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We've compiled the best of the best in Cusco and the Sacred Valley - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Just a block from Plaza de Armas, this hip coffee spot stands out for its facade etched with colorful murals. Proudly vegan, it dishes up meat-free versions of Peruvian mains, plus a plethora of salads, juices, and coffee. Upstairs it functions as a social coworking zone with fast Wi-Fi that can be accessed with a food or beverage purchase.
Pouring some of the best coffee in the city from a special house blend, this café is a Cusco icon; Martin Chambi photos help anchor it in Peru, but the jazz and bohemian atmosphere make it feel more cosmopolitan. It's great for a quick bite, as well as for picking up fliers on current cultural offerings. Try the passion-fruit cheesecake or tiramisu with your cappuccino, and head next door to the Cusco School of Fine Arts to see what's on display.
It's best to hunker down for a day or two in Ollantaytambo, but if you've only got time for a pit stop, Café Mayu is conveniently located at the train station. This tiny spot serves big-city-style coffee, quick bites like empanadas, and to-go sandwiches that are perfect for your ride to Machu Picchu. The chocolate chip cookies are as good as they smell, but you can't go wrong with any of the baked goods here.
With just a handful of tables and a couple of employees, this local patisserie surprises with some of the neighborhood's most delicious homemade pastries, juices, and hot drinks. Savor the local coffees, hot chocolates, and Andino herbal infusions.
Set on the ground floor of a local casa, this homey vegetarian café is a favorite stop for travelers in search of a satisfying espresso drink and some local knowledge. You'll find organic local coffee, all-day breakfasts, and even some well-prepared Indian fare (think vegan curry, paneer tikka masala, and butter chicken). The café's doors, completely plastered with flyers, also function as a bohemian message board, where you can discover many local activities, including shamanic breath work, yoga courses, and ayahuasca ceremonies.
This little café is the place to go for pizza, lasagna, breads, desserts, and, of course, coffee. There are some vegetarian and gluten-free options, and they also feature a small selection of organic products.
If you're looking for something healthy, with plenty of choices for vegetarians, Kaia is the best bet in Urubamba for lunch or an early dinner (it closes at 6). With fresh salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps, and all sorts of snacks to choose from, you'll easily satisfy your post-hike hunger. There is often live music here on the weekends, and the playground will entertain kids while parents linger.
This excellent restaurant on the plaza has a large dining hall with wooden tables and floors and a traditional but well-executed menu of cebiches, pastas, sandwiches, and Peruvian staples. There's also a daily set menu for S/25, and you can sip espressos, juices, and smoothies on the cozy balcony overlooking the square.
For a quick bite, it's hard to go wrong with the flavorful Franco-Peruvian crepes served on the ground floor of this backpacker hostel; with both savory and sweet to choose from, they're the perfect meal or pick-me-up any time of day. The prix-fixe lunch is a delicious deal, and there's a great tea selection for an afternoon break.
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.
With striking wooden blue balcony overlooking Plaza de Armas and brown adobe walls decorated with murals of flowers, this jolly restaurant-cum-café is inside a traditional casona and embodies Pisac's recent wave of places catering to both hippie digital nomads and more and more tourists. The menu offers a wide selection of mains like alpaca steaks, spaghetti with pesto, pork burgers, and juices, smoothies, and coffee. Wi-Fi is strong and the upstairs lounge is handy for getting some work done while sipping an espresso.
You'll smell the coffee brewing from this cozy, dimly lit spot set amid the stone lanes of Ollantaytambo's old Inca town. Besides offering up excellent local brews from Vilcabamba, Latente cooks up simple brunch options like galletas de palta (avocado croquettes) and is a perfect spot for sitting down with a laptop or a book and meeting other travelers.
Museum eateries don't routinely warrant a mention, but this small, glass-enclosed, elegant café inside the courtyard of the Museo de Arte Precolombino is actually one of the city's top restaurants. It has top prices to boot, but it's still a bargain compared with what this quality meal would cost in New York or Los Angeles. Of its novel and exciting twists on traditional Peruvian cuisine, try the chicken estofado (stew) with goat cheese and raisins or the pork adobo on a bed of sweet potato mousseline à l'orange. The dessert presentation is so clever that you may not want to ruin it by eating it—but you'll be glad you did. The menu is prix-fixe after 6 (S/225), and you can choose one each from any of the appetizers, main dishes, and desserts; between 3 and 6, only dessert and coffee are served.
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 underway before the market does, at 8. They've got good à la carte soups and pizzas, too, and yummy brownies, muffins, cheesecake, and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
