Govinda Lila — Restaurant in Distrito de Cusco

Update: 8 hours later I definitely had food poisoning and had to miss a day tour the next day.

Unfortunately I really do not understand the hype for this place -- The owner is definitely very sweet and lovely, and in theory the menu items are good. However I am genuinely nervous about the hygiene standards and whether or not I'll get sick --

She washes the veggies with tap water and when I asked about it she said it was okay because the tap water is clean -- but for most tourists there are bacteria in the water that our stomachs can't really handle, which is why hostels will recommend not drinking tap water or eating raw fruits / veggies here (you get food poisoning / bacteria). The given drink with the menu was a very underwhelming lukewarm mint water, and the quinoa soup was also lukewarm. She was also clearly sick while handling the food. Nothing seemed heated to a temperature that would kill any bacteria on food / sauces that had clearly been out for the day.

Overall I really wanted to love this place -- it's great to see vegan food in a local market. But until the fresh food is washed in filtered water and cooked to food safety standards, I would not return.

If you're looking for good veg friendly food in the market I'd recommend Green Falafel which is one row of stalls away and has huge portions for excellent prices using filtered water and freshly...

In my journeys around the globe, I have eaten at Govinda's in the U.S., countries in Europe, countries in Asia, and several countries in South America. Being a vegan they are a good go to when other vegan restaurants may not be available. The meal is usually cheap and the taste is okay. In Cusco, there are quite a few vegan restaurants so it took me a while to try Govindalili. Tucked away in a corner of the San Blas Market it does not jump right out at you. Shopping at the market one day around lunch time, I noticed it and decided to give it a try. I have been back four times since then. The price of lunch is very inexpensive, (10 sols), but the food is so very delicious and served in nice large portions. It is the BEST Govinda's I have ever...

We had lunch here today and absolutely loved it. The value for money was great (15./S pp as of 08/2024), and portion sizes were huge, plus it all tasted delicious. We had a soup to start, a hierba luisa drink, and then a lasagna and a falafel burrito. There was plenty of other options to choose from (saltado, lentil burger, spaghetti bolognese etc). Would highly recommend to any vegans (and non-vegans) in Cusco. They also do take-away if there are no seats available. Edit: we came back the next day and the food was just...