5 Restaurants You Should Try in Guayaquil
Guayaquil is a launching point for those flying to the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador’s largest city can be daunting, it is a busy metropolis where people from across the nation come for business, and to gather supplies not readily found in other parts of the country. The best restaurants in Guayaquil are making an impression on foodie travelers who want a break from the standard tourist options like food chains and hamburger joints. Keep reading for five places to try while on Guayaquil trips that take you away from the beaten path.
Le Gourmet
Located in the Oro Verde Hotel, Le Gourmet is considered one of the best restaurants in the city and country. Chef Antonio Perez blends classic French cooking and locally sourced ingredients that result in dishes like a rack of veal stuffed with Andean blueberries.
One of the house favorites is the six-course cacao tasting menu using Ecuadorian chocolates. Past highlights have included sea bass with mole verde, pork empanadas with Cacao, and flan with Mayan chocolate.
Av. 9 de Octubre 414 and García Moreno
Casa Julian
A meal at Casa Julian in the grand Hotel del Parque finds you tasting some of the best food in Guayaquil from Chef Juan Carlos Ordoñez, whose accolades include creating menus for the James Beard Foundation’s dinners in New York and being a guest chef on special Galapagos cruises for foodies.
The menu is traditional Ecuadorian dishes with modern twists. Exquisite ceviches, Amazonian paiche, seco with veal shank, and corn humitas with chorizo and goats cheese foam are a few of the specialties.
Av. Los Arcos and Malta Samborondón
La Tasca de Carlos
La Tasca de Carlos is a local’s favorite that brings hungry patrons daily for lunch and dinner. People come for warm hospitality, good company, and dishes like the portobello with brie and black rice, paella, Spanish omelets, and a long list of tapas using chorizo and a variety of seafood. The owners, Carlos and his wife Maria are always on hand for food and drink recommendations.
Cordova and Paula de Icaza
Picanteria La Culata
One of the best restaurants in Guayaquil that brings people out of their offices each day and after work is the Picanteria La Culata. The menu is simple coastal food done well. Ceviche, shrimp in coconut sauce, curry, and encocado- stand out from the crowd of other places serving local fare in the city.
Córdova between Mendiburo & Martínez
Rioko
Rioko is a hip addition to Guayaquil’s restaurant scene and a romantic out-of-the-way spot that serves a variety of cuisines starting with Ecuadorian and expanding to Peruvian, Asian and Italian. Octopus risotto, buttered scallops, cappuccino, and sea bass poached in white wine sauce with sage and clarified butter are a few of the house specialties. Sushi, different styles of ceviche, steak, and crab dishes are also on the menu created by a chef who has worked in Michelin star kitchens internationally. Weekly events include ladies and tango nights.
Centro Comercial Plaza Orellana
For more information about where to stay while in Guayaquil, what to do, options for trips to the Galapagos Islands and the nuts and bolts of flying there, contact a member of our team.
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