When the choice of a bathroom is between heaven and hell, you know that the restaurant that you’re in offers something pretty special. I happened to be in Fallen Angel one of the best restaurants in Cusco and it doesn’t disappoint. The restaurant is a mixture of kitsch and over the top. Illuminated flying pigs hang off the walls like sweet cherubs. Large heart shaped sofas and seats with zebra skin prints are placed around tables made from bathtubs, filled with rose petals and tiny swimming fish. Everything in this place, right down to the heart shaped toothpick holders, has been thought through to create this jumbled and crazy ‘Alice in Wonderland’ meets ‘Big Gay Al’ theme.
Someone told that Fallen Angel started its life as a gay bar, which doesn’t surprise me. This place wouldn’t look out of place in Greenwich Village in New York, Soho in London, or just about any other bustling cosmopolitan city around the world, which makes it somewhat surprising that you find it in the highlands of Peru. Though thinking about it, the fact that Cusco is this little multicultural backpacking haven is almost certainly why it appeared here in the first place.
The food at Fallen Angel is definitely not as amazing as the decor. It’s good, not Michelin star good, but pretty great none the less. The memory I have of the thick and juicy steaks they serve there makes my stomach grumble just thinking about it. The only downside to this place is it’s a bit expensive, but to be honest, it doesn’t really matter, because Fallen Angel is all about the dining experience. This is why I think it’s the best restaurant in Cusco.
Given that you will probably only ever go to Cusco once in your life, you shouldn’t think twice about coming here for a meal (you can also trek Choquequirao if you want to make your friends jealous)! If you hate it, you can always send me an email telling me how terrible the food was and how you ended up having to go to hospital after one of the flying pigs fell off the ceiling and flattened you (there’s a reason pigs don’t fly). Everyone else, just enjoy this tasty treat, because it’s hands down one of the most memorable restaurant I have ever visited and without a doubt the best restaurant in Cusco.
Cusco Peru