2 Best Restaurants in Quito, Ecuador

Cafe Plaza Grande

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One of the popular historic hotel's three dining options, this Ecuadorian cafe is a nice choice between the upscale French option and the more relaxed wine cellar. Snag a window table for the best views of the Grand Plaza. The wood-paneled dining room, decorated in botanical prints and drawings of Quito's churches, ais a bit dim, though live music several evenings a week brightens it up. For dessert and a show, order the helados de paila, ice cream prepared tableside in a big copper bowl.

La Purísimaurisima

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An English-speaking chef cooking traditional Ecuadorian fare within a historic theater one block off Plaza Grande is a recipe for success. Despite being within the regal Teatro Bolivar, the restaurant is refreshingly low-key, with simple red wooden dining chairs and a chalkboard menu of specials, though the irridescent tiled bar adds some pizazz. Shrimp soup, with potatoes, local herbs, avocado, and an egg, is warming, filling, and a delightful mix of textures and flavors. For something heartier, go for the lamb medallions in a smoked chorizo sauce. For good people-watching, sit by the plate glass windows whose tables look out onto pedestrian-only Calle Espejo.