5 Best Restaurants in Cuenca, Cuenca and the Southern Highlands

Quite possibly Ecuador's liveliest restaurant is this downtown, two-floor, all-tapas place. Mix and match to assemble your meal from an astounding selection of appetizers. (Sushi and sashimi are on the menu too.) Eucalyptus also claims to have the country's largest selection of wines and liquors, and we've never seen any evidence to the contrary. Cuenca's U.S. expat community, a 40-, 50-, 60-something crowd, moves the tables together and holds court here Friday evenings. Stop by and say hello.

One of the city's best restaurants and a favorite with locals is in a colonial house near the central plaza. Soft music floats through several tastefully decorated salons to the upper balcony, where an open fireplace chases out the evening chill. Try the grilled trout with almonds, then finish with the fruit-and-chocolate fondue. The same family owns the Hotel Santa Lucía.

Hand-painted menus list a variety of steak and seafood dishes. Start with the tangy conch seviche served in a crystal goblet, and then move on to the succulent grilled lobster. Consider a fine Chilean wine with your meal. The relaxed, friendly service here ensures many repeat visitors.

If you're tired of the local cuisine, you couldn't do better than stopping in this Mexican eatery. Try the chiles rellenos (deep-fried chili peppers stuffed with cheese) or the specialty of the house, carne asada a la tampiqueña (beef grilled with salt and lemon). On weekends there's live music and two-for-one margaritas.

An unbeatable location adjacent to the Catedral de la Inmaculada doesn't hurt, but it's the reasonably priced food and amiable mood that makes this busy, bilevel restaurant a hit. The extensive menu includes crepes and seviche, and such Ecuadoran favorites as locro de queso (a milk-based potato soup garnished with avocado and cheese).