3 Best Restaurants in Sucre, Southern Bolivia

At this restaurant near the municipal park, adventurous eaters should try some traditional Bolivian entrées such as picante de lengua (spicy tongue) or mondongo (pork ribs in a chili sauce). For something a bit more familiar, order filet mignon or one of the many pasta dishes like lasagna Bolognese. The chef's specialty is the Paella Andina prepared with quinoa and seafood. There's plenty on the menu for vegetarians, too. Prices are higher than average, but the outdoor patio has a beautiful garden, and is a pleasant place to linger over a long meal. Bring a sweater at night, as it gets a bit chilly.

Quiet and romantic, this restaurant prepares some of the city’s most creative food yet somehow is not on the radar of many locals or visitors. The menu offers a modern fusion of local and international flavors. Think smoked trout with pickled vegetables, pork fillet with a guava-and-singani (the Bolivian white brandy) sauce, or llama with huancaina sauce (a cheesy sauce with Peruvian yellow chili). The service is excellent and most of the dishes are beautifully presented. It is a bit pricier than some options, but still far from the most expensive in town, and makes a great choice for a fine dining treat.

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.