Restaurants

Good Coffee, Elegance, and Peace on the Plaza de Armas

Want some coffee and a place to sit in comfort? OK. There is a Starbucks in Cuzco. But it is noisy and anyway its coffee is bitter. If you like that, fine. Otherwise, where can you go while in Cuzco for some good, rich coffee, calm, and an ambiance that is well designed and soothing in the midst of a bustling, tourist city?

Fortunately, an answer has appeared. Many of the older options have either closed or been forced off the Plaza, the center of the city’s life. Nevertheless, in the old hotel on the corner where the Avenida Sol ends and the Plaza de Armas begins, a new cafe, the Plaza Cafe, has opened.

It is well designed, peaceful, and offers coffees, juices, teas, salads, sandwiches, desserts, wine and mixed drinks as well as a few dishes that are well prepared and satisfying. At the same time you can look out over the Plaza de Armas with its constant activity while ensconced in a cocoon of silky calm.

Plaza Cafe's Balcony
Plaza Cafe’s Balcony

When the hotel was purchased and then completely renovated recently, they took the second floor breakfast nook and made it a beautiful cafe. Now as part of the Hotel Plaza de Armas, the Cafe Plaza is open to guests at the hotel for breakfast. At the same time, anyone who wishes, throughout the day, can climb up the flight of stairs from the lobby to the light wood and metal space that is beautifully illuminated and ask for a well brewed cup of coffee whose rich overtones are not overwhelmed with an overly aggressive roast.

Bar
Bar

If you do not want coffee, ask for a juice. They are freshly made, come in a very big glass, and delight you with the burst of fruit flavor.  Or, if you wish, you can have a glass of wine or a mixed drink.

Coffee houses and cafes draw different kinds of people. That is why it is good to have a variety of places where people can go, relax, and sip a cup of Joe. There needs to be something for different tastes. As Cuzco’s market develops more different kinds of cafés are opening.

Frozen Lemonade
Frozen Lemonade

Into this mix, the Plaza Cafe will find a place. Many people will be intimidated by the fact that it is inside a hotel, but believe me, it is just as easy to go in it and climb its stairs as to get to any of the other second floor cafe’s on the Plaza.

Once inside you will be impressed. None of the others, including Starbucks, have the professional level of design and attention to detail as does the Plaza Cafe.

Given their free WIFI and relatively  abundant plugs, this is also a place to go and sit for a while, connect with your world, and look out on Cuzco while in comfort.

View of the Catedral From the Plaza Cafe's Balcony
View of the Catedral From the Plaza Cafe’s Balcony
Fruit on the Breakfast Bar
Fruit on the Breakfast Bar

 

Inside Plaza Cafe
Inside Plaza Cafe

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