Mapacho Craft Beer Restaurant

Visited like everyone else.. while in town to trek to Machu Picchu. Located by the river, a cool breeze and the roar of the rapids set a tone. But so did the guy at the front door soliciting tourists to come in. The only place in Aguas Calientes that brews their own beer - cool! However the beer is awful. As I wrote in the review for the Weissbier: it didn’t look like a wheat beer and it was well past its prime. Food selection was Peruvian, my alpalca was ok but probably the worst example I had on my trip. Prices were fine compared to the town but a bit higher than you’d pay elsewhere in Peru. Disappointing. It’s hard to recommend this place for beer.

 

Should you find yourself in the town at the base of Machu Picchu, this seems to be your only option for on-premise made beer. Mapacho also offers many craft beers from other parts of Peru. So as far as beer locales go in touristy parts of the world, this one ain't bad.

The restaurant is laid back and seems to have a lot of traditional Peruvian food. We didn't eat here but others seemed to be enjoying their meals. The setting is pleasant with nice window seats overlooking the hillside.

While the name gives one the impression that craft beer is emphasized, the full bar dispels that notion quickly. Even the menu doesn't get to the beer until the end.

I had two of the four in-house brews. They were pedestrian but drinkable. So, in summary, if you've done Machu Picchu and want a craft beer, this is probably the only place that truly qualifies.