Nightlife of Central Cusco

Nightlife of Central Cusco, Cusco, Peru (A)

Cusco is truly an international city - and you'll find the bars full of travelers from all over the globe, as well as colorful locals. A number of happy hours and free drink coupons are available throughout the city, and man of the bars stay open until quite late at night.
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Sights Featured in This Article

Guide Name: Nightlife of Central Cusco
Guide Location: Peru » Cusco
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (A))
# of Attractions: 9
Tour Duration: 3.0 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
Author: Jim Reynoldson
Author Bio: Jim Reynoldson is an avid traveler and writer who grew up in Oregon. He enjoys hiking, camping, and sight-seeing throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
  • Paddy's Pub
  • Norton Rat's
  • Rosie O'Grady's
  • Le Nomade
  • Macondo
  • 7 Angelitos
  • Fallen Angel
  • Mama Killa Bistro
  • Kamikase
1
Paddy's Pub

1) Paddy's Pub

Established in 1996, this small, Irish-themed bar sits in a prime spot right across from the corner of the Plaza de Armas in central Cusco. Representing a bit of familiarity to travelers from abroad, Paddy’s calls itself “the highest Irish-owned pub in the world”. This is a great place for traditional Irish foods and drinks – including Guinness, Jameson Irish Whiskey, and shepherd’s pies. This is also a great place for sports fans – from the U.S. or elsewhere – to catch soccer, American football, basketball, and other games. Paddy’s even offers to record and replay games upon request while the guest is visiting sites during daylight hours.
2
Norton Rat's

2) Norton Rat's

With one of the best views overlooking the Plaza de Armas, Norton Rat’s sits atop the ancient Inca “House of Chosen Women” site, where concubines of the emperor were trained. This bar has a lot to offer - from long hours (7 am till 2 am daily) to good food to a number of televisions and games (including dart boards and pool tables). A good sound system plays a multitude of familiar American rock songs, and the kitschy décor has a number of themes – including motorcycle paraphernalia, flags of nations on the ceilings, and some comical mounted heads of American presidents.
3
Rosie O'Grady's

3) Rosie O'Grady's

A bit larger than the other Irish-themed pub in town (Paddy Flaherty’s), Rosie O’Grady’s is set just a block off of the Plaza de Armas – which typically makes it less crowded. Also catering to American and European tourists, this bar has a number of televisions with satellite feeds to show popular sporting events from around the globe. A good menu of food options are available as well as drinks – and a set of three happy hours are also an attraction: 1pm to 2pm, 6pm to 7pm, and 11pm to 11:30 pm. Live music and dancing are also offered several nights per week.
4
Le Nomade

4) Le Nomade

This French-themed club offers live music on some nights as well hookah pipe smoking. Le Nomade is open long hours – 8am to 2am – and has a happy hour from 3:30 pm till 7pm. The food offerings are decidedly different – with an emphasis on French cuisine and exotic liquors, like rum-soaked fruits. One of the signature drinks is the “meter” – which includes twelve shots of rum served on a 100cm tray shaped like a ruler. A buffet style breakfast is served most mornings. The musical offerings at this bar – which is located on the historic Inka alleyway on Hatunrumiyoc – include French, Latin, jazz, and rock.
5
Macondo

5) Macondo

This ultra chic restaurant and bar sits just up the hill from the Inka alleyway on Hatunrumiyoc in the San Blas district. Macondo is also a also an art gallery with a new age feel, selling paintings and woven goods. A soundtrack of tropical rhythms or trance-like electronica is normally playing on the sound system. This is a good place to try Peruvian cuisine - including alpaca steaks. Macondo is named after a bar in the Latin American novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, and the owners also own Fallen Angel, a bar located on the Plazoleta de las Nazarenas.
6
7 Angelitos

6) 7 Angelitos

Claiming to be “the center of Cusquenan night life”, 7 Angelitos sits just down the street from the Plaza San Blas. Specializing in live music or live DJs many nights, this hipster bar is a good place to dance to anything from rock to reggae to funk or have a couple of drinks before heading back down the hill to central Cusco. A later-evening happy hour advertising free jello shots for ladies boasts pretty good prices on pairs of drinks – including Pisco Sours, Mojitos, Cuba Libres, Vodka Sprites, and the dangerous-sounding Vodka Red Bulls. To finish the tour, simply walk down the hill to the southwest to the Plaza de Armas.
7
Fallen Angel

7) Fallen Angel

This club is owned by the same people who own Macondo – a bar located in the San Blas district of Cusco – and has recently added guestrooms. Fallen Angel is ultra-kitschy - with bathtubs made into tables (and full of live fish beneath a glass top), balls of glitter, fake fur, flying pigs, and other works of art (or whatever you want to call it) displayed throughout the club. Occupying a nice location a few blocks up from the Plaza de Armas and next to the Museo de Arte Precolumbino, Fallen Angel offers up a nice menu – with the steaks being the star attraction.
8
Mama Killa Bistro

8) Mama Killa Bistro

Excellent food and a world-class view overlooking the Plaza de Armas in central Cusco make this restaurant and bar worth a visit. Delicious Peruvian fare is the focus – with a recommended ceviche, trout, steak, quinoa soup, and cuy (roasted guinea pig) are among the well-presented offerings. A number of liquors and cocktails (including the Pisco Sour, of course) as drink options complement the breathtaking views of the Plaza de Armas lit up at night. The bistro’s name is taken from Mama Quilla, the wife and sister of the Inca god Inti, and the location is attached to the Hotel del Prado Inn.
9
Kamikase

9) Kamikase

This older, established bar and disco has been in business about twenty years overlooking the Plaza Regocijo. Live music can be found most nights around 10:30 pm, with rock, reggae, Latin, and dance music represented, among others, and typically goes until about 1am. A late night happy hour is offered, highlighted by the aptly named cocktail “el camino a la ruina” (“the path to ruin”). Popular with locals, Kamikase has areas for every taste – from the mellow “chill out room” to a lively dance floor. Finish this tour by simply walking one block northeast to the Plaza de Armas in central Cusco.

Walking Tours in Cusco, Peru

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