3 Best Restaurants in Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, Peru

An engaging French-Peruvian couple manage one of the town's best restaurants, whose eclectic decor—think maritime kitsch—is worth a visit on its own. Quiche Lorraine, ginger chicken, and spicy trucha a la macho (trout in hot pepper and wine sauce) are favorites on the Peruvian-French fusion à la carte menu, but the reasonably priced (S/80), prix-fixe, three-course menu is the way to go, offering all the same options plus heavenly homemade bread. It's as good a place for dining with friends as for an intimate dinner for two.

The restaurant in the Sumaq Hotel is a must-experience for foodies thanks not only to culinary offerings that can easily hold their own against anything Lima's finest restaurants can dish out but also to a first-class setting and the utmost in professional yet warm service. European dishes like ravioli are given an Andean slant by stuffing them with ají de gallina, and traditional Peruvian fare is infused with international flavor. Reservations are a good idea, especially if you plan to opt for the six-course degustation menu, a true gastronomic delight.

This well-established tourist favorite has long tables set up in the center of its cavernous dining room to accommodate the tour groups that come for the huge buffet lunch. In the evening, grilled dishes like trucha andina (Andean trout), beef, or alpaca—served amid the entertainment of a folkloric music show—are better bets than the buffet items. Grab one of the smaller tables by the window for a river view or out on the shaded front patio for some good people-watching.