Quito Restaurants

You can find this restaurant in the north of the city, in a neighborhood with several different types of businesses. It is based in a large but cozy two-story building formally decorated with typical details. The restaurant offers piano music during lunch hours, and in the evenings from 8pm, an Andean music ensemble called "Los Caballeros de la Ronda" accompanied by a small group called "Siembra." Sunday nights you can enjoy the vitality and artistic richness of the Ballet Folclorico conducted by Mrs. Virginia Rosero, an Ecuadorian dance artist. The region's gastronomic culture is present in a wide range of dishes and beverages that will please even the most demanding. You can taste the delicious Llapingachos (potato omelette) with ham, fried plantain and avocado or a beefsteak fried in brass frying pans. Of course, you should not miss a good leg soup or the traditional Yaguarloco prepared with lambs' blood and potatoes in their skins. Accompany your meal with chicha de maiz or the traditional Rosero.

Located in a residential area, Mare Nostrum has an entrance patio with a central fountain. On entering this elegant old Spanish-style house, you will find three spacious areas, giving you the impression that you are in an old Mediterranean castle. The first area is for business use, next to a small bar and with windows that face the street to the rear of the building. The second section has a more romantic ambiance, less illuminated with a fireplace, and is situated at ground floor level. The third area, in the rear of the building, is a family space with large tables and chairs for children. Mare Nostrum serves the sea on a plate, impeccably presented, in the tradition of the best restaurants in the world. The house specialties are the Parrillada de mariscos Nostrum and Langostinos en salsa de almendras. Accompany these splendid dishes with one of its special vintage wines.

Seseribó is a very popular Salsa club located in the La Mariscal area of Quito. Seseribó is rumored to be the first salsateca in the city. The colorfully and eclectically decorated club will pump up the excitement bound to last all night at this bar, where you can enjoy the live music and the talented salsa dancers who take to the floor.

This restaurant is located in the heart of the city's nightlife quarter. They serve typical Italian cuisine, in a cozy atmosphere with soft and romantic music in the background. It is a bright, large and friendly place, personally attended by the owners. The decor is simple, with long tablecloths on the tables and perfectly folded napkins to match. The walls are decorated with Italian motifs and objects.

Sutra is one of the most popular coffee bars in Quito and is located right in the heart of Quito's nightlife quarter. It is two-story building boasting a striking decor, with original drawings on the walls and some sculptures in the corridors. Sutra is very popular with foreign tourists as it offers access to the Internet for a very low price. Sutra offers several types of coffees, such as cappuccino, mocaccino, cortado, Irish coffee or the popular carajillo. If you want something to eat with your coffee, order a sandwich or a cold or warm salad.

Found in the middle of the city's financial district, this place serves as a restaurant, coffee shop and a hostel. Its exceptional location means that there is a constant stream of customers every day, forcing the management to constantly review its levels of service. It is a cozy and quiet place frequented by loads of North American and European tourists. The building has two floors, one of which is open air, so you may eat outside if you prefer. In a cozy environment, you can enjoy an ice-cold beer, a wide range of natural juices or a soda. There is a wide choice of North-American food and you can make friends from all parts of the world.

Calle Calama is one of the busiest streets in the city, for it is a place with a large variety of cyber cafés, bars and restaurants. One of these is La Boca del Lobo. This two-story building is an alternative gay bar, although it would be more accurate to say it was mixed, since the clientele is probably half gay, half straight. The most outstanding feature of the decor is the darkly painted central dome, which has finely painted representations of all the little lambs that the wolf ate (a reference to the name of the club, which translated, means "The wolf's mouth"). The menu is made up of local and international cuisine, served on splendid dishes. The amazing desserts are definitely not for those on a diet. The list of drinks to accompany the delicious food includes local and imported wines and spirits.

Varadero is a typical Cuban restaurant and bar located in the heart of the night club area of the city. It is a simple place divided into two areas, with a central and a side bar. Varadero is a very busy place during the weekends, popular with young locals and foreigners. The restaurant's house band has a repertoire of Afro-American and Caribbean rhythms and plays frequently at this establishment.

