee, good bread and pastries, Venezuelan specialties and sandwiches. But save room for the flan. The Flan de Mérito was wonderfully silky and rich. There is also a flan cruffin, should you feel like combining custard with flaky pastry.
The morning menu runs until 1 p.m., so go early if brunch is what you're after.
- Website: demo-lima.com
- Menu: View the food and drinks menu
- Instagram: @demo.lima
- Location: Google Maps
Read the story: Two Tables in Barranco: Duck, Flan & the New Lima
SHOP
Dédalo (P)
Barranco
Paseo Sáenz Peña 295, Barranco
An excellent design and artisan shop with a wonderful selection of contemporary Peruvian ceramics, jewellery, textiles, home accessories and decorative objects.
One of my favourite places to browse for interesting, beautifully made things. There is also an adjoining café.
Hours: Monday–Saturday until 8 p.m.; Sunday until 7 p.m.
Find it: Google Maps
Las Pallas (P)
Barranco
Calle Cajamarca 212, Barranco
WhatsApp: +51 999 740 174
An exceptional shop specialising in carefully selected traditional Peruvian folk art and textiles.
More like a knowledgeable collector's gallery than a souvenir shop. The owner, Mari Solari, can often explain the maker, region and tradition behind individual pieces.
The collection includes handwoven textiles, embroidered pieces, traditional ceramics, retablos (miniature scenes inside decorated wooden boxes), carved gourds, masks, religious folk art, jewellery and baskets.
For authentic traditional crafts, I would recommend this over the Mercado Indio. Some really wonderful things here.
Hours: Monday–Saturday, generally until 6 p.m. Closed Sundays and holidays. Best to arrive by 5 p.m. or call ahead.
Find it: Google Maps
KUNA (P)
Miraflores
Larcomar Shopping Centre, Avenida Malecón de la Reserva 610, Shops 107–108
A Peruvian chain specialising in high-quality alpaca and vicuña clothing, with branches in various locations.
The designs are somewhat conservative, but the materials are lovely. The vicuña pieces are particularly beautiful, and very expensive!
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
Find it: KUNA website · Google Maps
STAY
Second Home Peru (L)
Barranco
The former home and studio of Peruvian artist Víctor Delfín, perched above the Pacific. This wonderfully individual place is filled with art, unusual corners, and the accumulated character of a house that was once someone's home and working studio.
It isn't a conventional hotel, and that's precisely the appeal but it is rustic and not flash.
Read more: Sleeping in Víctor Delfín's House: Second Home
Find it: Official website · Google Maps
SACRED VALLEY & MACHU PICCHU
The Sacred Valley is worth more than a quick stop between Cusco and Machu Picchu. Each town has its own character, from Ollantaytambo's Inca streets and ruins to Pisac's market, gardens and mountain setting. We found places to stay, eat and shop that made slowing down worthwhile.
For more about the different places we stayed and what made each one memorable, see Sacred Valley, One Town at a Time.
OLLANTAYTAMBO
EXPLORE
Ollantaytambo (L)
We stayed here for four nights, and I'd recommend doing the same if time allows. Many people pass through Ollantaytambo on their way to the train for Machu Picchu, but it's a place worth lingering in.
The town has ancient Inca water channels still running through its cobbled streets, stone walls, balconies and hidden courtyards. The archaeological site and its steep terraces are impressive, but the town itself is part of the attraction. Days can be busy with visitors, while evenings are quieter and the streets feel more local.
Links: Google Maps
STAY
Picaflor Tambo (L)
A modest, clean guesthouse beneath the mountain of Pinkuylluna. It isn't luxurious, but the location is excellent, with views and easy access to the ruins and town. A good-value option if you'd rather spend your money on exploring.
Links: Google Maps
Las Qolqas (L)
For something more immersive, Las Qolqas offers elegant glamping in a beautiful natural setting. Think mountain views, a riverside hot tub, sauna and a glass-domed yoga space. A relaxing retreat after days spent exploring the valley.
Links: Website | Google Maps
EAT
Chuncho (L)
Esquina Chaupi Calle, Plaza de Armas
A rustic, friendly restaurant upstairs on a corner near the main square, Chuncho celebrates local ingredients, including native potatoes, corn, quinoa and herbs. The menu includes trout, duck and alpaca, alongside the Chuncho Banquet, a good way to sample a range of dishes.
Try the Saqra cocktail, made with local cane spirit, pomegranate, lime, ginger beer, Maras salt and molle peppercorns. We liked it enough to return.
Links: Website | Google Maps
Read more: Sacred Valley, One Town at a Time
ALQA (L)
Calle Sipas s/n, inside Museo de Arte Popular Andino
Set in a garden surrounded by old stone walls, ALQA offers a contemporary take on Andean ingredients. The dishes are beautifully composed, often with edible flowers and unusual native ingredients. It can feel a little precious, but it's an interesting experience for anyone curious about the region's food.
