Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
will try to sell you cigarettes every other minute (the Mera location is a good alternative.)
On the broad Amazonas Avenue that cuts straight through Quito for miles is
Café Amazo-
nas
(Amazonas and Roca) where grey-bearded intellectuals have been smoking over cof-
fee for ages. The institution's reputation for food isn't that great however, and I'd recom-
mend enjoying a coffee on the patio before moving on.
Cushy cafés speckle Quito's Old Town but the best gems are
Cafeto
(Guayaquil and
Chile) and
Café Dios No Muere
(Flores and Junin) the latter housed in a historic convent
where ex-president Gabriel García Moreno's assassinated body was hidden from enemies.
His last words “God doesn't die just because you kill me” now christen its rosy exterior,
while the insides offer sanctuary to hungry visitors. The menu is superb, with creative in-
ternational dishes sold at budget prices. Cafeto is a Quito classic where locals savor rich
coffee in the incessant gaze of ceremonial animal masks that decorate the walls.
Straddling the edge of
Parque Itchimbia
just minutes from the Old Town is the colorful
Café Mosaico
(Manuel Samaniego #30 and Antepara) and which pulls off a Greek, Amer-
ican and Ecuadorian café all in one. The old house resembles an eccentric church on the
inside and rewards spectacular views of the city from its terrace. Afternoons are quiet
while nights are packed due to the popular cocktail hour.
Over in the valley village of Guápulo, the Camino de Orellana is lined with artsy cafés
that open up shop in the afternoon and become a hive of activity at night. Cafés
ChiQuito
and
Guápulo
offer the best in ambience, drinks and staff (a friendly gang of young local
artists). At night, the candlelit terrace at Café Guápulo warms up with a crackling brick
chimney while the views of Tumbaco Valley hemmed in by mountains is unforgettable.
Best Hidden Bars
While the common Quito tourist track has its charms, if you're looking to grab a beer with
the locals these central bars are the real deal. Hidden in the middle of
Gringolandia
, the
new
Green Wheels
(Reina Victoria and Wilson) is where college activists and other frac-
tions of the eco-conscious bike scene gather to chug beers in the presence of the occasion-
al band. Since the subculture is small the place has a familial feel where everyone knows
each other. Its older brother bar
La Cleta
(Lugo N24-250 y Guipuzcóa) is located nearby
in the hip
La Floresta
neighborhood
.
The 'bike-café' is owned by die-hard bike enthusi-
asts that treat customers like friends (because usually, they are) and are dedicated to ecolo-
gical principles. All their furniture is made of (surprisingly comfortable) recycled bike
