We really enjoyed their traditional Pachamanca lunch which they host on their organic farm, so were excited to hear about their new offering which is without question, currently the most exciting dining option in Ollantaytambo. The word ‘Chuncho’ is from the local Quechua language, means native and wild and is the perfect name for this farm to fork culinary experience.

Peru is known on the world stage for its fabulous culinary tradition. Due in large part to the incredible quality of the ingredients available. The Chuncho restaurant focuses entirely on all local and seasonal ingredients of the highest quality that are then prepared in the true traditional Andean style. Don’t be surprised if you have never heard of most of the dishes on the menu. These are true traditional Andean dishes so you won’t find lomo saltado or ceviche here!

The ‘piqueos’ or snacks section of the menu are perfect as appetizers or as a smaller main option. We tried the ‘meriendita’.  A nice selection of 4 traditional dishes including quinoa and chard pancakes, spicy stuffed rocoto pepper, solterito, a salad made of fava beans, carrots, onions and the local lake ‘seaweed’ and a delicious piece of roasted giant corn served with butter.

The star dishes are their ‘banquets’ which are a 4-step journey through a series of traditional dishes designed to share. Start with a selection of snacks or appetizers including ricotta cheese with aromatic herbs served with ‘uncucha’ chips, a tuber from the Amazon. There is then a selection of soups made from local vegetables either grown on their organic farm or sourced locally.

Mains include roast guinea pig and Andean lamb served with the  ‘meriendita’ sides mentioned above. Dessert is a selection of mini-desserts from the Andes including a cacao truffle made from chuncho chocolate, a beetroot brownie and a delicious quinoa milk pudding to end your feast.

Chuncho also has a fabulous bar where they serve only drinks made from their ‘Caña Alta’ premium sugar cane spirit that they produce in their own Andina Distillery. The bar is one of our favourite things about Chuncho. They serve incredible cocktails with their own twist – like the ‘Matacuy Sour’ made with their sugar cane spirit and grapefruit juice. The ‘Silvestre’ mocktail, was quite simply one of the most refreshing and tasty drinks we had enjoyed in a long time – sherbet, lemon, grapefruit juice with fresh lemon balm and fennel. Delicious!

The décor is simple and rustic but cozy. A re-purposed old-school truck sits in pride of place as the bar. Tables are wooden, dishes old-school enamel and calico covered benches and chairs complete the experience.

We love visiting Joaquin and Wendy as they are continuously striving to create sustainable projects that look after the land and the local community that also provide authentic, unique and local experiences to travellers passing through. The Chuncho restaurant is definitely well worth the visit on your way to Machu Picchu.

Best of Peru Travel Recommends:

• Start at the bar for a pre-dinner drink. What they do here in terms of the creativity in their drinks and the quality of their ingredients us unique to the Sacred valley and well worth the exploration.

• To get the full Chuncho restaurant experience definitely go with the banquet menu so you can get a real feel for typical Andean cuisine.

• Did we mention they also have their own coffee brand and roast their own beans in their coffee roastery, so it’s also a great place to grab a great coffee.

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Oscar from the El Albergue hotel met us in reception and took us out to the farm where the stones had already been heated up for the Pachamanca. The heated stones are placed in a fire pit and then the meat (chicken, lamb and pork) is placed directly on top of the stones along with potatoes and sweet potato. This is all covered with more heated rocks plus a layer of fresh herbs and fava beans from the garden.

The mound is then covered in a cotton fabric to keep the dirt out followed by a thick layer of earth. When finished the oven looks literally just like a mound of earth!

While you are waiting for the food to cook, Oscar will take you on a tour of the organic farm that provides 90% of ingredients for the Pachamanca as well as products for the Albergue restaurant. They grow many varieties including typical local plants like huacatay (black mint), inca berries and quinoa, and raise their own rabbits, ducks and sheep.

The layers of earth, fabric and rocks are removed after just twenty minutes to reveal golden, crispy, tender meat, well-cooked potatoes and beans which are immediately served on your plate. Colourful salads picked that morning along with traditional sauces including huacatay and huancaina complete the spread. Everything is perfectly set up family-style on long outdoor tables, surrounded by the stunning mountains and a great view of the Ollantaytambo ruins.

It’s definitely nice to try a traditional pachamanca when in Peru and El Albergue has the perfect set-up with a rustic dining area set in the stunning surrounds of Ollantaytambo with a great view of the ruins.

The Pachamanca is a different culinary experience and is great to try when in Peru. Food is rustic, tasty and extremely fresh, and is enjoyed in a relaxing country setting. We loved this option for a different type of lunch before heading off to Machu Picchu.

Best of Peru Travel Recommends:

• Make sure to book in advance. Minimum of two people required.

• If you’re interested in nature and organic farming allow time to have a decent visit of the farm. Oscar is very passionate about what he does and it is a pleasure to spend time with him learning about the local plants and organic farming.

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Domingo, a local Andean harpist accompanied our evening with soft Andean music while we watched the chef and his team produce great tasting dishes made with locally sourced ingredients in the open kitchen where ribbons of house-made fresh fettuccine hang along the counter top.

