If you’re in Huacachina, chances are you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of places to eat that all kiiinda look the same. Also, probably, by the sand blowing into your eyes, and by the tour touts trying to flog you an S/70 pisco tasting every four steps.
Good news: as a repeat Huacachina visitor, I’ve eaten my way around the oasis so you don’t have to gamble on it. So here’s exactly where to eat in Huacachina – a short, honest shortlist of genuinely excellent spots for whatever your stomach needs, whenever it needs it.
(New here? Start with my full Huacachina guide for how to spend a couple of days in the oasis, and my where to stay rundown. If you’re feeling adventurous, check out my guide to the best vineyards in nearby Ica!)
Quick picks:
- Best breakfast & coffee: Jaku
- Best pizza & lake views: Wild Olive
- Best craft beer (and a legendary lasagne): Tiki Backyard
- Best hearty Peruvian: Quntu
- Best lighter bite, cheap drinks & sports: Viajero
The best places to eat in Huacachina
Jaku – best for breakfast and (proper) coffee
This is your breakfast spot, full stop. Think avocado toast, eggs, pancakes, cakes – a menu that reads hipster even though the place itself really isn’t. And, most importantly, strong coffee.
This coffee point is especially important. Huacachina is not flush with cafes. And nearly every hotel and hostel in Huacachina serves the weakest coffee from some deeply spurious source. Jaku is therefore where you come to feel human again, even if you’ve already eaten. Just get the coffee. This truly is the best coffee in Huacachina.
The place was rammed during the morning rush when I went, and service was on the slow side, but the food was worth the wait. Bonus: you can rent sandboards here, and because it’s tucked off the main strip you won’t get hassled by touts. It’s small, though, so you may have to wait for a table. Almond milk is the only dairy alternative on offer, but for Huacachina, that’s pretty generous.
Wild Olive – best for pizza, pasta and lake views
You’ll spot Wild Olive by the queue out the door during the evening. This Italian trattoria (which is also a little guesthouse) is one of the most popular tables in town, and for good reason. The pizzas are thick-crust and loaded with cheese, and you can build your own from scratch (olives AND pineapple let me hear you!). The pasta dishes are hefty too – the lasagne especially – and exactly what you want after a day of touring on your feet. Sit on the terrace for beautiful lake views.
Wild Olive also does a basic breakfast (eggs, fruit, nothing fancy, but not bad at all). Crucially, it also serves wines from the nearby Tacama vineyard. So if you’ve just rolled in from a vineyard tour and aren’t ready for the magic to end, this is a treat. (Not done the vineyards yet? Here’s my guide to doing the better vineyards in Ica properly!)
Tiki Backyard – best for craft beer (and one unforgettable lasagne)
Technically a hostel, but really it’s your classic backpacker bar: burgers, pizzas, Peruvian dishes, and – the actual winner – a proper craft beer selection, including fruit beers. Being a tiki bar, there’s also a big cocktail list. There’s a pool too, so if you come for lunch you can make an afternoon of it. It’s set back from the water (it stretches through to the street behind), so this isn’t one for lake views.
But you’re not here for the view. You’re here for the AJÍ DE GALLINA LASAGNE, a heavenly mash-up of the Peruvian classic and Italian comfort food. Honestly, go just for that. The wider menu is huge though – sandwiches, salads, an absurd number of pastas, even a Thai curry, plus desserts. You really can’t go wrong. They’re also open for breakfast, and although it may be unconventional to have breakfast in a tiki bar, there’s no law against it, and the breakfast menu is pretty decent.
Quntu – best for hearty, well-priced Peruvian dishes
Another one that was packed with diners every evening I walked past. It’s mostly Peruvian food and pizza but has a bit of everything. And it’s consistently one of the highly-rated spots around. It’s known for its mango ceviche (don’t ask, just go and try it for yourself…), but the real reason to come is honest, hearty Peruvian food at reasonable prices: pollo a la plancha, lomo saltado, chaufa, the lot. And – take note – it has its own dedicated vegetarian menu, which is a rare and beautiful thing in this town.
Viajero – best for a lighter bite, cheap drinks and sports
Another hostel, but Viajero is reliable wherever in the world you find one. The menu is ultimately hostel food, but we got a genuinely great poke bowl (really more of a loaded salad bowl) here. So if you’re craving something vaguely vitamin-rich after days of pizza and pisco, come here. The wings were excellent too, and there are the usual burgers and fries. Drinks are cheap if that’s the mission, and there are TVs, so it’s also a solid sports-watching spot. (Speaking of – here’s my guide to watching the World Cup in Huacachina).
Final word
Huacachina is small, so none of this is a trek. You can hit every spot on this list within a five-minute walk of the lake. Do breakfast at Jaku, pizza and a lake view at Wild Olive, and end up sinking craft beers over that lasagne at Tiki Backyard, and you’ve basically nailed the oasis. This is hands down the way to eat in Huacachina. Just line up a bottle of water somewhere along the way. You’ll have earned it.
FAQ
Where’s the best breakfast in Huacachina? Jaku, hands down. For both the food (avocado toast, eggs, pancakes) and, more importantly, actual strong coffee, which is genuinely hard to find in the oasis. Worth going just for a flat white even if you’ve eaten.
Where’s the best pizza in Huacachina? Wild Olive for thick-crust, build-your-own pizzas with a lake view, or Tiki Backyard if you want pizza with a craft beer and a pool. Both are excellent.
Is it expensive to eat in Huacachina? It’s not cheap, but not breaking the bank. Budget roughly S/50-60 for a mains. Hostel bars and set menus come in cheaper. It’s pricier than Ica city proper, since you’re paying the oasis (read: tourist) premium.
Do Huacachina restaurants take card? Most of the bigger spots do, but bring some cash if you’re buying on the street or in smaller places. There are a couple of ATMs in the oasis.
Where can I eat with a lake view? Wild Olive’s terrace is your best bet. A lot of the lakeside spots have views but wildly variable food, so Wild Olive is the safe combination of both.
Best options for vegetarians? Quntu has a dedicated vegetarian menu (rare here), and Viajero’s salad and poke-style bowls are a good lighter, veg-friendly shout.
Do I need to book? Generally no, just turn up. But the oasis gets busy just after sunset when the tours return. And if you’re visiting during the Vendimia (grape harvest festival, first half of March), everything is heaving, so eat a little earlier or expect a wait.
This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend places I’ve actually used or would genuinely recommend.
