Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [203]
Ukuku’s (24-2951; Plateros 316; 8pm-late) The most consistently popular nightspot in town, Ukuku’s plays a winning combination of crowd pleasers – Latin and Western rock, reggae and reggaetón (a blend of Puerto Rican bomba, dancehall and hip-hop), salsa, hip-hop et al – and often hosts live bands. Usually full to bursting after midnight with as many Peruvians as foreign tourists, it’s good, sweaty, dance-a-thon fun. Happy hour is 8pm to 10:30pm.
Inka Team (Portal de Carnes 298; 8pm-late) Though it may change names, this place usually has the most up-to-the-minute electronic music collection, with trance, house and hip-hop mixed in with mainstream. There are chill-out sofas upstairs but this isn’t the place for chat. A good mix of locals and tourists hang out here. Happy hour is 9pm to midnight.
Roots (Tecsecocha s/n; 8pm-late) This organic-feel club with an underground dance floor is ever-popular with locals and laid-back travelers alike.
Mama Africa (Portal Harinas 191, 2nd fl; 7pm-late) A favorite with Israelis, Mama Africa is the classic backpackers’ hangout, usually packed with people sprawled across cushions or swaying to rock and reggae rhythms. Happy hour is 8:30pm to 11pm.
Kamikase (23-3865; Plaza Regocijo 274; 8pm-late) Kamikase is an older, more intimate bar that doesn’t offer free drinks, but does have a disarmingly large variety of music that can switch from seductive salsa to live música folklórica (folkloric music) in an instant. Happy hour runs from 8pm to 10pm, and there’s often a live show beginning at 10:45pm.
Caos (Pasaje Grace s/n; 8pm-late) At last – a nightclub just as Miami Vice tells us a nightclub should be. Make your entrance by sashaying down a neon-illuminated transparent Perspex stairway whose innards are home to some unfortunate, sensorily overstimulated carp. Order a drink at the massive, garish bar while admiring the Inca-styled water feature before hitting the shiny dance floor. The crowd here tends to very young locals, and music is a mixed bag.
San Blas
Many of the barrio’s eclectic restaurants double as cafes and bars, too.
Km 0 (23-6009; Tandapata 100; 11am-late Tue-Sat, 5pm-late Sun & Mon) This convivial bar just off Plaza San Blas has a bit of everything. It serves good Thai food in the evening, and there’s live music late every night – local musicians come here to jam after their regular gigs. Happy hour is 9pm to midnight.
7 Angelitos (Siete Angelitos 638; 6pm-late Mon-Sat) This tiny hillside haunt is the city’s unofficial hipster lounge and late-night backup: when everything else has closed and the sun has come up, knock on the door. Happy hours are 7:30pm to 9:30pm and 11pm to 11:30pm.
Fallen Angel (25-8184; Plazoleta Nazarenas 221; 6pm-late) This ultrafunky restaurant and lounge is falling all over itself in the rush to cram in as much kitsch as possible, with glitter balls, fake fur and even bathtub-cum-aquarium tables complete with live goldfish. Deservedly popular for many years, Fallen Angel has now become expensive beyond the means of many travelers, but the decor really is worth seeing and the occasional theme parties held here are legendary. The same folks also own jungle-themed restaurant Macondo (22-9415), at Cuesta San Blas 571.
Other Entertainment
There’s no cinema in Cuzco, but there are a few DVD lounges on Procuradores. Cinema San Blas (Carmen Alto 111) sometimes shows free art-house movies.
Teatro Kusikay (25-5414; www.kusikay.com; Unión 117; admission S110) Modern dance, wild costumes and ancient culture collide in Cuzco’s own Broadway-style spectacular, which is highly recommended by all who see it.
The Centro