Carpe Diem
Carpe Diem is my favorite place in Cusco for freshly made pasta.
The atmosphere is casual and the decoration includes vintage posters from Italy advertising food. I like the music and the vibe. It’s one of my favorite lunch places in Cusco because the service is good enough that you can have lunch and be on your way in an hour or less. It tends to be more crowded for dinner, though I’ve had dinner there a half dozen times and will keep going back. So far the pizzas and pastas I’ve had at Carpe Diem have all been excellent. I tried the Carpe Diem salad once, which was fine but lacked flavor. I think the dressing needed more vinegar and less oil.
Of all the delicious pizzas at Carpe Diem, my favorite is the Taormina.
The caramelized leeks, cherry tomatoes, Pecorino cheese and capers oil make it the most unique pizza I’ve found in Cusco.
The tiramisu at Carpe Diem is truly something special.
After my experience with Organika’s attempt at tiramisu, I was hesitant but am so glad I gave it a shot. The server brought a tray of ingredients to the table: a paper bag of little round cakes, a bowl of mascarpone made in house, chocolate chips, a shaker of cacao powder and a moka pot with freshly made coffee. He first put one of the cakes in the bowl, soaked it in coffee, then covered it with the mascarpone and chocolate chips. There were three layers to this tiramisu and my dining companions and I loved it enough that we were tempted to lick the bowl. No matter what you order for lunch or dinner, I highly recommend getting the tiramisu afterwards.
Update: I’ve now had the tiramisu three times at Carpe Diem and each time I think it’s the best dessert anywhere in Cusco.
Ask for the Limoncello
Not on the menu, and yet the perfect way to end a meal at Carpe Diem. The limoncello is made by the owner and is the perfect balance of strong, sour and sweet.
This timeline was for a solo lunch on a weekday. My other experiences at Carpe Diem have been dinner with a group. If you want a lunch place where you can reliably get in and out in an hour, Carpe Diem is a good option.
1 min: The place was almost empty and I sat myself upstairs and asked for the paper menu. Like most restaurants in Cusco, Carpe Diem has a little sign with a QR code on the table so you can look at the menu on your phone. Regardless of germs, I always prefer a printed menu.
5 min: The server came to take my order. I asked her to recommend something vegetarian that’s made in house. She recommended the ravioli de burrata, because they made their own burrata. She did check to see if I was very hungry, saying that it is a small portion but very good. She clearly knew the menu and the food very well, which I appreciated. I also ordered a lemonade.
10 min: My drink was served. It was flavorful and not too sweet, served without ice.
13 min: I was served complimentary warm bread and pickled vegetables. The bread was oddly small squares of focaccia, though the flavor and texture were good. I had to eat the pickled veggies with a spoon because the bread squares were too small to even balance a few of the veggies on top. The veggies were okay but didn’t have much flavor. I think they need more garlic or spice of some sort.
16 min: The ravioli was served. It was indeed a small portion, though delicious. With so much butter and cheese, it would have been better with a side of grilled zucchini or eggplant. It would also have been better with some more bread to soak up the cream sauce.
26 min: It was such a small portion I was finished in ten minutes, even trying to eat slowly.
29 min: The server cleared the plates and went back downstairs.
36 min: The server finally came upstairs and I asked for the bill.
37 min: The server brought the bill, I paid cash and left.
How to get there
Less than a block from the Plaza de Armas, Carpe Diem is easy to find. Walking from the plaza, it’s on the left side of Calle Plateros.
