Eating in Quito

Quito eats in two registers. The historic center still does soup, hornado, and a view. North of it, a smaller group of kitchens has spent the last decade taking Ecuadorian ingredients seriously. Both are worth your time. Neither comes with a guarantee that a specific dining room is open on the night you land.

A short list

These names have shaped how people talk about food in the city. Confirm they are operating. We are not listing hours, prices, or addresses.

• Nuema and Urko are part of the modern Andean dining that put Quito on serious lists.
• Café Mosaico is the long-running room associated with the view over the old town.
• Casa Gangotena, the hotel on Plaza de San Francisco, has a dining room equal to the building.

That is a short list on purpose. A longer one would start inventing.

Neighborhoods

In the Centro Histórico, eat during the day and walk it off. The plazas are the landmarks, not a recommendation of any one stall. Mercado Central is the market for a bowl and a look at what the city actually buys.

La Mariscal is denser with visitors. La Floresta is where a lot of the newer, smaller rooms have opened. Both reward a wander more than a single booking.

The dishes themselves are in what to eat. If you only have one meal and you want the country rather than a scene, take the set lunch.

Getting there hungry

Mariscal Sucre is not a quick hop from the old town. Eat after you have dropped your bags, not on the way from the curb. A prearranged car, including the owner’s own UIO Transfers, is the calm version of arrival. Then use the Quito chapter for the rest of the city.