Located in one of the busiest parts of the city - the north-central area, Reina Victoria will always give you a warm welcome. This place is an old house with more than a hundred years of history, surrounded by tourist spots, cafes, cybercafes, inns and comfortable hostels. It was chosen in a readers' poll in Newsweek magazine as one of the 22 best restaurants and nightspots in the world. The owners, as well as all the staff, speak both English and Spanish. For the last eighteen years, Reina Victoria has offered some of the best British cuisine, although its menu also includes some choices from the United States. You could enjoy for example, one of its main dishes: Fish and chips, accompanied by cold beer or a good white wine. If you prefer, you can find a comfortable corner to play billiards or darts. There is no admission charge and the prices are very reasonable.

Right where the north side of the city starts, Cafe Libro invites you to spend an afternoon or evening in the company of your friends or relatives. This is a simple cafe, with wooden chairs and tables, each with a candle and covered by a plain tablecloth. This is a popular meeting place for students, young people, artists and intellectuals, who improvise poems, songs and music every Thursday and Friday. There are music groups that perform here periodically, playing rhythms such as jazz, blues, Andean music and other styles. It is an ideal place to meet people and enjoy some culture at the same time.

Very close to the commercial area of the city, this is a cozy place and a favorite spot for lovers of Asian food. It is decorated in traditional Japanese style with Japanese objects on the walls and in the passageways. The whole place has an oriental feel, so that you can imagine you are being transported to those far away lands as you eat. The clientèle that usually visit this restaurant are connoisseurs of this type of cuisine and have demanding tastes. This type of food is not generally eaten by most of the people from Quito. The Fuji special is the most popular dish. It has a variety of fish from Ecuadorian waters, some raw, some smoked and others boiled, accompanied by fresh vegetables. It is served in a tray but comes in individual portions. Other specialty of the house is the Teppanyaki, which is a combination of different types of roasted meat accompanied by vegetables. If you prefer, you can try the Teriyaki which is delicious barbecued meat. And of course there is the unmistakable and traditional Japanese Sake or the exclusive Japanese beer that they serve in this restaurant.

This restaurant, which is located in the very heart of the night life district, is surrounded by bars, discos and fast food carts. It is a cozy place with wooden chairs laid on two levels, each with a different atmosphere. There is a bar in the center, from where all the orders are controlled and sent to the tables, where customers are served directly. You can enjoy typical Cuban food in a typical Cuban atmosphere of 'Son and Sabor'. Thursday nights, from 10p onwards, you can listen to Cuban artists singing the best of Cuban music.

This restaurant is located in the north of the city very near to the financial quarter, and one of the city's main arteries (Avenida 9 de Octubre). This exclusive venue offers traditional French cuisine in an elegant and tasteful atmosphere. The place is fully carpeted with tables for small and large parties, all beautifully decorated. Visitors can also enjoy the live piano music while they savor their meal. In the Rincón de Francia (The French Corner), you can enjoy Carapachos rellenos (filled shells), Corvina flameada al pernot (flamed sea bass), Charolais a las tres pimientas (Three peppered Charolais), and other very special "a la carte dishes" prepared by expert chefs. There are excellent French wines to be tasted or if you prefer you may have champagne. If you do not like wine or spirits, you may order a juice or a soda.

This restaurant, located just a few blocks away from the main commercial and banking district, is a large and elegant building, classically decorated. This place is popular with business people, groups of friends or individuals who wish to enjoy a good barbecue. The atmosphere is cozy and you can find your own private corner. The staff is helpful and the background piano music is the ideal accompaniment while you enjoy a fresh steak with all the trimmings.

Located in the middle of the city's commercial and banking quarter, this is the spot to eat as the locals do. It serves some of the best local cuisine in town, and spices up the ambiance with live harp music. Traditional Guatita (side of beef cooked with peanuts and potatoes) and steamed tongue are popular choices, not to mention the well-known set menus that combine soup (cow-foot soup, 'yahuarlocro' and others). It is also has other exotic offerings like guinea pig and more recognizable entrees like quarter chicken.