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Quito's better restaurants are found in the New City. Even at the most glittering establishments, formal attire is never a requirement, but you'll feel out of place in shorts, T-shirts, and jeans, except at places (such as The Magic Bean) that consummate foreigners' hangout. Many restaurants close for a break between 3 and 7, and on Sunday some remain shuttered or close early. Some useful phrases are: a la brasa (grilled), al vapor (steamed), apanada(batter-fried/breaded), brosterizada (deep fried), encocado (cooked in coconut oil), hornado (roasted), reventado (skillet fried), and seco (stewed meat).
Best known for its superb Ecuadoran dishes—try the seco de chivo (lamb stewed with fruit) or the langostinos flambéed in cognac—this restaurant has excellent views of Quito from its rustic fireside dining room. You can also eat in the serene outdoor garden. Some nights the friendly waiters can be heard singing along to soft Ecuadoran music as they roam the restaurant.
During the day businesspeople gather here, in what looks like a Bavarian lodge, for traditional meals. Among the best dishes are cazuela de mariscos (a seafood casserole soup) and pernil (roast pork) with llapingachos (mashed cheese and potato pancakes), peanut sauce, and avocado. During the week dinners are accompanied by guitar music, and folk dancing follows dinner on Sunday.
