Our Favorite Restaurants Around Peru with Gluten-Free Options

Peru Travel Tips

G-Free Travel Rating

8/10

Major Airport

Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM)

Official Language

Spanish

Currency:

The Sol

Power Outlets:

Types A, B & C

Eating Gluten Free in Peru

Navigating a gluten free diet in Peru can be an enriching experience. Traditional Peruvian cuisine, with its emphasis on fresh ingredients, offers a variety of gluten free options. However, it is important to communicate your dietary restrictions clearly when dining at a restaurant. Some restaurants in Lima and Cuzco have the gluten free symbol on the menu items they can prepare gluten free. Peru sees enough tourists that accommodating dietary restrictions on tours is not an issue. Overall, one can easily vacation in Peru without much worry with careful research.

Our top list of restaurants to eat at while in Peru

We didn’t get to try a lot of different restaurants as we were constantly on tours. The restaurants we did try had enough gluten free options to accommodate my husband’s dietary restriction and specific tastes. We traveled all over Peru and the biggest challenge always seemed to be communication.

Since Peru has significant Asian influence in its cuisine, we also had to be cautious of dishes that contained soy sauce. Needless to say, we always had a stash of snacks handy for him just in case he wasn’t confident in the meal that was prepared. All in all, I would say the best food was prepared for him while hiking the Inca Trail.

Helpful words we learned to communicate:

Wheat = trigo
Gluten free = sin gluten
Soy sauce = salsa de soja

Lima

Chef’s Cafe: Located in Miraflores district. It was a quaint little place that offered a basic breakfast and was able to accommodate a gluten free diet. My husband and I both ate ham and cheese omelets. Equally important, I had a fantastic cappuccino with chocolate fudge on top.
Arepa Cafe: Located in Barranca district. Boutique restaurant along the main stretch. We both gobbled down an arepa and empanada. They served large portions.

Paracas

Nautilus: An oceanside restaurant where you can enjoy a nice meal and views of the ocean. Our wait staff was very knowledgeable of the gluten free options. We both ate gluten free. I had a fantastic trout and my husband had a seabass with French fries. He’s not normally a fish person, but he claims this was probably the best seafood based meal he has EVER had.

Huacachina

La Casa de Bamboo: A small beach style restaurant down the main stretch. We had curry that was able to be made gluten free which we both enjoyed. We were so stuffed afterwards we were unable to try the dessert. Although not gluten free, everyone was raving about the brownie!

Cuzco

Kushka: Boutique restaurant that was recommended for its good food. My husband was able to get a rice dish. It took us a little extra communicating to get our gluten free point across. This is one of the times we had to utilize a translation resource with the waitress. However, the manager did come clarify afterwards. Food was spectacular. Would go back again!
Organika Bakery and Coffee: Advertised gluten free. My husband was quite pleased with their version of gluten free pancakes (his favorite breakfast item, outside of donuts). While they weren’t what we are used to in the United States, they were very good. The side of fruit salad had the freshest mangos he has eaten. I’m always excited to see him try fruits and vegetables!
Cafe D’Wasi: This is a coffee shop that sells small bites. We stopped in for a more American style latte. The coffee was very good and the caramel latte was sweet enough for my husband to enjoy!
Chicha Cusco: This was recommended to us both by our hotel and our Inca Trail tour guide. They are able to accommodate a gluten free diet. A little fancier. My husband had the tenderloin. He wasn’t very impressed with his meal. I was also not a fan of the oxtail I ordered. However, we were told this was a good place to try guinea pig if you’re up for a new culinary experience.
Skylodge Adventure Suites: Located a little outside Cuzco, this experience incorporates a homemade gluten free meal with an adventure. Check out our experience.
Cicciolina and Morena Cusco: We weren’t able to go to either one but our guides and hotel clerk highly recommended them.

Inca Trail

We did the 4 days/3 night Inca Trail Trek with Alpaca Expeditions. Prior to signing up to the trek and then right before the trek, I confirmed that they could accommodate a gluten free diet for the entire route. They outdid themselves. It was always a feast for every meal (three meals a day). During the trek they also accommodated a fish free diet as well as a vegetarian diet. No one ever complained of any issues in regards to food throughout the entire trek!