Restaurants in Quito
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Magic Bean
Long the epicenter of the Mariscal, the Magic Bean serves a variety of well-prepared breakfasts, lunches, juices and snacks for the ever-present crowd of hungry travelers.
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Uncle Ho’s
Sleek and slender, Uncle Ho’s whips up tasty bowls of pho (noodle soup), sea bass with chili and lime over rice noodles, glazed spare ribs and other Vietnamese hits. Eat at the counter or grab an outdoor table on the quiet street in front.
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ChaCha
This cheap Argentine eatery serves pizza, pasta and empanadas at outdoor tables. Readers and travelers continually recommend it.
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Pim’s
Inside the Parque Itchimbia, this new outpost of the Pim’s chain offers fantastic views over the city. Enjoy tasty traditional Ecuadorian fare, plus sandwiches and cocktails in the elegant, if somewhat stuffy, dining room, or on the outside patio.
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Hasta La Vuelta, Señor
Ecuadorian cuisine is prepared with panache at this excellent restaurant with balcony seating. Reliable favorites include ceviche, secos de chivo, tilapia and sea bass.
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Adam's Rib
Adam's has been grilling up US-style ribs and barbecued meats since 1986. And with a bar, pool table and satellite TV, it's no wonder there's a faithful stream of expats.
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La Briciola
This longtime favorite has an outstanding and varied menu. The portions are large and the wine is fairly priced. Make a reservation if you hope to eat before 9:30pm.
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Aladdin’s
This extremely popular souk-themed restaurant serves great falafel and shawarma sandwiches, as well as main courses. Giant hookahs attract the hipsters.
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Sake
This is Quito’s premier sushi restaurant, a trendy, upscale place with outstanding food. Reservations are a must on weekends.
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chiQuito
This intimate and artsy café makes for a perfect lunch or coffee break during a leisurely walk down to Guápulo.
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Siam
Siam cooks up delicious Thai food, served in a cozy upstairs dining room amid Eastern art and relaxing music.
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Zócalo
Zócalo is a popular, buzzy place, with a prime, 2nd-floor location, situated right in the hub of the Mariscal Sucre. The atmosphere is fun and the food (snacks, Mexican-style dishes etc) is decent.
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Octava de Corpus
For a completely different dining experience, head to this little-known restaurant hidden inside a colonial home on lovely Junín. Artwork covers every surface of the place, and there’s a homey lounge with an enormous wine cellar featuring more than 230 vintages from both the new and old world. The menu features classic meat and seafood (all grilled or steamed). Free transport is provided with a reservation (which is recommended).
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Motes de San Juan
Businessmen, nurses, cops, laborers, families, you name it - everyone comes to this hole-in-the-wall eatery, high on a hill in San Juan neighborhood. Why? They all swear it's the best mote (hominy, served with fried pork, toasted corn and hot sauce) in town. Fifty years cooking Quito's most traditional dish has to mean something! Take a cab or kill your legs hiking up José Riofrío.
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Mercado Central
For stall after stall of some of Quito’s most traditional (and cheapest) foods, head straight to the Mercado Central, between Esmeraldas and Manabí, where you’ll find everything from locro de papa (potato soup with cheese and avocado) and seafood, to yaguarlocro (blood-sausage soup) and fritada (fried pork). Fruits and veggies are available too.
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El Buen Sandwich
Secreted inside a shopping gallery, the unassuming El Buen Sandwich has just three things on the menu: secos de chivo (goat stew; one of Ecuador’s most traditional dishes), ceviche and sanduches de pernil (ham sandwiches). All are quite good, and the garrulous owner has many talents – his artwork fills the restaurant.
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El Puerto Callao
Overlooking a small plaza, this cozy slightly upscale restaurant serves a good mix of classic Peruvian staples. Start with the pulpo al olivo (marinated octopus and olives) or papa rellena (mashed potatoes stuffed with seasoned ground beef) before moving on to ceviche, grilled shrimp or seafood with rice.
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Cafetería Fabiolita
For more than 40 years, Fabiola Flores and her daughter Margarita have been serving up the city’s favorite secos de chivo, in this immaculate little shop beneath the cathedral, still the most authentic place to try this dish (9am to 11am only). Its famous sanduches de pernil even humble city politicians.
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La Canoa
Near Mera, this highly regarded restaurant from Guayaquil is your best opportunity to try Ecuadorian delicacies without emptying your wallet: there’s sopa de verde (plantain soup), caldo de manguera (tripe soup that’s said to be an aphrodisiac), bandera (a mixed seafood plate) and other treats.
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Naranjilla Mecánica
This self-consciously hip restaurant attracts a fun, mixed crowd gathering over inventive salads, tasty sandwiches and satisfying mains such as grilled haddock with capers. The menu comes in hardback, comic-book form and the decor is Bohemian chic, with an enclosed patio in back that gets swelteringly hot on sunny days.
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Café del Teatro
Grab a table on the plaza and enjoy a drink with great views of the Teatro Sucre. Inside, you’ll find a stylish, multilevel café-restaurant with chefs whipping up corvina with shrimp sauce, ribs, steak and other comfort food, as well as sandwiches and lighter fare. It stays open later when events are on at the theatre.
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Uvíllas de Ochún
Ochún, the Yoruban goddess of love, wealth and happiness watches over this friendly, colorfully decorated café (that’s her in the corner). In addition to smooth Cuban coffee and strong Cuban rum, visitors can sample tasty snacks, sandwiches, pizzas and light fare. The artwork on the walls is for sale.
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Boca del Lobo
Beneath the soundtrack of ambient grooves, a mix of stylish Ecuadorians and neatly dressed foreigners mingle over raclette, crepes, open-faced sandwiches, baked desserts and sugary sweet cocktails. The ambience is pure kitsch, with colored-glass globes, empty birdcages and psychedelic paintings.
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Boca del Lobo
Beneath the soundtrack of ambient grooves, a mix of stylish Ecuadorians and neatly dressed foreigners mingle over raclette, crepes, open-faced sandwiches, baked desserts and sugary sweet cocktails. The ambience is pure kitsch, with colored-glass globes, empty birdcages and psychedelic paintings.
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Vista Hermosa
A much-loved newcomer to El Centro, Vista Hermosa (Beautiful View) delivers the goods with a magnificent 360-degree panorama over the old town from its rooftop terrace. Live music on Wednesday to Saturday (from 9pm onwards) adds to the magic. Bring a jacket and arrive early to beat the crowds.
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