11 Best Restaurants in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Peru

Everyone seems to know everyone at this second-floor eatery, part lively tapas bar, part sit-down, candlelit restaurant. The tapas are delicious and varied, while the main dishes offer fabulous Mediterranean cuisine with twists from the Andes. You can order off the restaurant menu in the tapas bar, but not the other way around.

Reservations are very strongly encouraged.

Although there are plenty of vegetarian options elsewhere, here vegetarians and vegans can order anything with a clear, animal-loving conscience. You can even have your coffee with nut milk. The menu of the day (S/22), which includes salad, soup, main course, dessert, and a drink, is one of the best deals in town and one many nonvegans flock to as well. You can also pick up some of that nondairy goodness to go, as well as a variety of fresh breads.

The empanadas are fantastic, but that's not the only reason to stop by at this classic empanada place. The real hook is a "cuy castle," a sort of Barbie mansion for guinea pigs. But rest assured, there are no cuy empanadas on the menu.

Scrumptious breakfasts can be had all day at this bright, busy, American-style café with Aussie roots, where you can order granola and yogurt, large fluffy pancakes, or a grand "brekkie" with bacon and eggs. Also on the menu are gourmet sandwiches, fresh salads, and a variety of other satisfying dishes. Everything is prepared in-house, including the delicious breads, and the coffee and hot chocolate are excellent. If you come during high season, you may have to line up to get a table; this jumping spot stays open well into the night.

This is a great spot to regroup, caffeinate, and make use of the Wi-Fi after a hard morning's sightseeing. The coffee is quality, there's a huge range of mouthwatering cakes, and you can also grab breakfast, sandwiches, and slices.

Walking through this shop off the busy Cuesta San Blas, part art gallery, part café, and more hip than ever, you may think you took a wrong turn and ended up in New York City. The menu features healthy standards such as soups and salads, as well as some splurges such as bacon-wrapped alpaca. Also a great spot for desserts or a glass of wine. There are just eight small tables, so make reservations, especially for dinner. Come for the food, but be sure to check out the contemporary artwork for sale, rare for this history-focused city.

The unnamed bakery just off the Plaza Constitución is a Pisac institution. Empanadas (some vegetarian) and homemade breads are delivered from the clay oven and into your hands. The lines are long on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday market days, but it's worth the wait.

German transplant Ulrike Simic and company dish up food all day long, making this the perfect refueling stop during a day of market shopping and sightseeing. Breakfast gets under way before the market does, at 8 am.

Stop by for the S/30 prix-fixe lunch, with a lot of vegetarian options on the menu, a real rarity in this part of Peru.

They've got good à la carte soups and pizzas, too, and yummy brownies, muffins, cheesecake, and chocolate-chip cookies for dessert.