Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [250]
La Leña (20-2096, 22-7813; Breña 146; mains S15-30) This is the most lavish place around (check the waterfall at the entrance) to sample parrilladas (grills), as well as the usual chicken dishes in the company of well-heeled, carnivorous locals. Several branches are found city-wide and it does delivery.
La Cabaña (22-3303; Giráldez 652; mains around S15; 5-11pm) This haunt is popular with locals and travelers alike for its relaxed ambience, hearty food and tasty pisco sours. When you’re suitably mellow order a scrumptious pizza or graze on trout, juicy grills, al dente pastas, among other less-filling appetizers. Live folklórica bands play Thursday to Saturday. Next door and part of the same establishment, El Otro Lado is open for lunch from April to October.
Detrás de la Catedral (21-2969; Ancash 335; mains S12-20; 11am-11pm) This well-run, attractively presented place exudes a woody, warm feeling and has garnered plenty of regular patrons with its broad menu selection – helped by a user-friendly picture menu decoder. Enjoy filling burgers (veggie or carnie), specials like asado catedral (barbecued meats done in house style) and tasty desserts like chocolate-drenched pionono helado (pastry with caramel filling). Surrealist paintings grace the walls.
Huancahuasi (24-4826; Mariscal Castilla 222; mains S12-20; 8am-7pm Sun-Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat) Northwest of town, Real becomes Mariscal Castilla in El Tambo district. The local eatery of choice for breakfast through to early evening is this classy establishment. A flower-filled courtyard and walls decorated with San Pedro de Cajas tapestries and local poems set the ambience for tucking into regional goodies like pachamanca, papas a la huancaína and ceviche de trucha (river-trout ceviche). It’s all well presented and the service comes with a smile. A taxi ride from the center is S3.
Try Supermercado Dia (Giráldez) or Supermercado Laive (Real at Lima) for self-catering options.
Drinking & Entertainment
There are no stand-out nightclubs: at the time of writing the best were Galileo Disco-Pub (Breña 378) and flashier Discoteca Taj Mahal (Huancavelica 1052). Take a taxi back late at night.
Antojitos (23-7950; Puno 599; 5pm-late Mon-Sat) Local bands perform at this bar-restaurant most nights from 9pm.
La Cabaña (22-3303; Giráldez 652; 5-11pm) This popular eatery has live folklórica music and dancing on weekends.
Chucclla (Ayacucho at Ancash; to late Thu-Sat) The favored spot in town for folklórica. A couple of similar places are on the same block.
Shopping
Huancayo has two main markets.
The colorful daily produce market spills out from Mercado Mayorista (which is covered) east along the railway tracks. In the meat section you can buy Andean delicacies such as fresh and dried frogs, guinea pigs and chickens. The most important day is Sunday, coinciding with Huancayo’s weekly craft market.
Feria Dominical (Huancavelica), the Sunday craft market, occupies numerous blocks along Huancavelica to the northwest of Piura. There are numerous noncraft items as well as weavings, textiles, embroidered items, ceramics and wood carvings. Mates burilados (carved gourds) and many other items from various villages in the Río Mantaro valley (opposite) are also sold here – handy if you don’t have time to make the trek out to the villages yourself. Keep an eye on your valuables though.
More handy, Casa del Artesano (Plaza de la Constitución), on the south corner of the plaza, has a wide range of art souvenirs for sale in a somewhat more secure environment.
Getting There & Away
BUS
Terminals are in diverse locations, but most are quite central. Bus services change depending on season and demand, as do the location of their offices – particularly for the smaller companies. In this section, we do not list all companies; those listed here are either the better options or the only options.
For Lima, one-way ticket prices range from S30 to S60. For S45 to S60 you get a bed seat on a bus-cama; for S30 you get an ordinary seat. Travel time is