Morena Peruvian Kitchen — Restaurant in Distrito de Cusco

In summary, you are paying for the great ambiance and service, but the food is lacking in my opinion. There are better places that are cheaper and have better food.

I had high expectations considering every time we came without a reservation, the wait time was about 3 hours and up. So definitely make a reservation if you would like to eat here.

For drinks, we got the tropical smoothie, lemongrass lemonade, and pisco sour. We though both the smoothie and pisco sour were great. The smoothie was very refreshing, slightly tart, and had bright notes of pineapple. The pisco sour also had a lovely tart flavor with a bit of acidity to ease the taste of alcohol. The lemonade was just okay; a bit light tasting.

For food, we got the Arroz con Mariscos, ceviche, osobuco, and pork belly. The ceviche was definitely the best dish of the four, although it isn't as traditional as some other restaurants we ate ceviche from. The sourness is definitely toned down with both the artichoke milk, potato puree, and herb oil. I liked it a lot though compared to the strong lime flavors that regular ceviche has usually.

The Arroz con Mariscos was flavorful and rich, but it did have a pungent seafood aroma, which luckily wasn't included with the taste. The risotto was creamy and had nuts/crunchy elements to give some texture.

The pork belly wasn't great in my opinion. It could just be what pork tastes like in Peru, but it had a farm musk that was a bit unpleasant. The skin on the outside wasn't extremely crispy either, and often it was a bit chewy on some areas. The brown sauce was good; very umami and salty to go with the pork belly. and the olluco was mild and light tasting. Nothing crazy. I will say though that the inside of the pork belly was a bit bland apart from the musk it had.

The osobuco had a strong dark sauce, and although it had tenderness of long-stewed meat, it was oddly chewy and tiring to eat at times. The sauce was dark and savory combined with some herbs. This was definitely better than the pork belly.

Overall, again you are coming for the atmosphere and service. All the waiters speak English, so if you can't speak Spanish that is a plus. Make sure to book a reservation if you come; preferably days in advance. I would honestly recommend Mistura Grill over Morena; we really enjoyed our...

Life-changing experience in which we were left speechless multiple times throughout our meal. First off, you walk into this sleek yet homey restaurant that features an open kitchen, gorgeous verdant décor, and a long line out the door of people waiting to grab a table. Recommend calling in to make a reservation. There is a cute foyer downstairs where you can wait on swing benches. Then you walk past chefs creating all sorts of elaborate dishes to sit at your table. The menu features great vegetarian items, it was difficult to choose. We came for a light evening snack since we had a huge lunch earlier, and so we decided on the vegetarian causa. We were expecting the typical yellow potato cake, but instead we got a piece of art on a plate that, although was a small portion size, tasted divine. The causa is made of Andean potato, beetroot, and avocado, with multiple sauces such as olive mayonnaise, and quinoa on top. Ask for a side of rocoto sauce, but be careful as it’s made with one of the hottest chilis in the world. We weren’t planning on getting dessert, but a taste of the fresh ingredients and skill put into the dish made us want more. We got the flan with pears, coffee, and hazelnut crumble. It was amazing- it wasn’t overly sweet and had a pleasant caramelized aftertaste. Our server was kind enough to give us some of their house tea, on the house. It is a beautiful and rich fuschia tea steeped from airampo and cidroncello. Perfect end to our meal and day. Honestly we wish we had missed our flight the next day so we could come...

Visited Cusco in late April 2024 from Los Angeles for my birthday and this was the best dinner that we had in Peru. It gave me a new appreciation for Peruvian cuisine and was a real highlight of our trip. Morena has a great location right in Plaza de Armas, and has great views of the center of the square and both cathedrals. We had reservations, but there was a long line of people there when we arrived trying to sit down as a walk-in but were unable. This place is very popular so I would definitely recommend making reservations.

Our waiter was very polite and very quick with the refills, and the prices here are unbeatable compared to the United States. Decided to try the Sopa Criolla to start for my first time and I truly loved it. It’s basically a beef stew with angel hair pasta, and it truly has deep and rich flavors. I have already started looking for it back here in LA. For my entrée I chose the Lomo Saltado and even though I’ve had that dish before this was the best version that I’ve ever had. The steak was extremely tender, juicy, and had a great flavor. They also have a lot of great beer and wine options and we definitely did not leave hungry or thirsty.

Given the location, the quality of food, and the price this is a must visit while in Cusco and I would say it’s my favorite restaurant in the city so far. I would recommend to anyone and plan to be back next time...