3 Best Restaurants in The Amazon Basin, Peru

A great place for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the menu here is so vast that even the pickiest eaters will find something to enjoy. Selections include lighter fare such as soups, salads, and grain bowls, as well as heartier mains that include Peruvian favorites, American-style comfort food, international dishes, and plenty of vegetarian/vegan options. Coffee, smoothies, and desserts round out the menu, so no matter what time of day you go to people-watch along the malecón, you will leave satisfied.

Conveniently located on the Plaza de Armas, this popular restaurant is a good spot for a light meal, dessert, or fresh fruit drink. The menu includes a selection of sandwiches and salads, tamales, and entrées like chicken cordon bleu, but most people come for the homemade pastries and ice cream flavored with castañas (Brazil nuts) and local rainforest fruits such as aguaje and camu camu. Wooden tables fill the front room next to the display cases, and there is a large patio in back. A Swiss priest known as Padre Xavier opened it, and the profits go to a home for at-risk children in Puerto Maldonado.

This tastefully restored rubber-boom-era mansion is well worth a visit—if not for a meal, at least for a drink or much-needed espresso—with sidewalk tables on the malecón and plenty more inside. The French-inspired menu features basic bistro fare (think crepes, fish sautéed in butter, or chicken cordon bleu) and international favorites like hamburgers and pastas, as well as lighter salads and sandwiches. Try the doncella al ajillo (Amazon catfish fillet sautéed with garlic) or the tenderloin Chateaubriand.