Restaurants

Something Special Cusco

4.9 334 reviews 12:00 AM - 9:30 PM waynapata 234, Cusco 08002, Peru

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At Something Special Cusco, culinary passion meets Peruvian tradition. Nestled in the vibrant heart of Cusco, this restaurant, helmed by a New York-born chef, specializes in fresh, organic dishes prepared with utmost care—perfect for sensitive stomachs. Signature offerings like the Aji De Gallina and Alpaca Tacos showcase local ingredients, while the Ceviche delights with its refreshing lime marinade. The cozy atmosphere, enriched by live music and a welcoming environment for everyone—families, solo diners, and even dogs—creates an inviting space for diners. Whether you’re enjoying a cocktail during happy hour or savoring a late-night bite, Something Special Cusco truly embodies the essence of exceptional dining in Peru.

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Amenities & More

Service options

Takeout
Dine-in
Delivery

Highlights

Great cocktails
Great dessert
Live music
Sports

Popular for

Lunch
Dinner
Solo dining

Dining options

Breakfast
Brunch
Lunch
Dinner
Catering
Counter service
Dessert
Seating
Table service

Amenities

Bar onsite
Gender-neutral restroom
Restroom
Wi-Fi

Atmosphere

Cozy
Quiet
Trendy

Crowd

Family-friendly
Groups
LGBTQ+ friendly
Tourists
Transgender safespace

Note: Amenity details are aggregated from verified visits, the venue's website and Google. They may change without notice. We recommend confirming key details (pet policy, accessibility, reservations) directly with Something Special Cusco before visiting.

Reviews for Something Special Cusco

4.9

334 reviews

100%

Review highlights

Based on 334 reviews

Something Special Cusco is widely praised for its authentic Peruvian fusion menu, featuring standout dishes like grilled trout, chicken tacos, and traditional cuy prepared with care. Customers appreciate the fresh ingredients, including filtered water used in food preparation, catering well to sensitive stomachs. The restaurant’s cozy, family-owned atmosphere, complemented by charming decor and scenic views of Plaza de Armas, creates a welcoming dining experience. Patrons also highlight the excellent variety of vegetarian and alpaca options, alongside well-crafted beverages such as pisco sours and fresh juices. Friendly, attentive service and reasonable pricing further enhance its appeal, making it a popular and highly recommended spot for both locals and tourists in Cusco.

Hayley Devlin

Apr 09, 2025

The grilled trout, ceviche, passionfruit juice and pisco sours are fantastic. The decorations are pretty too. I really liked this spot. They have wifi.

James Fox

Apr 03, 2025

Such a cute little place and the food is delicious. A really 'mom and pop' place. Everyone loved their food and the alpaca, and veggie options were amazing. Great drinks too. Please do visit this place if you're in cusco. Very well priced too

Margaret DiRuggiero

Apr 01, 2025

The best chicken tacos I have ever eaten. Also great pisco sour. Service was fast and friendly. Inside is clean with great decor and has a great view of Plaza de Armas from the upstairs

Xuan Lam

Mar 30, 2025

The chef/owner is from NY and all their fresh foods are washed with filtered water. Great place if you have a sensitive stomach. If you want to try cuy, this place does it well. It doesn’t actually look like a guinea pig and it tastes pretty good compared to the other cuy I’ve had.

John Fricker

Mar 10, 2025

Loved this family-owned restaurant specializing in local Peruvian fusion. Really enjoyed the view and talking with the owners about Peruvian cuisine. I came back to try more of the menu while in Cusco. Really loved the chicken tacos, the quinoa dishes, cuy and the fresh juices.

Tracey Polglaze

Feb 10, 2025

Absolutely delicious! We ordered 3 of the traditional Peruvian dishes on the menu and loved all of them. Also beautiful craft beer brewed locally in the Sacred Valley. The atmosphere in the restaurant is gorgeous, with colourful local arts and crafts, even down to hand-woven chair back covers Highly recommended. Thank you! We'll be back

Deric Lima (Zuka)

Dec 31, 2024

This place has great options for dinner. I ordered an alpaca burger with french fries and it was very good. It's a nice place to have dinner due to the views of the main plaza in Cusco. Staff was very kind and the service was fast. My only suggestion for improvement is to increase the size of the burger patty. I found it too small.

Rafal Wodzynski

Dec 29, 2024

Restaurant delivers great quality of food and matches that with attentative service. We dined there twice and experienced consistency on each visit. This is truly "something special" amongst many commercialized and volume focused restaurants in Cuzco. Very strongly recommended.