Cusco Vegan Food Guide: Best Vegan Restaurants & Dishes in Peru
On my second visit to Cusco, Peru, I fell even more in love with the city. Not just for its history and culture, but for the vegan food scene that surprised me at every turn. We ate incredible Neapolitan pizza in cozy candlelit restaurants, tasted rainforest fruits I had never heard of, and tried thoughtful plant based takes on traditional Peruvian dishes. This trip was all about eating our way through the city and slowing down enough to really take it in. Here is everything we ate, where we went, and what made experiencing Cusco at 11,150 feet above sea level so memorable.
Quick Picks
- Best pizza: đPiano Piano Osteria
- Best vibe: đGreen Point Vegan
- Best pisco sour: đVida Vegan Bistro
- Late night option: đChia Vegan
- Most generous portions: đParada Vegana
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My Favorite Vegan Restaurants in Cusco
Green Point Vegan Restaurant
Location: Near San Blas Neighborhood, San Blas Market
Good for: Breakfast and lunch/dinner options, easy on upset stomachs, tableside dessert presentations, unique South American kombucha and beer, and amazing vibe
We went here twice during our stay in Cusco since this restaurant was so good! (For breakfast and lunch/dinner!)
Important timing: After 12pm they switch to the non-breakfast menu, so plan accordingly.
For breakfast we shared the avocado toast which was surprisingly better than I thought it would be! Mainly since the bread had a perfectly crispy crust, was cut thick so you could taste enough of the soft inner bread, and topped with fresh avocado, tomato, capers, and delicate micro greens. It was a very good option for an unsettled stomach as it was super easy to digest.
We also shared the hash brown dish which was a large plate of crispy, cut fine, skinny strips of potato on a bed of thin savory sauce, perfect with the potatoes! On top of the hash browns were oyster mushrooms, shallot, tomato, and kale and mixed greens.
For breakfast drinks I got the kombucha sampler which was excellent and my boyfriend got the beer sampler. I highly recommend these since you get to try various flavors not available out of South America.
After that, we ordered an espresso since we were starting to feel a little tired.
For dessert, yes dessert with breakfast đ , we got the vegan tiramisu and vegan Bailey's chocolate mousse cake. Both were excellent though if I had to choose, Iâd go with the vegan tiramisu because the waitress went through a multi step process to create the final dish. First, she added scalding hot whisky to it to coat the bottom, then topped it with cocoa powder, cookie crumbles, and a decadent piece of chocolate, then once more went over all of the added ingredients with the smoking hot whisky. Though I do not typically drink whisky, I thought it was a nice touch, and didnât overpower the dessert but only added to the uniqueness of the taste!
When we went back another day for the lunch/dinner menu, we got the serverâs recommended dish, the Charred Sweet Potato and Vegan Stroganof. We also got the Grilled Acevichado Sushi Roll as the previous day we were there we were intrigued by how it came out on a wire grate above a black, round, wood-powered grill. The sushi came with soy sauce and a really tasty, spicy white herb sauce. Both of these also were excellent for an upset stomach!
We got the cardamom latte, mint lemonade, and shared the lime cider from the brewery the floor below. The lime cider was actually light green which was fun!
For dessert we got the dulce de leche crĂȘpe which had a fantastic presentation. The waiter took out a large blow torch and caramelized the sugar on top of the crepe as well as crisped up the sides of the crĂȘpe.
Green Point Vegan - Vegan Dulce De Leche CrĂȘpe
Piano Piano Osteria
Location: Near Mirador de SĂĄn Cristobal, Pre-Columbian Art Museum, Inka Museum
Good for: Classic Neapolitan pizzas, settling an upset stomach from altitude, cozy calm vibes, quicker service than most restaurants in Peru
Though we only tried one pizza during our Peru trip, Iâd definitely return to this place for a classic vegan Neapolitan pizza. Dark, cozy, and candlelit everywhere, Beatles and Pink Floyd humming in the background. The vegan pizza there was genuinely some of the best weâve had anywhere, not just "good for vegan pizza," but actually excellent Neapolitan-style pizza. The crust was crunchy on the outside, and soft and pillowy on the inside.
We also shared the bruschetta appetizer, which was composed of thick, melt-in-your-mouth bread, and this fizzy rosemary and hibiscus drink with lime that I'm still thinking about and want to replicate later!
One caveat: The only vegan pizza option is more sweet (from figs) than a savory option. However, we spoke to the pizza guy there and he was pretty friendly, so I am sure you could potentially âmake your ownâ if you ask during a less-busy time!
Parada Vegana Restaurant
Location: Near Qosqo Center of Native Art, Qorikancha Museum, San Pedro Market
Good for: Generous portions, variety of vegan dishes, passionate owners who care about animals and the environment
Bonus: Free recipes on their blog!
An excellent choice for generous portions of a variety of vegan dishes where the owners are passionate about animal welfare and the environment (read more here).