Links: Website | Google Maps
Latente (L)
A good place to stop for coffee while wandering around town.
Links: Google Maps
URUBAMBA
STAY
Mykol's Airbnb (L)
We stayed in the countryside near Urubamba. Mykol was especially helpful with transfers, day trips and the logistics of visiting Machu Picchu, which made arranging everything much easier.
Links: Search Airbnb stays in Urubamba
CERAMICS
Cerámicas Tater Vera (P)
Avenida Berrizabal s/n, opposite Cerámicas Seminario
A worthwhile stop for traditional glazed ceramics, from older pieces to contemporary work. This was Lauren's preferred branch to visit for browsing the collection.
Contact: +51 953 464 521
Links: Google Maps
PISAC
STAY
Florencio Casa Hacienda (L)
An old family home turned into a small hotel, run by an elderly brother and sister. It has an appealing old-world simplicity and is close to the main square, market and shops. A good base for exploring Pisac on foot.
Links: Google Maps
ART & NATURE
Felipe Marín Moreno Botanical Garden (L)
Directly across from Florencio Casa Hacienda
A personal garden filled with native, medicinal and ornamental plants, including orchids and cacti. The owner showed me around and even gave me a cactus cutting. It's a lovely, quieter side of Pisac, a town known for its market, independent shops and mountain setting.
Links: Google Maps
CHINCHERO
TEXTILES & ARTISANS
Awanallaqta Tocapo (P)
Chinchero
An alpaca textile enterprise and women's weaving cooperative preserving traditional Andean weaving techniques. A visit is an opportunity to learn about the skills behind the textiles and support the artisans keeping these traditions alive.
Contact: Marleny Callañaupa Q., president, +51 984 801 285
Instagram: @AwanallaqtaTocapo
Links: Google Maps
AGUAS CALIENTES (MACHU PICCHU PUEBLO)
The town at the foot of Machu Picchu is often treated as somewhere to sleep before an early start at the ruins. There are a couple of worthwhile places to eat, too.
EAT
Indio Feliz (P)
An eccentric, colorful French-Peruvian bistro with a distinctive atmosphere and generous three-course meals. A fun change of pace after days of traditional Peruvian food.
Links: Google Maps
Sami Restaurant (P)
A contemporary Peruvian fusion restaurant and grill. The menu includes alpaca skewers with elderberry sauce, chicken with anticuchera sauce, Tuscan trout and huancaína fettuccine.
Links: Google Maps
EXPLORE
Machu Picchu (L)
Book your tickets well in advance, particularly in high season. A knowledgeable guide adds context to the remarkable stonework, terraces and history, and planning the transport and entry times ahead makes the experience much less stressful.
Official tickets: Peru Ministry of Culture ticket portal
Links: Google Maps
CUSCO
ART & CULTURE
Museo de Arte Precolombino (MAP) (P)
Plaza de las Nazarenas, Cusco
A beautiful museum housed in a historic colonial building.
The collection presents pre-Columbian objects as works of art rather than simply archaeological artefacts. Extraordinary ceramics, silver, gold, wood and objects from the Nazca, Paracas, Moche, Huari, Chimú and Inca cultures.
Particularly worthwhile if you are interested in art, design and craftsmanship.
Find it: Google Maps
SHOP
Arte Antropología (P)
Calle Ruinas 105, Cusco
Owners: Rosie and Walter Rodríguez Mamani
Spanish: +51 984 623 555
English: +51 930 153 423
Instagram: @arte_antropologia
Hours: 2–7 p.m.
One of the most interesting shops in Cusco, particularly for collectors of traditional Andean textiles and folk art.
It feels more like a small ethnographic gallery than a conventional souvenir shop. Rosie, one of the owners, formerly taught textiles in the United States and is extremely knowledgeable.
A particularly good place for anyone interested in the history, techniques and cultural significance of Andean textiles.
Find it: Google Maps
Productos La Tortuguita (P)
San Blas
Carmen Alto 270, San Blas, Cusco
Telephone: +51 984 169 134 / +51 984 114 619
A charming little shop with natural gummies, perfumes, wonderful teas, essential oils and other botanical products.
A fun place to explore while wandering through the San Blas neighbourhood.
Find it: Google Maps
Cerámicas Tater Vera (P)
Cusco
Calle Tungasuca 145, Urb. Túpac Amaru, San Sebastián, Cusco
Telephone: +51 953 464 521
Traditional glazed ceramics, including both antique pieces and contemporary production.
Beautiful work in a more traditional style. The workshop has received UNESCO recognition for excellence in craftsmanship. I particularly liked the Urubamba location, which I thought was better than the Cusco shop.
Find it: Google Maps
