Govinda, Cusco

Lila Govinda runs a 1.5-room kitchen and lunch spot, offering tea, delicious soups and overflowing main dishes for just 4 or 5 soles (about $1.50). Her café fills up with approving travelers, volunteers, and Cusquenos. Visit gracious, lovely, and engaging Lila, her 11-year-old son, and pet rabbit near San Blas Monday through Saturday. From the top of San Blas plaza, walk away from the city center, one block through a construction corridor, turn right (downhill), and see her café, immediately after the mercato on the right.

Favorite Dish: everything is delicious!

I visited this restaurant on the last day before I left. They are loacated on a side road leading into the Plaza de arms. It was not crowded and service was slow.

However they served a soup, main course and desert all for 6 soles. Also the meal was so filling as the portions were huge.

They played Indian classical music that seemed to blend with the food. Its worth visting.

Favorite Dish: The main course consistsed of a Veg curry that was make in a peruvian style meat based curry. Where the meat was substituted with soy. It was spicy and filling quantity.

The suprising thing was that they had coffee/tea but did not have sugar substitute.

Now it was my turn to pick the restaurant! :-) Govinda is a nice little vegetarian restaurant. I love Govinda restaurants and have dined at them before in other cites and they usually seem to serve mostly Indian food.(which I love) This one did not really have that many Indian dishes, but the food was very good. If you are very hungry, you can order a 5 course meal for about $3-4 ( depending on which special you choose)
They also have home-baked desserts. Didn't try them..but they looked delicious!

Favorite Dish: Forgot the name, but I ordered a dish of sauteed vegetables and fresh herbs. Yummy!

I am certainly not a vegatarian but I do enjoy it sometimes, especially if it has an Indian flair. I had read about a place called Govinda and though right in the center of town I could never find it. When we took a local bus out into the Sacred Valley and came back the same way, the bus dropped us off in a part of town we had never seen before. Once orienting ourselves, we made our way back town and found this other vegatarian restaurant with the same name. It was just packed but managed a laid back atmosphere just the same.

Favorite Dish: They just had a chalk board menu and we opted for the most expensive of the four items on it. It was only about a dollar a person with big portions. Not sure what any of it was but it was tasty, filling and I guess healthy. ;)