I tried their copoazĂș (cacao blanco) drink here and it was excellent! CopoazĂș is a rainforest fruit, native to northern jungles in Brazil, and is related to the cacao plant. If you've never tried copoazĂș before, it tastes like a combination of pineapple, melon, and pear. The juice I had at Parada Vegana was smooth, slightly acidic, and sweet. I'd totally order it again as it's unlike anything I really have tasted before in a juice! If you aren't looking for a thicker and silky juice, I wouldn't recommend this as it is a bit more filling!
I also highly recommend their vegan pad thai. It was smoky and had a nice heat that I liked (you could opt out of spice if you'd like it to be mild). It was topped with ground peanuts and juicy, delicate oyster mushrooms. Small cubes of cooked-to-perfection tofu and greens interlaced within thicker rice noodles. The flavor there was top tier, not bland at all, and even better than pad thais I have had at many Thai restaurants!
In addition to the pad thai, if you are extra hungry and are sharing with another person, I recommend their vegan grill dish. The portions were so generous, we were able to take some home and have it for breakfast the next morning!
Pro tip: They close earlier than most vegan places. Don't get there later than 8pm as they close at 9pm. Even 8pm is a little late, but doable, though they weren't as happy when we arrived then after visiting Cusco's cultural dance performance at the Qosqo Center of Native Art.
Vida Vegan Bistro
Location: Near Plaza de Armas, Pre-Columbian Art Museum, 12 Angled Stone
Good for: Slow, relaxing dinners after hiking, excellent vegan pisco sours, beautiful food presentation, variety of vegan options
A bright, light-toned, and nature-filled space with games in the back to play while you wait for food. We came here after hiking around Cusco, and found it perfect for a slower dinner to relax and be present!
When we arrived, we were greeted by the owner (also chef, waiter, everything!) who was very polite and showed great care with food presentation and variety of vegan options to choose from. The presentation of each item we got was beautiful. Abundant leafy greens, small flowers, hearty portions of plant based meats, etc!
If you are looking for an excellent vegan pisco sour in Cusco, Peru, this is your place!
I'd recommend also trying one of his soups! We had tried the vegan vegetable soup and vegan pumpkin soup which both came with small focaccia cubed bread on the side.
Following that, we had shared two dishes, HuancaĂna Sauce with SautĂ©ed Meat dish (in the pastas section) and Seitan Antichucho. Both were excellent, with generous portions. I had never tried huancaĂna sauce before. It was creamy, savory, and had some garlicky notes which made for a tasty pasta topping! I also had never heard of antichucho before! Anticucho is a popular Peruvian street food skewer, traditionally made from marinated, grilled beef, but in our case, a plant based spiced meat!
If you feel a bit altitude sick and want a less heavy dish, the Veggie Pizza was what I was going to try next as I found pizzas in Peru a little easier on my stomach!
Pro tip: It does take a bit of time to get your food since there's just one chef there, so if you are short on time needing to make it to a tour, I'd suggest either going somewhere else, or perhaps asking the owner what might be quick and easy for him to make if he's open to it! Albeit slower than some places, the wait though is totally worth it!!
Chia Vegan Restaurant
Location: Near Plaza San Blas, 12 Angled Stone
Good for: Late night dinner when you arrive later by train from Aguas Calientes in San Pedro Station
We went to this restaurant right after our ~5.5 hour train ride from Aguas Calientes. It was one of the few vegan restaurants open so late! We arrived in Cusco around 9pm, checked in, and then got here around 9:30pm.
They brought us up 2 flights of stairs to a top floor bar area. The dining area had large windows on all sides so you could look out at the skyline. They initially handed us what we thought was the wrong menu, a Thai menu, but we learned that the restaurant supported two kitchens (Chia Vegan and a Thai Restaurant). We asked for the Chia Vegan one, and they told us that we could order from either menu.
We ended up getting the Chia Tapas appetizer that I really enjoyed, the Andean Tacu Tacu which is sort of like a quinoa âmeatloafâ and the Saltado de Seitan. They didnât have a vegan pisco sour using aquafaba for the fake âeggwhiteâ part, but they did replicate it rather well by adding some pineapple juice to the pisco sour.
FAQs: Eating Vegan in Cusco
Q: Do restaurants always have all ingredients available?
A: No, restaurants sometimes run out of ingredients, so itâs smart to have a backup dish in mind.
Q: Would you suggest drinking alcohol in Cusco the first few nights?
A: No, though Cusco is Peruâs beer capital, itâs best to skip alcohol your first day due to a high chance of you getting bad side effects from altitude (nausea, dizziness, or even blue lips from low oxygen).
Q: What are typical restaurant hours in Cusco?
A: Most restaurants close around 9âŻpm, which is earlier than you might expect!
Q: How fast is restaurant service in Cusco?
A: Service is generally slower than in the US or Europe, so plan your meals with extra time.
Coming soon: My complete Cusco travel guide with altitude tips, packing advice, and things to do beyond eating.