The Best Restaurant in Sucre, Southern Bolivia

Background Illustration for Restaurants

Sucre’s sophisticated hotel offerings have led to a similar step up from local restaurants. There are options ranging from superb granny-style Italian to beefy Argentine steaks, hearty vegetarian options, and even modern Bolivian cuisine. Don’t get caught up and miss the basics, though. The juices in the local market are spectacular, and Sucre’s salteñas (Bolivian baked empanadas) are among the country’s best. If you’re not a fan of spicy food, avoid dishes prefaced with the words ají (pepper) or picante (spicy).

La Taverne

$$$

This small, mostly French, restaurant inside the Alliance Francaise has become one of the city’s best-loved dinner options, now with branches in Potosí and Tarija. Whether you prefer the low-lit and intimate dining room or the exterior, stone-paved courtyard, the ambience is all set up for red wine and romance. The steak is what everyone goes for—they do an excellent chateaubriand steak (tenderloin with a reduction of white wine and shallots), and an ever popular filet mignon with roquefort. But the winner for flavor is the plain Argentine bife ancho (rib-eye steak). Pair it with a local wine, such as the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from La Concepcion, or the Tannat from Aranjuez. The staff is good, but it gets very busy in the evenings and service can slow down a little.