Quito - Post Report Question and Answers
What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
There are some great restaurants here and we're really enjoying Ecuadorian cuisine! It is easy to have food delivered via Uber Eats. We've discovered a fantastic Turkish grill, great pizza, and top notch Venezuelan barbecue. P.F. Chang's just opened, which gives us a bit of Asian fusion. I've yet to find Thai or good Chinese food. - Jul 2023
There are lots of options of good restaurants. Quito has some good local food. It isn't excellent at preparing foods from other countries. - Jul 2023
You can find almost any type of cuisine here, many are subpar, but there are some good ones...and there are new restaurants opening all the time. They are more expensive than you think they should be though, often costing about as much as dining out in the US. Food delivery is becoming more and more common with Uber eats and some other local companies. For those living in North Quito this has been key because there are virtually no restaurants that are not Ecuadorian fare. - Jul 2019
A few restaurants deliver. There is a wide variety of places to eat from cheap corner stands to nicer restaurants for brunch/dinner. There is a not a huge variety of restaurants but typically one of each type of cuisine. - Jul 2018
Dominos, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's all deliver. Ecuadorian food is not the best but there are some good restaurants for special occasions. - Mar 2017
There are restaurants of all kinds but good Asian and good Tex Mex are very hard to find. If you eat out a lot plan on spending a lot. We do not. As for delivery, it is available but quite a chore if your Spanish isn't amazing. - Sep 2016
Quito has a surprisingly good dining scene with a variety of local and international cuisines. Like other places in Latin America, many open after 1830, although some have other hours. Make sure to call ahead if you’re planning a special night out. We’ve starred our favorite spots, and will break them down by category. American *Chili’s – located above Supercines (across from Megamaxi, near Quicentro Mall). Awesome Blossom – need we say more? TGI Friday’s – is located inside Paseo San Francisco and is pretty similar to what you’d experience in the U.S. Tony Roma’s – is near CCI mall at the top of Parque Carolina. The ribs are pretty good, but hamburgers are disappointing. The food is pricey and not our favorite. Smoqe - is an American-owned BBQ joint in Cumbaya. It’s not our favorite compared to places in the U.S., but it offers a nice change of pace from other offerings. Arabic *El Arabe – is owned by a Syrian family and is located on Reina Victoria in downtown Quito. Baalbek – 6 de diciembre N23-103 y Wilson a popular joint, it has pretty good food. It gets crowded so make sure to make a reservation in advance. I showed up on a Monday night once and it was completely closed. Asian *Zao - is a popular place that costs about $15 a main course. It has nice ambiance and tasty pot stickers. *Maki – is a Japanese place with good sushi. *Noe – the most popular sushi chain in Quito, they have locations throughout the city. They also deliver, which is nice to have a different type of carry out. Ati Korean Grill – we haven’t eaten here, but friends of ours rave about the high-quality food. It’s always packed with Koreans. Brazilian Rodizio Botafogo - we had the buffet at this rodizio style restaurant. The food was okay, but I didn’t like the sides very much. For $40 a person it was pricey. Ecuadorian *Hotel Gangotena – located just off Plaza San Francisco, it is a historic hotel with a nice restaurant. We recommend making reservations. La Chosa – this is a very casual place located directly in front of the Swissotel. The food is tasty, and it’s a good way to show visitors different types of local cuisine. They have live music on the weekends. *La Patria – this is a higher end restaurant located just off the main plaza in Cumbaya. Their portion sizes are quite generous and the ambiance is fun. Zinc – this is a fun place to go on a Friday night. They have good hamburgers and tapas-type plates. Ichimbia - S0° 13.167' W78° 30.179', there are a few restaurants in this area (Sol y Luna is good), which has one of the best overlooks of the city. It’s especially nice at night, although traffic can be bad. El Tradicion – is on Rio Coca, towards the northern end of town. It has very typical dishes, large portions, and is relatively inexpensive. Empanadas Campoviejo – is a chain restaurant with locations scattered throughout town. Nothing amazing, but inexpensive and tasty. *Satuco – offers Bolivian salteñas (sweet, savory, and very juicy) with chicken or beef. They have three sizes, and the small or medium ones are perfect for parties. *El Cordobes – is actually an Argentine butcher shop. They sell beef and chicken empanadas for $1.50, which are very good. Chilean – heading towards Mitad del Mundo you’ll find a number of places selling Chilean empanadas. French Chez Jerome - S0° 11.806' W78° 28.866'. – is one of the nicest restaurants in town and a good place for an anniversary dinner. Le Petit Pegale – we haven’t eaten here, but have friends that highly recommend it. German Muckis – is the preferred restaurant of the director of Schlumberger. It’s located on the outskirts of town, so going there is a multi-hour affair, but worth it. Italian Carmine – is a very high end (and expensive) restaurant. They have lots of weddings here, and the ambiance is pretty. La Brichola – located in Cumbaya, it has a laid-back atmosphere which includes an outdoor playground for kids, perfect for a weekend. El Arcadia - is located in La Esquina in Cumbaya. It makes fresh pasta, which is sold at various gourmet stores throughout town. El Hornero – is best known for pizza but has a number of pasta dishes too. It’s pretty inexpensive and popular with families. Some locations like the one in Cumbaya have play equipment. Il Risotto – it’s in Bellavista and is a popular upper-mid range establishment. Mexican *La Vecindad de los Cuates - this restaurant has two locations: one in Quito and another in Cumbaya. The food is very authentic and comes in large portions. Peruvian/seafood fusion These don’t serve plates like aji de gallina or papas de la huancaÃna. Rather, they focus on Peruvian style seafood or international dishes. *Lua – S0° 12.457' W78° 28.977' one of our favorite restaurants in Quito, it’s located in La Floresta. Try the sliced octopus with sun dried tomatoes. *Zazu – often rated as the best restaurant in Quito, we thought it was pretty good, but expensive. I preferred going here for lunch as opposed to dinner. Their chocolate dessert is to die for, and their tomato soup is quite good. *La Gloria - S0° 12.392' W78° 28.954'. They have a variety of seafood and local dishes. One of their signature plates is a fish covered in a salt paste and baked. Their veal shank is tasty too. Pizza Al Forno – has tasty flat bread pizza. Domino’s – similar to Papa John’s, they have several locations. Papa John’s – they have restaurants scattered throughout town. It’s not as good as the states, but provides a good taste of home. *Piola – located inside Paseo San Francisco, this flat bread pizza place is very good and has fast service. Steak houses We haven’t eaten at these places, but have had them recommended by friends: Sur, Los Troncos, San Telmo - Aug 2015
Tons of good restaurants at all price ranges. - Aug 2015
Everything. - Aug 2014
Most major U.S. chains are here, except for Starbucks. I was surprised with the quality of the up-scale restaurants in Quito -- there is a wide variety of excellent and expensive food available. But costs aren't outrageous for U.S. standards. Most Mexican food there wouldn't pass muster with most Americans. On the low-cost side, many great "cevicherias" around town. - Jul 2012
Fast food - down in Mariscal there's KFC and McDonalds. Lots of restaurants - Ecuadorian, Mexican, Pizza, Japanese. The more exotic you get, the more expensive it becomes. My husband and I typically spend between $20 to $30 each time we eat out. That's usually a drink and an entree each. The typically little Ecuadorian place that serves "almuerzos" (lunches) only costs about $2.50 for the main meal, drink, and dessert. But the food there is nothing exciting. If you want good "expat" style food expect to pay at least $8-$10 for an entree. - Jan 2011
There are many different kinds of restaurants at various price points. If you have to have it, McDonalds, Burger King, Papa Johns, Domino's, TGIFridays, and more fast food places are available. - May 2010
McDonald's, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Dominos pizza, to name a few - cost is comparable to the U.S. - Oct 2009
American-style fast food is present (McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut) along with local chains, at reasonable prices. There is a good selection of restaurants across the board, from cheap to pricey, including a variety of international cuisines (especially good Italian, Spanish, and steak places). Seafood is also popular, although at your own risk. Very few decent Asian or Mexican places, although a good Vietnamese place (Uncle Ho's) was opened in the Mariscal Sucre district by an embassy spouse. - Jan 2009
