Peru - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 775

a barbecue area on the rooftop terrace are soon to come.
The happening bar downstairs, El Escondido de las Monjas,
means lots of fun, although thin gs ca n stay qui te lo ud till
the early hours. Free wi-fi. Dorms S25 , doubles S70
Koala Hostel Av Puente Gráu 108 T 054 223 622,
W koalahostel.com. Friendly and helpful staff at this quiet
little hostel want guests to sit back and relax. Rooms are
small and colourful, there's a kit chen , wi-fi and plans to
build a bar and a rooftop terrace. S60
Ì Macondo Puente Grau 109 T 054 405 350, W booking
.com/macondo. More of a B&B than a hostel, this friendly
Italian-owned place has neat and tidy colourful rooms, most
with shared bath. The little rooftop terrace has great views
over St Francisco Church and the surrounding volcanoes. Staff
are extremely helpful and will h appily re com mend sights,
restaurants and more. Dorms S25 , doubles S60
The Point Palacio Viejo 325 T 054 286 920, W thepoint
hostels.com. Part of the chain of party hostels popular
with backpackers throughout Peru, the Arequipa branch is
more intimate, with just four dorms. There's a pool table,
table tennis and games and trivia on weekday nights, as
well as Spanish lang uage classes on offer. Breakfast and
wi-fi included. Dorms S19

9

Ì TREAT YOURSELF
La Trattoria del Monasterio Santa
Catalina 309 T 054 204 062. Three
intimate dining areas located in the
grounds of the Santa Catalina Monastery,
offering sumptuous fusion dishes with
the best of arequipeño and Italian flavours.
As is to be expected, the exquisite pasta
here is all home-made; try the ravioli de
camarones en salsa de cauche arequipeño
(S37). Mon-Sat noon-4pm & 7-11pm,
Sun noon-4pm.

Peruita Express Jerusalén 123. Head here for some
authentic and exquisite Italian pizza al taglio (slices of
pizza) on the go as you explore town, or to regain your
senses on a Saturday night after a pisco sour too many.
Mon-Fri 9am-1pm, Sat open all night.
El Turco San Francisco 223. Crawl over to this Turkish-
owned joint after a heavy night out to soak up the booze
with a good old kebab (S5.90). Daily 7.30am-midnight,
open 24hr on Thurs, Fri & Sat.

EATING
Ì Cevichería Fory Fay Thomas 221-223. This family-
run place prepares up to 20kg of fish daily for its savvy
clientele who flock here to tuck into Arequipa's best
ceviche . Try the excellent ceviche mixto (S23). Wed-Mon
10am-4pm.
Como en Casa Piérola 106-A. Owned by a gastroentero-
logist, the emphasis at this little vegetarian place is on
wholesome food. Following the healthy soup of the day,
you're encouraged to take your pick of four mains, all
generously served and followed by a nutritious dessert.
Set menu S9. Mon-Sat noon-4pm.
Crepísimo Santa Catalina 208. This Swiss-run café serves
one hundred varieties of sweet and savoury crêpes to be
enjoyed with a refreshing home-made Andean ice tea
(S4). Try their bestselling crêpe with strawberry ice cream
(S18). Daily 8am-midnight.
Istanbul San Francisco 321. This café/lounge serves Middle
Eastern fare such as hummus (S12), falafel (S7.50), kofte
(S7.50) and mezze (S29) to share. Drinks are reasonably
priced at S11, with a refreshing strawberry mojito (S14)
as their signature drink. Mon-Sat 8.30am-1am, Sun
10am-10pm.
Peruita Palacio Viejo 321A. One of southern Peru's very
few Italian-run pizzerias, here you will see the Italian
pizzaiolo spinning all sorts of exotically flavoured thin-
crusted (or more thickly so, depending on customers'
preference) pizzas (S15-33), nicely washed down with an
authentic Italian Peroni beer (S8). Mon-Fri 12.30-3pm &
5.30-10.30pm, Sat 5.30-11pm.

DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
Café Art Montreal Ugarte 210. This cavernous vaulted
bar with brick walls hosts saxophone and trova (Cuban
guitar music) bands on Thurs at 9pm, while arequipeño
bands take the stage at 10.30pm on Fri and Sat for some
1980s tracks. Beer S6, cocktails S11. Happy hour 5-11pm.
Mon-Sat 4pm-3am.
Ì Casona Forum San Francisco 317. This three-storey
complex houses some of Arequipa's best nightspots,
such as Zero Pub & Pool , with pool tables, and the Terrasse
lounge restaurant, offering a combo of fine dining and
stunning views of the city through 360-degree windows.
The jewel in the crown - the basement Forum disco - is
the place to see and be seen among young arequipeños ,
with a lively tropical decor including palm trees, pools
and a large artificial waterfall.
Ì Farren's Irish Bar Pasaje Catedral 107. Just behind
the plaza, this little Irish bar/pub with outdoor seating is
the perfect spot to grab a refreshing beer as you explore
town. There's a screen for sporting events, and if you're
around on St Patrick's Day you can enjoy a few pints of
Guinness. Local beers (S6), as well as Belgian and English
brews (Old Speckled Hen S18). Happy hour 6-10pm.
Mon-Sat 10am-midnight.
Mr Fish Av Variante Uchumayo s/n. This large club located
on the outskirts of Arequipa is now the city's hottest
nightlife spot. Young arequipeños dance away on Thurs
from as early as late afternoon, on Fri it's creole music
while on Sat revellers go wild to club beats. Entry S60.
Thurs 3pm-5am, Fri & Sat 9pm-5am.