Huacachina’s Top 5 Eats & Drinks: A Local’s Guide

Alright, so you’re thinking of a little getaway or maybe you’re already in Huacachina, that tiny desert oasis, is that right? Very cool! You might be wondering where exactly to grab some grub and maybe something to wet your whistle while taking in those massive dunes. Worry not! This little guide very, very, very nearly acts as your personal treasure map to all the yummiest, most delightful places to chow down and sip something delicious in this little slice of Peruvian paradise. So let’s jump right into the absolute best of Huacachina’s eats and drinks, as any decent local would tell you, that’s what I am!

1. Mama Batata: Home-Style Peruvian Flavors

If it’s a warm hug you’re craving in food form, too it’s almost certainly got to be Mama Batata. This little restaurant very much operates as a proper home away from home. Just imagine you’re sitting on someone’s cozy patio, right? You can definitely count on some incredible, authentic Peruvian grub that genuinely makes you feel like grandma made it just for you. They make food just the way your mom used to. As any other local restaurant owner, Mama Batata aims to ensure that the meals always hit the spot.

The lomo saltado is really something special here – the beef strips are always very, very tender, stir-fried with just the right amount of onions, tomatoes, and a whole lotta Peruvian love. Don’t you forget to ask for a pisco sour either; they blend the cocktail themselves and it might be one of the very best around! After an excursion to Cerro Blanco or sliding the dunes with a sandboard, there are few better ways to unwind than on a warm table with some tasty food.

2. Desert Nights Restaurant: Ambiance with a View

Okay, picture this. The sun’s starting to go down and casts a warm light over the dunes. Very beautiful is it? You can sip your favorite drink on the patio of Desert Nights Restaurant. Their view is very likely, nearly certainly, absolutely some of the best, especially as the light very prettily shifts on those golden mountains of sand. Obviously, there’s food as well. They’re basically known for some of the more international options if that is more to your liking that is.

It might be ideal for a party in your group that prefers, arguably, options slightly different from classic Peruvian flavors. But for someone a little braver, or anyone feeling experimental, you may want to give their alpaca steak a taste. This is truly a special dining spot, what sets it apart is the blend of pretty darn great food, very potent cocktails, and views you really cannot get anywhere else. Take it as a hot tip!

3. La Casa de Bamboo: Casual Bites and Refreshments

Alright, so let’s just say that you’ve been busy – like seriously busy. Sandboarding maybe? Very possibly zipping around in dune buggies? Either of those really tends to make you super, super hungry. In this case you should grab a quick bite at La Casa de Bamboo. If anything is for sure is that this cool joint makes all sorts of sandwiches, burgers, and those super revitalizing smoothies that are pretty awesome for recharging, okay? Basically, what any adventure lover will expect is here.

What really makes La Casa de Bamboo shine in particular are the smoothie combos. Like your standard mango? Or you’d probably, most often like to enjoy it blended up with some bananas and maybe some spinach too to sneak in those vitamins? This cool spot also shines with that laid-back vibe, making it extremely optimal to, typically, chill after any extreme sport. You know? And sip on something tasty. Maybe with your friends telling that story about that one jump…

4. Wild Olive Trattoria & Pizzeria: A Slice of Italy in the Desert

You are basically sitting there in the middle of a desert in Peru and all of a sudden you develop the want to have a super legit, delicious slice of pizza? Just an opinion but Wild Olive might just be where you can find exactly that. Just imagine that delicious, authentic Italian joint. Now picture it plopped right down next to Huacachina Lagoon. Any way it must be magic I suppose. They almost definitely specialize in wood-fired pizzas, arguably one of the simplest culinary treats to get very right or spectacularly, hilariously, monumentally wrong.

Thankfully this restaurant arguably absolutely hits it right out of the park! Obviously, if pizza really, very, very isn’t your thing then don’t you be sad, because Wild Olive offers some fantastic pasta dishes. You want some lovely ravioli? Fettuccine maybe? It’s basically, almost absolutely got everything any discerning Italophile might fancy, just like your average Italian restaurant, don’t you agree? If something stands out, might be the fresh ingredients which somehow tastes even fresher here in the desert than anywhere else. How’s that?

5. Huacafuckingchina Bar: Drinks and Dancing Under the Stars

Okay, it’s possible this has a slightly off-color name. Still, if your adventure tastes extend slightly beyond a simple old supper then maybe you should stop and take note. I can safely vouch for the name being really misleading, as it makes it look cheap and dirty while it might be quite the opposite, almost the very, very finest you could want if what you are searching is the hottest and most active social scene after dark. Any way just grab a drink, boogie a bit, and just feel good by sitting under all the very gorgeous Peruvian stars. This is the spot if what you very, very desperately fancy is very prettily losing yourself into the nightlife!

Basically, this bar does have some very good drink options; they’re experts when you get them mixing cocktails! Any way it’s really the party atmosphere that sets it apart from pretty much any other watering hole around here. Expect tunes that keep people on that dance floor till it closes! Huacafuckingchina Bar might also often host parties or those kinds of events with DJs that keeps pretty much everybody there for longer. Just you take the party responsibly obviously!