Food · Quito · Ecuador
What to eat in Quito
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Quito, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with Locro de papa, Hornado and Llapingachos. Most small restaurants serve a fixed-price almuerzo of soup, a main of rice, meat and salad, a fruit juice and a small dessert for a few dollars; it is how most Quiteños eat lunch. Lunch is the main meal, served from about noon to 3pm; many smaller restaurants close early in the evening, especially in the Old Town.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Locro de papa
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 8
- Tipping
- Restaurants often add a 10% service charge to the bill; leaving a little extra in cash…
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish · Vegetarian
1.Locro de papa
A thick, creamy potato soup with fresh cheese, served with slices of avocado and often a spoonful of ají. It is the classic Andean comfort food and suits Quito's cool evenings.
Where: The Mercado Central and almost every set-lunch (almuerzo) menu in the city.
Dish
2.Hornado
Whole roast pork, crisp-skinned and sliced at the counter, served with llapingachos, mote (hominy), avocado and a pickled-onion salsa.
Where: Market stalls with whole pigs on display, and family restaurants on the roads out of the city.
Dish · Vegetarian
3.Llapingachos
Pan-fried potato patties stuffed with cheese, usually served with a peanut sauce, a fried egg, chorizo and salad.
Where: Markets, traditional restaurants and as the standard side to hornado.
Street food · Vegetarian
4.Empanadas de viento
Large, puffy fried empanadas filled with a little cheese and onion and dusted with sugar, eaten with a hot drink.
Where: Cafés on Calle La Ronda and in the Old Town, especially in the evening.
Drink · Vegetarian
5.Canelazo
A hot drink of cinnamon-infused water and naranjilla or other fruit juice, sweetened and spiked with aguardiente sugar-cane spirit; it is also sold without alcohol.
Where: Bars on Calle La Ronda and street stands during the Fiestas de Quito in December.
Dish
6.Fanesca
A rich Holy Week soup of salt cod, squash and a dozen grains and beans, garnished with egg, fried plantain and empanadas. It is made only in the weeks before Easter.
Where: Restaurants across the city advertise it during Lent and Holy Week.
Drink · Vegetarian
7.Colada morada and guaguas de pan
A thick, spiced purple drink of black corn flour and Andean berries, paired with sweet bread figures shaped like swaddled babies, traditionally made for the Day of the Dead on 2 November.
Where: Bakeries and cafés throughout late October and early November.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Helados de paila
Fruit sorbet stirred by hand in a large copper pan set over ice, in flavours such as mora (Andean blackberry), naranjilla and guanábana.
Where: Ice-cream shops in the Old Town and the north; the tradition comes from Ibarra, north of Quito.
Dish
9.Ecuadorian ceviche
Ecuador's version is soupy, with shrimp in lime and tomato juice, red onion and coriander, served with popcorn, toasted corn (tostado) or plantain chips.
Where: Cevicherías in the north, often busiest at weekend lunchtimes.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
10.Humitas
Steamed parcels of ground fresh corn with cheese, wrapped in corn husks and eaten for breakfast or afternoon coffee.
Where: Cafés and bakeries; the sweeter cousin, quimbolitos, are steamed in achira leaves.
Snack · Vegetarian
11.Ecuadorian chocolate
Ecuador is known for fine-flavour Arriba Nacional cacao, and several Ecuadorian bean-to-bar makers sell single-origin bars and hot chocolate in Quito.
Where: Chocolate shops in the Old Town and La Floresta, many offering tastings.
Food experiences
Almuerzo set lunch
Most small restaurants serve a fixed-price almuerzo of soup, a main of rice, meat and salad, a fruit juice and a small dessert for a few dollars; it is how most Quiteños eat lunch.
Market lunch at the Mercado Central
Sit at a counter among locals for locro, corvina frita or a towering fruit salad, a short walk from the Plaza Grande.
Evening canelazo on La Ronda
The colonial lane's small bars and cafés serve canelazo, empanadas and live music, making it the classic Old Town evening.
Chocolate tasting
Specialist chocolate shops explain the journey from cacao pod to bar and let you compare bars from different regions of Ecuador.
Quick bites and street food
- Empanadas de viento — Cafés on Calle La Ronda and in the Old Town, especially in the evening.
- Humitas — Cafés and bakeries; the sweeter cousin, quimbolitos, are steamed in achira leaves.
- Ecuadorian chocolate — Chocolate shops in the Old Town and La Floresta, many offering tastings.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 8 are usually vegetarian: Locro de papa, Llapingachos, Empanadas de viento, Canelazo, Colada morada and guaguas de pan, Helados de paila, Humitas and Ecuadorian chocolate. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch is the main meal, served from about noon to 3pm; many smaller restaurants close early in the evening, especially in the Old Town.
- Ask for 'ají' if it is not on the table; every restaurant makes its own chilli sauce.
- Drink bottled or filtered water and enjoy fresh juices at busy places where fruit turns over quickly.
- Alcohol affects you more at this altitude; take it slowly for the first couple of days.
- Bills in sit-down restaurants often add a 10% service charge as well as VAT.
Tipping
Restaurants often add a 10% service charge to the bill; leaving a little extra in cash for good service is appreciated. Taxi drivers do not expect tips, but rounding up is common, and guides on day tours usually receive a tip.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much is it? |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
| Chévere | Great, cool |
| Achachay | How cold! (Kichwa-derived exclamation) |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Quito famous for?
Locro de papa, Hornado, Llapingachos and Empanadas de viento. A thick, creamy potato soup with fresh cheese, served with slices of avocado and often a spoonful of ají.
+Is Quito good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Locro de papa, Llapingachos and Empanadas de viento.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Quito?
Restaurants often add a 10% service charge to the bill; leaving a little extra in cash for good service is appreciated. Taxi drivers do not expect tips, but rounding up is common, and guides on day tours usually receive a tip.