South American Restaurants
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Cumaná
This bright, upbeat eatery is one of the only places in town serving traditional dishes from far-flung provinces of Argentina. The hearty criollo (Spanish/Indian) cuisine baking in the adobe oven includes locro, a thick corn-based stew made with meat and vegetables. Don’t miss the humita, a creamy cheese and corn mixture wrapped up in corncob leaves.
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D'Noz
This is upstairs above Nick's and is another popular hangout - it's about as close as San Pedro gets to a cultural center, with a global menu, free movies, a big bar, board games and a lending library.
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Chile's
Chile's deck overlooking the Pana dock and lake will always be a popular option. The party starts later here, too, with free salsa classes and dance music through the week.
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Páprika
One of the ‘in’ spots, this is a block removed from the roar of Av Ballivián, and is a quiet leafy place popular for its food – both Bolivian and international, including tasty baked potatoes and fondues. After dark it becomes a trendy spot for a late drink and is also a good place to meet up with young Bolivians.
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Bar San Roque
Head back in time to this restaurant with warm turn-of-the-20th-century atmosphere. Since 1905 this fine family has been serving out-of-this-world traditional Paraguayan dishes. The counter displays fresh goods from the family farm - macadamia nuts to fruits - and the wine list is as impressive as the decent menu of pasta to meat dishes. As many locals will attest, a culinary must with service to match.
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Caracas Arepa Bar
Cram into this tiny joint and order a crispy, hot arepa (corn tortilla stuffed with veggies and meat) such as the Pepi Queen (chicken and avocado) or La Pelua (beef and cheddar). You can choose from 17 types of arepa (plus empanadas and daily specials like oxtail soup), served in baskets with a side of nata (sour cream) and fried plantains.
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Nayjama
This appealing three-floor choice serves high-quality traditional Oruro food with a dash of innovation. The servings are huge so ask for half a portion of anything you order. Lamb is the specialty, as is cabeza, the sheep’s head served with salad and dehydrated potatoes. The English menu is slightly more expensive so ask for the Spanish one.
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El Huerto
Set in a lovely secluded garden, this is a favorite spot for Sucre’s people in the know. It’s got the atmosphere of a classy lawn party, with sunshades and grass underfoot; there’s great service and stylishly presented traditional plates (especially the chorizo) that don’t come much better anywhere in the country.
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Casa de Campo
A Cochabamba classic, this loud and cheerful partly open-air restaurant is a traditional spot to meet, eat, and play cacho (dice). There’s a big range of Bolivian dishes and grilled meats; the food is fine (and piled high on the plates), but the lively, unpretentious atmosphere is better.
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Tunari
With the distinction of being the oldest restaurant in the city, this local favorite specializes in the sort of things you either love or hate: grilled kidneys (a patent local hangover cure), tripe and tasty chorizo. But if innards aren’t your thing, there are other typical Cochabamba plates.
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Restaurant Carolina
This is the hub in Puerto Jiménez. Expats, nature guides, tourists and locals all gather here for food, drinks and plenty of carousing. The food is famous locally and the fresh-fruit drinks and cold beers go down pretty easily on a hot day.
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Restaurant Urrutia
Urrutia is one of the best Basque restaurants around. Shaped like a pie wedge with tables along the perimeter, the place is often crowded with local office workers relaxing over a seafood meal or noshing on pasapalos (finger food).
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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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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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Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop
After marching through the gothic hallows of the University of Chicago, the hodge-podge of rusting gas station signs and oddball Southern memorabilia at this Dixie eatery is an unassuming, homey delight – even if it feels a bit misplaced at the edge of an aging strip mall. Despite the name, there’s no fish food here, but service for humans starts with complimentary biscuits and mini loaves of cornbread. Start things on the right foot with fried green tomatoes, crawfish and cornbread fritters, or a cup of gumbo. For more quality southern fare, try an oyster po’boy or reliable country fried steak.
