Around Plaza de Armas you will find a lot of people approaching you with menu cards and offer you a free drink, etc. Local authority has prohibited this practice, to enforce authority avoid places using this practice. Check prices and haggle a bit for an extra free drink. Food in Plaza de Armas in general is good but not outstanding.
Arequipa keeps one of the most varied and flavored cuisine cultures in the country. Robust, with long term cooking products and with soups as their main dish. Local food is usually served at lunch time but you can also find it in locals for tourists during dinner time.
Hot food is very popular. Locals use rocoto (Capsicum pubescens) to provide the hot taste to their foods. This flavour is different than the hot flavour you find in Indian or Mexican food.
Try Rocoto relleno con pastel de papa, a stuffed, quite large pepper with potato pie. Ask beforehand if it has been made for "tourists" or if it is the original, quite hot, style; if the last one, be careful, it can be extremely hot!
Try Alpaca steaks. This meat very low in fat is juicy and very soft. Presented in all the variations that beef is presented regularly.
This city is the best place in Peru to eat river shrimps. They are presented in several ways, being the most popular Chupe de Camarones, a thick soup very flavored and presented with many shrimps in it. Beware, plates here are big.
Arequipa is only three hours away from the sea, so many fish restaurants are available. If you have not tried Ceviche in Peru yet, this is a great opportunity. There are also many other sea delicacies.
Local restaurants are called Picanterias. They are still very popular among locals. Some are within the urban area and some others on the outside of the city. There is a neighborhood called Arancota, where you can find many of this restaurants. Some of them are huge (600 tables or more) and they are usually full of locals. The main food attraction in this area is chicharron (fried pork with corn). Menu's are usually set, consisting of a hearty soup followed by a main dish. Drinks are often included. Prices are generally very cheap, varying from 5 S/ to 10 S/.
As with all Peruvian food: local delicacies are heavy and sometimes very hot. Try them with care, especially since the height of the city (around 2,300 meters) makes digestion slow. Take a mate de coca, coca-leaf tea, after meals: it helps indigestion and makes the altitude more bearable.
Maya, Calle Jerusalén (Almost on the corner of Ugarte). Breakfast, piglets, burgers and more. Their set lunch is somewhat expensive, but they do it better!Set lunch 5,50 S/.. �
Picanteria La Capitana Old and the truly old cooking in Arequipa, is behind Saga Falabella, this picanteria keep the old traditions. Be aware , to go early or you wont find the menu which is around 7 soles, other plates are also always available.
Picanteria La Lucila Sachaca, still run by Sra Lucila Salas de Ballon, it's a short taxi ride out of town. Old style kitchen with Cuy (Guinea Pigs) eating scraps in the corner, and Lucila still makes her sauces the old way as she keeps an eye on everything and everyone.
For dinner, you can find the best restaurants from the city around Calle San Fransisco:
Ary Quepay, Calle Jerusalén 502. Nice restaurant that serves local food. �
Tacos y Tequilas, Calle Ugarte 112, ☎ +51 54 628653. A nice atmospheric Mexican restaurant. The Mexican menu's are delicious, with an excellent guacemole.Mexican Menu 10 S/. �
Zingaro, Calle San Fransisco 309, . Typical food like "cuy" or "rocoto relleno". �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Arequipa
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Arequipa - updated Apr 2024
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