Central Highlands - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 198

Le Petit Restaurant , Eloy Alfaro 2-46 and Montalvo, is about as
close as you can get to French cuisine in Baños. It is a bit more expen-
sive by Baños standards, but it's popular, thanks to its good food and
relaxing atmosphere. They have live music on some weekends.
Donde Marcelo , Ambato near 16 de Diciembre, is a great place to
enjoy a cerveza while people-watching on the main section of the pe-
destrian street. I've taken some of my favorite photographs from
here. When you're through with your drinks, head inside for good -
though relatively pricey - food.
You'll find the best pizza in town at Paolo's Pizzeria , next to Café
Hood. Some people swear by it, but my guess is that when you've been
on the road for awhile in a foreign country, anything remotely close to
an American pie tends to knock your socks off.
LaCasaMía , Montalvo and Santa Clara, near the waterfall, is about
as elegant as restaurants get here. La Casa specializes in Ecuadorian
and Italian food, and has efficient service, along with occasional live
music.
The best restaurant in the Baños area is at Luna Runtún Resort ,
up the road to Luna Runtún. Spectacular views overlooking Baños
add to the good service and even better food. Local dishes include or-
ganic vegetables grown on the property, trout from nearby waters,
and potatoes grown in the local mountains. The setting is quite ro-
mantic.
Shopping & Entertainment
There are about as many shops as there are tour operators
in Baños, selling everything fromT-shirts to rubber boots,
to authentic indigenous handicrafts. They are all centrally
located around the main downtown area, especially the
side-streets off Ambato. Check around for varying quality and prices.
The main bars and dance clubs are centrally located as well. Eloy
Alfaro, heading north off of Ambato, has several open-air and indoor
bars, including the Bamboos Bar , with a jungle décor. It's well-
decorated and has a nice atmosphere when there are actually people
there. Bamboo is popular for modern and salsa dancing among the
younger crowd, both locals and backpackers. And there is the (not)
Hard Rock Café , just north of Ambato on Alfaro, which is slightly
more hit or miss, attracting foreign travelers more than locals. I pre-
fer the open-aired seating at the nearby unnamed patio bars.