A tasty complimentary entrée of fried yucca with ocopa sauce (a mix of the huacatay herb, cheese and crackers) started off our meal followed by a good grilled vegetable antipasto plate with hard to find ingredients in the Sacred Valley like sun-dried tomatoes and goat’s cheese. For mains, the house chorizo puttanesca pasta was good and the steak was fabulous, cooked to perfection and one of the best we have tasted here in the valley. For vegetarians, the quinoa tabule or the Albergue salad are nice options.

This is one of our top picks for a romantic candle-lit dinner or a relaxed evening with friends in Ollantaytambo. The prices surprised us here with mains running from S/25 – S/65 which we felt was very reasonable for the quality of food and the ambience of this spot compared with some other run of the mill eateries on the tourist trail in Ollantaytambo.

A decent wine menu is also available. Do remember to book your table in advance as this restaurant is busy all year round.

Best of Peru Travel Recommends:

• The 3 steak tasting dish with beef, alpaca and lamb is a delicious option with all their meat organically sourced from the surrounding area.

• One word for desert – the famous Albergue brownie served with home-made vanilla ice-cream…

• To read about the Albergue’s delicious traditional Pachamanca lunch click here.

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Sonia Newhouse is an incredible 93 year old woman who decided to leave the shores of England behind and move to Peru back in 2002. In 2007 having experienced first hand the struggle of women and children in the Sacred Valley, who were suffering from malnutrition, domestic violence, health issues and lack of facilities she decided to open up the café and set up a foundation to help.

Sonia is now no longer involved in the cafe and but new owner Jose Luis continues to support with 20% of all profits going back to the foundation. They also support several of the foundations’ projects like the community food programme which provides school lunches to over 260 kids in the surrounding communities and medical campaigns throughout the year.

Often as tourists passing through the Sacred Valley we don´t have an opportunity to really get a close look at the local culture and issues that those outside the tourism world face every day. A visit to Heart´s is a great way to learn more about the ´real´ Sacred Valley while enjoying a good feed or cup of coffee.

Heart’s Cafe is  geared towards travellers heading to or from Machu Picchu looking for a quick bite to eat. The cafe decor itself is nothing to write home about but they have a nice view of the Ollantaytambo ruins from upstairs and good wifi. Food portions are large and food is simple with quality ingredients and a western-style menu.

A nice option if you want a decent, simple meal in Ollantaytambo.

Best of Peru Travel Recommends:

• The menu of the day is a great deal which includes quinoa soup, a chicken dish, a brownie and a lemonade all for 22 soles. They also have a vegetarian option available.

• Some of our other favourite dishes include  the new alpaca burger made from alpaca tenderloin served with chunky fries and the Heart’s house salad – a monstrous plate of salad (safely washed!) that is big enough to share between two! 

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For starters try the chicken soup which is fresh and light and comes with quinoa and perfectly cooked vegetables. For mains the burritos are always a big hit with customers, they come in a large portion with two freshly baked flour tortillas. Big enough to share, they come with guacamole, beans, cheese, tomatoes, chicken and fried potato sticks are fresh, simple and very reasonably priced at S/.18 (Approx. US$6.50). Wood-fired pizzas are the other speciality of the house. Pizzas are simple with two or three ingredients and a golden topping of cheese like something your mum might make.

Puka Rumi is a simple restaurant serving decent international fare that doesn’t try to be something it isn’t. The restaurant itself is big and roomy and decorated with traditional local weavings and figurines from the traditional dances. It’s a good place to stop for some tasty, home-style reasonably priced food in Ollantaytambo.

Best of Peru Travel Recommends:

• Our favourite dishes were the vegeterian burritos and the simple but classic margharita pizza which was served golden!

• Other house specialities include the steak with blue cheese sauce and the lemon pie for desert.

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Owned by the same people as the El Albergue hotel next door, their great quality coffee, delicious brownies and cookies make this place one of our top picks for great coffee in the Sacred Valley.

Barista and coffee connoisseur extraordinaire Frank Cebreros recently joined the Albergue team and he is now heading up their exciting new coffee roasting project. Their coffee is all roasted on site every few days and is by far the freshest, finest brew you will find in the Sacred Valley.  Pick up a bag of their hand-selected, hand-blended coffee to take home  when you catch your train to Machu Picchu and if you have a spare half hour ask Frank to give you the tour of the coffee roasting area to learn some fascinating facts about coffee!

Best of Peru Travel Recommends:

• Cafe Mayu have also just changed their menu. All the house cocktails are now being created from their own home-brewed sugar cane liquor produced on-site – trust us it’s delicious!

• The menu also offers light snacks including chicken wings and wraps. Perfect options if you are looking for a decent, light bite to eat before heading to Machu Picchu.

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This is a colourful, lively café located right on the corner of the main square in Ollantaytambo as the name ‘esquina’ would suggest. The outdoor tables are a great spot for people watching and owner Ridert does everything possible to make all guests feel at home.

House specialties include the daily lunch or dinner menu which includes soup, main, desert and a lemonade for the great price of S/.18  (Approx. US$7) and the delicious organic house salads sourced from the organic farm at El Albergue just down the road.

La Esquinas’ pièce de resistance is without doubt their daily house-baked sweet treats including carrot cake, chocolate brownies and scrumptious cinnamon rolls. They also do one of the best coffees in town (the coffee is grown locally in the nearby town of Calca). A great place for an afternoon pick-me-up and rest stop after a morning at the Ollantaytambo ruins.

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