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Over-the-top decorations and labyrinthine rooms give this restaurant charm, but the food has made it a favorite. Wash down wood-fired pizzas and grilled meats with a pitcher of calientitos (hot spiced rum punch). The service can be slow, but sitting in the garden on balmy days or by the fire on cooler ones makes it worth it.
The owner can arrange cooking classes, Spanish lessons, music instruction, and long-term local homestays.
Grilled meats, wood-smoked pizzas, and hearty sandwiches draw a diverse crowd of travelers and locals alike to this dimly lit, wood-paneled restaurant. The daily lunch special is filling and varied, and the locale is an excellent venue for lazy midday people-watching. At night, try the anticuchos (charcoal-grilled skewers of beef heart) and a glass of Peruvian wine while enjoying the live band, and stay for the nightclub atmosphere that prevails after midnight.
Rustic wood tables and soft candlelight set the mood for a meal of roasted lamb, grilled trout, pasta, and other platos típicos in this cozy restaurant, just steps from the cathedral. Service can be slow, so be prepared to linger or take advantage of the free Wi-Fi.
Dining in this Spanish-style home is like attending an intimate party in a fine hacienda. The sun bathes the leafy courtyard during lunch, while the clientele tucks into the best of ayacuchano cooking, including heaping plates of puca picante and fried trout.
The daily lunch special is a bargain and includes an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and drink.
Perched on the banks of the Huallaga River, this family-style restaurant offers the best of Huánuco cooking, including specialties like gallina con locro (chicken soup), pachamanca, and fresh river trout. Come at lunch, and lounge on the open-air terrace while you enjoy the view and live music. Make sure you check out their batánes, stone mortars used to grind herbs and peppers.
Dishes are huge, so be prepared to share.
This popular, country-style restaurant has simple local décor and lively lunchtime crowds. It serves tamales and sweet coffee for breakfast and comida típica, including hearty stews, rice dishes, grilled meat, and fish for lunch and dinner.
This throwback restaurant, open for more than 60 years, still serves cheap, hearty Andean specials to a downtown crowd. It's the kind of place you come to with your grandparents for a leisurely Sunday lunch; tables are consistently packed, but the food is worth the wait. Try the lomo saltado (stir-fried beef) or papa a la huancaína for a taste of the Andes.
Perched above the Plaza de Armas, this wood-paneled restaurant offers an ample menu that includes both highlands specialties and backpacker favorites. Enjoy a relaxed breakfast in the morning or an artisanal ice cream in the afternoon while taking in the view of the cathedral from the expansive terrace. At night, the bar serves up classic cocktails as well as pricier Belgian trappist brews.
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