Affordable Arequipa Food Guide (2024 Price Update)

Not only is Arequipa an incredibly beautiful city with its stunning architecture and the views of volcanoes on almost all sides, but Peru’s second biggest city doesn’t have to hide when it comes to delicious food either. You can find really good traditional dishes like lomo saltado or rocoto relleno as well as Asian Peruvian crossover cuisine or one of the best pizzas we had in Peru.

Wandering around the so called-white city and taking in the panoramic views will definitely make you hungry. If you can, make sure to spend more than only one night in Arequipa to discover not only the beautiful Santa Catalina monastery but also the city’s gastronomic scene. 

Centre

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13 Monjas

££

A couple of minutes from Plaza de Armas lies this Italian inspired restaurant. The ambience is warm, cozy and welcoming. And because of the high quality of the dishes, the restaurant is often even packed during the week. So, make sure to stop by a bit earlier and make a reservation for the evening. 

We can highly recommend the pizzas, some of the best we had in Peru so far. And maybe it seems a bit random, the Chicken Tikka Masala. It’s probably our favourite dish at 13 Monjas!

The pastas are also good, but the portion is not the biggest, just in case you are really hungry. The Tiramisu is also extremely delicious and we had to try the sangria of course, which is quite good value for money. 

Pizzas range from 37 to 59 PEN (~£7.50 to £12), the Chicken Tikka Masala is 42 PEN (~£8.50), the pastas are between 37 and 42 PEN (~£7.50 to £8.50) and a litre of sangria is 50 PEN (~£10).

Calle Santa Catalina 300b1, Arequipa 04001, Peru

Zig Zag

£££

If you want some higher end Peruvian food, Zig Zag is great for that. It is a bit more expensive but was recommended to us by a Peruvian friend, who is also a chef. So we trusted him and weren’t disappointed. If you are vegan you might find it harder to eat your way through the menu, as it is very much meat-based. The main reason people come here is because of the different kinds of meats they offer, served sizzling on a hot stone. So you can in the end determine how much your meat is cooked through. 

Next to single meats, they offer a platter with four small portions of different meats. If you can’t make up your mind, this is the perfect option. Each platter also comes with two sides, like potatoes, chips, ratatouille or salad. 

The meats including sides average from 54 to 84 PEN (~£11 - £17).

C. Zela 210, Cercado De Arequipa 04001, Peru

Pasta Canteen

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Pasta Canteen is located one street up from the Santa Catalina monastery. The place is tiny, but has some really good and not too expensive pasta dishes. The concept is based on putting together your own pasta. You can choose the type of pasta, the type of sauce and two toppings and on top you get a side salad. For additional toppings or a bigger portion, you will need to pay extra. We found the normal portion to be enough, but if you are extremely hungry the big portion will definitely fill you up. 

The pasta of the day usually costs 30 PEN (~£6) and a standard pasta starts from 25 PEN (~£5) . 

C. Puente Grau 300, Arequipa 04001, Peru

Kao Thai and Peruvian Cuisine

££

From Nikkei cuisine, we know that Asian and Peruvian flavours mix very well together. So it’s no surprise that the mix of Thai and Peruvian food at Kao Thai is just delicious. 

We can highly recommend the warm ceviche and the crispy chicken. The portion sizes vary depending on the dish. The ceviche is more thought of as a starter for example, but the chicken was definitely enough as a main.

Mains range between 40 and 60 PEN (~£8 - £12).

C. Bolivar 415, Arequipa 04001, Peru

Kaffeehaus

£

You are looking for some good coffee in a pretty location? Kaffeehaus is your spot. We just had coffee there, but the food also looked inviting, so we would definitely encourage you to try it. They have a cute little outside area in the back, perfect for a coffee and a snack before exploring Arequipa.

On top of that, the staff is incredibly friendly. “Kaffeehaus” is German and literally translates to coffee house. We actually met the owner, who is originally from Arequipa, lived in Germany for quite a while, where he learned how to roast coffee in a coffee house and thus gave his cafe a German name. Also, some of the dishes are inspired by classic German food and sound super good. In case you can’t get enough of the coffee, they also roast their own and sell it to take home.

A cappuccino is 8 PEN (~£1.70) and a breakfast or snack dish around 16 PEN (~£3.30).

Melgar 117, Arequipa 04001, Peru

Prana Vegan Club

£

Finding vegan food in Peru can be a bit of a challenge. So Prana Vegan Club is a great place if you don’t want to question the waiters about all the ingredients in a dish. Everything on the menu, as the name suggests, is vegan. We can definitely recommend the burgers, but they also offer all the Peruvian classics in a veganised form. So if you want to try Peruvian food, you should give those a try. 

Mains are between 15 and 20 PEN (~£3.30 - £4.40) and they have a lunch menu starting from 10 PEN (~£2.20). 

C. Ugarte 109, Cercado de Arequipa 04001, Peru

Yanahuara 

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El Tio Dario

£££

Leaving the centre to the west, crossing a bridge with scenic landscapes and a little steep incline up, you will encounter Plaza Yanahuara. The square, accurately framed with palm trees, offers the most incredible view over Arequipa and the surrounding volcanoes.

When you have taken in the views, filled your camera with many many pictures and are getting hungry, you just have to follow a side street and you will end up at El Tío Darío. The restaurant offers traditional Peruvian dishes. We loved the rocoto relleno and the lomo saltado. You can also choose from the lunch menu, which includes a starter, main, dessert and a drink.

Prices are a bit on the higher end with mains averaging around 50 to 60 PEN (~£10 to ~£12). If you want to save some money, go during lunchtime. The lunch menu is about 45 PEN as well. 

Cjón. del Cabildo 100, Yanahuara 04017, Peru