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Empanada Mama
With its cheery red entrance, long green banquettes down a narrow brick wall, succulent empanadas and great prices, what's not to love about Empanada Mama? The service, unfortunately: it's a little slow and diffident, but these meat-stuffed pastry treats are too addictive to walk away from. You can get wheat, corn and oven-baked empanadas filled with tasty beef or chicken (veggie options too), or arepas (stuffed corn patties), or a big plate of arroz con pollo (chicken with rice), or shredded beef, or many other South American favorites.
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El Majahual
Even if papusa isn't part of your dining vocabulary, it'll become your new favorite word after you try El Majahual's Salvadoran pocket of fried dough stuffed with ground pork, green chili, and queso (cheese) loaded with pickled cabbage and salsa - yep, that's an around US$3 meal.
The Colombian side of the menu is pricier and a little lackluster compared to the Salvadoran papusas and tamales, but the fried yucca and plantains, passionfruit juice, and zesty sancocho de gallina (Colombian hen soup) are definite crowd-pleasers.
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MAP Café
Inside the gorgeous Museo de Arte Precolombino, this is the city's most sophisticated restaurant and lounge. Outdoor tables with starched white tablecloths sit royally upon a glass-enclosed patio, while attentive waiters pour ruby red glasses of fantastic South American, European and New World wines. The menu ranges from Italianesque salads to Andean steak and guinea-pig confit. The crowd of movers and shakers is always dressed to the nines.
There's live music almost every night. Make reservations for dinner.
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Patagonia
An elegant Argentinean beef-fest awaits in this stylish restaurant. Start with empanadas (tiny meat-crammed pies). You might want to skip the achuras (offal) and head for a hearty meat main, such as a juicy beef medallón con salsa de colmenillas (a medallion in a morel sauce) or such classics as bife de chorizo (sirloin with spicy sausage) or Brazilian picanha (rump). You can choose from one of five side dishes to accompany your pound of flesh.
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Lazy Wave
Dine at a table if you must, but the best place to enjoy your meal and glass of wine is on the covered pavilion, where you can curl up amid pillows in cushy lounge chairs. If you're out to woo that hot thing you met last night, this hip nightspot, built around a huge tree, is a good place to start the evening. There's a solid wine list, good mix of cocktails and Asian- and Euro-influenced bocas as well as a full menu that offers everything from grilled lobster tails to mussels and escargot.
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Inka's
Mission diners jaded by giant burritos and convoluted Californian dishes have another thing or two coming at this Peruvian restaurant, namely: tangy purple corn juice; marinated, skewered beef hearts (not nearly as twisted as it sounds, and oh-so tender); zesty, chunky ceviche; and chewy and not overly sweet pumpkin donuts. Grilled seafood and meats served with saffron rice are bland by comparison, but then so are most foods.
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La Cocina de Francy
Instead of Spanish fare, this tasca-style restaurant specializes in delicious Venezuelan cuisine rooted in ancestral recipes. Check out the pelao guayanés, a soulful chicken stew laced with herbs and olive oil, or the pabellón criollo, Venezuela’s national dish of rice, black beans, fried plantains and shredded beef. The burlap tablecloths and funky art are a nice touch.
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Purple Space Monkey
This place is garish, done up in wild shades of hot pink, lemony yellows and key lime greens. But what do you expect from a place called Purple Space Monkey? Free internet, good cuisine (Belizean and Western) and a decent book-swap library. Portions aren’t huge, but they’ll refill your coffee mug (if you ask nicely). Be warned: Wednesday night is karaoke night.
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Mercado Central
At the northeast corner of the market, street vendors sell snacks and pastries unavailable in other parts of Bolivia, including delicious crêpe-like panqueques. Breakfast is served out the back, other cheap meals are upstairs, and you’ll find fresh juices are in the produce section. Don’t miss the huge bakery and sweets section off Bolívar.
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El Criollo
Longing for Argentine empanadillas, or Cabsha chocolate cookies? Need a supply of mate ? This is a cheerful stop for a snacky meal to take away or eat in. It doubles as a general store for mostly Argentine products. The tarta de pollo is scrumptious, but the empanadillas (anything from spicy beef to spinach) are the star attraction.
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