Huancayo Restaurants

Restaurant Overview

Cheap, good and basic Peruvian food is available on every street in Huancayo. The most inexpensive set-lunch menus can be found lining Avenida Giraldez. Almost all lunches are served with the local Papas Huancayo, a delicious plate of boiled potato topped with a creamy white cheese and hot pepper sauce. On Avenida Puno, next to the Plaza de Consitución, there are also good local places, but the further away from the plaza, the cheaper the food seems to be. On Calle Real and Avenida Puno, there are a few Chinese restaurants. Paseo la Brena and Arequipa are filled with tiny restaurants selling ceviche, hamburgers, sandwiches and set-price lunches. More upscale cafés and restaurants can be found near the Hostal de Márquez and Hotel los Bolcones on Avenida Puno.

Nightlife Overview

The nightlife in Huancayo leaves a bit to be desired. The bars lining Avenida Puno are the typical Reggaeton-playing bars and discotecas that can be found in larger Peruvian cities. Due to the lack of gringos in the area, the bars are usually filled with local Huancayo men, so ladies: be careful when entering these establishments and please do not go alone. Pisco sours, Pisco cokes and Cuba libres abound, and nights begin very late on the weekends and go until the early morning.

Besides clubs, Huancayo has a few bars that offer folklore music shows or live music at night. The most popular Folklore show is at La Cabaña on Avenida Giraldez, beginning every night at 9 p.m. And just down the street, the restaurant Antojitos turns into a bar at night and offers live music beginning at 7 p.m. every evening. Some of the more reputable bars and discos in town are Taj Mahal (Huancavelica 1052) and El Galileo (Paseo la Brena and Junin). La Noche Discoteck (San Antonio 241) is an upscale club (think bartenders in tuxedos), with two floors open for dancing and DJs on Friday and Saturday nights.