-
La Guaragua
The tables are a bit officelike, but the food is excellent at this new café-cum-restaurant with imaginative salads and delicious appetizers such as tortillas de quinoa (quinoa patties) and empanadas.
-
La Paella Valenciana
Serves knockout Spanish seafood plates, including excellent paella (hence the name). Portions are gigantic.
-
La Posada Colonial
For those pinching pennies, you'll find good family-style food and cheap almuerzos (set lunches) here, inside its namesake hotel.
-
Las Cuevas de Luís Candela
Built in the vaulted cellar of an old-time building, this atmospheric and windowless Spanish/Ecuadorian restaurant has been around since 1963. Bullfighting greats Manolo and Manolete both ate here, and the toilet (the first of its kind in the old town) was 'inaugurated' by President Arosemena (be sure to take a…look).
-
Las Redes
One of the city's best cevicherías (ceviche restaurants), Las Redes boasts a friendly staff and a lovely dining room. Try the gran ceviche mixto (mixed ceviche); it's huge and delicious.
-
Le Arcate
This Mariscal favorite bakes more than 50 kinds of pizza (likely the best around) in a wood-fired oven and serves reasonably priced lasagna, steak and seafood. Great place.
-
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.
-
Mágico Oriental
Elegant, classy and authentic, Mágico Oriental serves delicious Chinese dishes.
-
Mama Clorindas
This modest, friendly restaurant serves delicious national specialties to a mostly foreign clientele. Prices are reasonable.
-
Advertisement
-
Mare Nostrum
In a Gothic, castlelike building complete with knights in armor on the walls and giant wood tables and chairs, Mare Nostrum serves exquisite seafood dishes with Spanish and Ecuadorian influences.
-
Mea Culpa
An over-the-top Mediterranean menu and a strictly enforced dress code make this one of the old town's premier restaurants. The views and romantic setting reportedly dwarf the food, but why not throw on that party dress and find out for yourself?
-
Mediterraneo Cevichería
In terms of value, it's hard to beat the almuerzos here, considering you get an appetizer, soup, main course, dessert and juice. It's a cute little house too, and popular with lunchtime business folks. Good ceviches.
-
Mercado Central
For stall after stall of some of Quito's most traditional (and cheapest) foods, head straight to the Mercado Central, 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. Located between Esmeraldas and Manabí.
-
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.
-
Nuevo Cordovéz
Colorful booths and a bullfighting theme. For those pinching pennies, you'll find good family-style food and cheap almuerzos (set lunches) here.
-
Orisha
This is a cozy little Cuban restaurant with Yoruba crafts adorning the walls and excellent food on the menu.
-
Pekin
Pekin has a slightly conservative air, but the owners are friendly and the food is good.
-
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Think fajitas - the rest of the menu is good, but doesn't quite measure up to that sizzling plate of chicken or beef. Wash 'em down with the excellent piña coladas and you'll be singing Jimmy Buffet all the way home.
-
Rincón de Cantuña
Inside the Hotel Patio Andaluz, this upscale restaurant serves gourmet Spanish and Ecuadorian fare to an almost strictly foreign clientele. You could skip the full dinner and just try the sopa de bolas de verde (peanut and plantain-ball soup), a wonderful coastal delicacy that's well worth the around US$5 .
-
Advertisement
-
Rincón de Francia
This is one of the best-known French restaurants in town and has been for decades. A full meal will cost at least around US$20 and twice that if you dip into the wine.
-
Sake
This is Quito's premier (and most expensive) sushi restaurant, a trendy, upscale place with outstanding food. Reservations are a must on weekends.
-
Sakti
This caféteria-style restaurant serves cheap, wholesome soups, veggies, fruit salads, pastas and lasagna to a faithful crowd of lunchtime locals.
-
Shorton Grill
This excellent, conveniently located grill serves large juicy portions of meat, seafood and poultry a la brasa (grilled).
