BEST RESTAURANTS IN MACHU PICCHU

Machu Picchu Town is full of cafes and restaurants particularly around the main square and Pachacutec street. Be warned however, as they all tend to offer the same fairly standard menu including pizza, pasta and the odd Peruvian dish like guinea pig or lomo saltado (stir-fried beef) at inflated tourist prices. If you want to try some of the best cuisine in town, check out our list of the best restaurants in Machu Picchu here. Bon appetit!

THE TREE HOUSE RESTAURANT – AN OASIS IN THE MADNESS OF AGUAS CALIENTES!

The Tree House Restaurant Machu Picchu is a delightful restaurant in the town of Machu Picchu (also known as Aguas Calientes). The Treehouse restaurant is a warm, welcoming space thanks to its zen vibes, wooden structure and friendly staff. Located just two blocks from the main square, you can suddenly feel the presence of the rain forest and its nurturing silence as soon as you arrive. A welcome rest from the busy centre of Machu Picchu town and its many pizza and pasta joints

Here, Chef Renan Neira Fadel and his front of house partner Rony Hermoza take you on a journey of Andean cuisine using healthy, local products. For starters, try the Peruvian pumpkin soup, an exquisite creamy mix of pumpkin, wild Andean mushrooms and parsley oil – a real comfort dish! For those looking for something light, the creamy avocado, perfectly cooked quinoa grains, caramelized tomatoes, goats cheese and grilled asparagus in the Quinoa salad make for a great, healthy option.

Mains include the Kuchi ribs, a giant-sized portion of grilled pork ribs bathed in the house BBQ sauce and served with cabbage slaw – perfect for big appetites! The trout fillet was tender and well cooked, accompanied with a sweet golden berry sauce and a mouth-watering potato gratin.

For vegetarians, we fell in love with the goats cheese and mushroom ravioli. Pasta in general can often be a hit and miss affair in Peru but the Tree House house-made ravioli was an exception. The al-dente parsley ravioli served with a herb and butter sauce had a lovely balance of flavours and we left wanting the recipe to take home!

Desserts were simple and included a creamy chocolate mousse and an apple pie crammed with apples soaked in a tangy red wine reduction. Our favourite however, was the moist fig cake with warm butterscotch sauce.

The Tree House restaurant is under new ownership since July 2016 and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of Rony and Renan’s simple, fuss-free menu that uses local, fresh produce. They have both worked in some of Cuscos’ best restaurants and this is reflected in the quality of their food.

The Tree House remains without a doubt one of the best restaurants in Aguas Calientes particularly if you are looking for fresh, local food in an informal, laid-back atmosphere.

MACHUPICCHU CENTER RECOMMENDS:

If you book the day before, they will prepare a healthy box lunch for you to take up to Machu Picchu so you don’t need to leave the ruins when you get hungry. Box lunches contain a snadwich, piece of fruit, granola bar, fruit juice and bottle of water and start from S/40. They will even deliver to your hotel!

LA BOULANGERIE DE PARIS CAFE IN MACHU PICCHU

La Boulangerie de Paris cafe in Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes) is a great stop if you want a quick breakfast or snack before heading to or after visiting Machu Picchu. Unlike most restaurants in Aguas Calientes that offer the same generic pizza or pasta dishes, La Boulangerie brings a fresh breath of air to the town with their offering of authentic French pastries, quiche, panini and decent coffee.

Run by French team Gilles and Nicolas who previously ran the café in the Alliance Francaise in Cusco, they both have years of international experience in the culinary industry and decided to set up something a bit different in Aguas Calientes. They felt that by the time you arrived in Machu Picchu after travelling through Peru most travellers were ready for some international fare, and they were right!

Everything is baked on site fresh every day from the almond croissants to the bread for their sandwiches. Try their delicious chef’s pizza with zucchini, red pepper, onions, olives and smoked ham or something more typical like the ‘Croque Monsieur,’ a French grilled sandwich with béchamel sauce, cheese and ham. For sweets, the chocolate eclairs, strawberry tarts and almond crosissants are a treat and don’t miss their famous hot chocolate made from the recipe of the famous French pastry chef ‘Ladure.’

The cafe itself is simple, decor is minimal with some signs of wear and tear. Service is fast and overall this is a cheerful place to stop for a snack and great French pastries and is definitely one of the best cafes in Aguas Calientes.

MACHUPICCHU CENTER RECOMMENDS:

La Boulangerie also offers box lunches for S/.25 (Approx. US$9) which include a sandwich, hard-boiled egg, chocolate and a piece of fruit. They open at 5am and are right next to the bus stop to Machu Picchu so you can call by and pick up your order before heading up to Machu Picchu.

QUNUQ RESTAURANT MACHU PICCHU

Hotel restaurants often claim to offer ‘haute cuisine’ which in fact turns out to be very ordinary food at extraordinary prices. The Qunuq Restaurant Machu Picchu is part of the luxury Sumaq Hotel located at the edge of town and we were very pleasantly surprised by the standard of their cuisine.

Qunuq has a well-rounded if not traditional menu offering a nice selection of novo-andean and Peruvian cuisine. For starters we had the chicken causa, a modern take on the traditional Peruvian potato based dish served with crispy breaded chicken which was ever so slightly over-cooked but saved by a bed of perfectly cooked potato and tasty avocado sauce. The traditional Peruvian ceviche was deliciously fresh and made with local trout marinated in lime juice

For mains Qunuq offers a good range of typical dishes like the grilled alpaca fillet in a béarnaise sauce. My server suggested eating the steak rare to appreciate the full flavours of the meat which was both tender and full of flavor. They also have a few modern twists on traditional Peruvian recipes such as the ravioli filled with three types of Andean potatoes and the Andean trout served with chimichurri sauce and purple potato puree

Desserts are also given a twist with the typical Peruvian rice pudding served with raisins ‘drunk’ with pisco, adding a kick to this creamy cinnamon treat accompanied with an innovative and refreshing purple corn sorbet. We also enjoyed the very sweet traditional ‘suspiro a la Limeña’ desert, a tasty treat made with meringue and caramel

The restaurant itself is more formal than most restaurants in Machu Picchu and service is defintiely on the higher end of the scale of what you find in town. Wait staff are very efficient and the restaurant favours a slightly older crowd who are staying in the hotel. The restaurant has recently been re-modelled with leather seats and crisp white table linen for a modern, minimalist feel.

The menu uses local, fresh produce like quinoa, corn, trout and the many local potato varieties as much as possible allowing visitors to get a real feel for Andean food and flavours.

If you’re looking for a higher-end hotel-style dining experience this is one of our top picks for restaurants in Machu Picchu.