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.
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- 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!