Organika
Organika is one of Cusco’s most well-known restaurants among tourists. Every time I go there the place is full of people talking about the Inca Trail, their tables surrounded by bags of souvenirs. While I find the menu a bit on the pricy side, it is a beautiful location and the food and service are both quite good.
The Timeline
I went with a friend for a late lunch and we were both very hungry and very interested in the food arriving quickly. It took less than a minute to be seated, although the only option was inside when I would have preferred a table in the garden. The tables inside are either too tall or the chairs are too short. I looked around at other tables and on everybody the table looked awkwardly high. We were handed real menus (no annoying QR codes).
7 minutes: The server took our order. I asked for a recommendation and the server said that the Organika signature salad is filling and unique. My companion ordered the goat cheese pizza, which she had tried before and loved. I ordered a lemonade with mint and she ordered the Caipirinha.
15 minutes: The drinks were served. The lemonade was good although the Caipirinha was far too sugary.
24 minutes: Our meals were served and the server offered extra dressing, which I accepted. We were also offered fresh ground pepper for both the salad and pizza. Both the pizza and salad were excellent. Normally I’m not a fan of a lot of fruit in salads and there were large slices of pineapple and mango. However, they didn’t make it too sweet and the balance of savory and sweet worked. The two quail eggs were very lightly cooked and I wished the server had asked if I liked eggs mostly raw. The dollops of goat cheese and a thick balsamic sauce on the pizza were decadent.
52 minutes: We finished eating and the plates were cleared immediately.
1 hour: We ordered the tiramisu for dessert. My review of the “tiramisu” is below, with the photo.
1:10: We finished the dessert, which was cleared immediately.
1:20: We asked for the bill, paid with a card at the table and left.
Arugula “tiramisu”
This option on the dessert menu is labeled tiramisu but it most definitely isn’t. For me, tiramisu can have a lot of creative twists but it still must have some espresso flavor. While this was creamy and delicious, there was no espresso flavor. If you’re going to do something as different as make the tiramisu green with arugula, the rest of the dessert should be an actual tiramisu with the lady fingers on the bottom layer, soaked in espresso.
How to get there
There are some stairs involved if you’re in the Plaza de Armas, but it’s a scenic walk and not too far. There is a narrow street on the left (north) of the cathedral that leads up to the Plaza Nazarenes. Start up the street but take the first left and you’ll see the doorway in the photo. It’s just after Rúcula, by the same owners as Organika.
