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Country dossier

Ecuador

Restaurants, hotels, bars and wineries across Ecuador in the En Primeur Club guide.

Accolades in Ecuador

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Ecuador luxury dining and travel destination
Nuema in Bello Horizonte ranked 61st on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025. Chefs Alejandro Chamorro and Pía Salazar run a seasonally driven tasting menu of endemic ingredients from the sea, the mountains, and the Amazon, and the wine programme lists natural wine. Zazu in La Mariscal pairs a tasting menu with an exceptional wine programme and sommelier-led service, and Cardó in Iñaquito holds a Star Wine List award. Quito holds 30 of the 61 venues in our guide. In Guayaquil, Casa Julián in Samborondón is an open-fire grill house with an exceptional wine programme and a tasting menu, and El Jardín in Downtown serves breakfast, wine, and light meals in a garden. In the Galapagos Islands, Evolution Restaurant on Santa Cruz Island sits on the Puerto Ayora waterfront, Pikaia Lodge is in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, and Ecoventura - Galapagos is an expedition yacht in San Cristóbal, with seafood and wine lists. Programmes also appear in casual rooms, including ZFOOD in La Paz, Quito, and Tiesto's in Historic Center, Cuenca Canton.

Quito's contemporary tasting menus and wine lists

Quito has the densest concentration of EPC venues in Ecuador, and its strongest rooms cluster around La Floresta, Mariscal Sucre, and nearby neighbourhoods.

  • Nuema

    Nuema in Bello Horizonte serves an avant-garde Ecuadorian tasting menu of endemic ingredients from the sea, the mountains, and the Amazon. Chefs Alejandro Chamorro and Pía Salazar run a seasonally driven menu. The wine programme has an extensive list, and it lists natural wine. It ranked 61st on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025.

  • Zazu

    Zazu in La Mariscal serves modern Peruvian-Ecuadorian fine dining, with tasting menus and à la carte plates, plus a full vegetarian option. Sommelier-led service supports an exceptional wine programme and an extensive list. The collection sits in a planetarium-shaped, 8-metre-high cellar. Relais Chateaux Awards name the restaurant for 2025 and 2026.

  • URKO

    URKO in La Floresta serves a modern Ecuadorian tasting menu on the country's four regions and Andean Raymi cycles, with seasonal local ingredients in a contemporary style. The list is extensive. Opinionated About Dining ranked it 89th among top restaurants in South America in 2026.

  • Cardó

    Cardó in Iñaquito cooks modern Mediterranean food with Ecuadorian ingredients. Chef Adrián Escardó works in a multi-level space with its own huerta, and service covers à la carte plates and a tasting menu. The list sits above the city average. The restaurant holds a Star Wine List award for 2026.

Quito neighbourhoods with the strongest dining rhythm

Clara and QUITU are in La Floresta, and Somos is in Bellavista. The rooms cover a modern Ecuadorian bistro, a daily-changing tasting menu, and modern Ecuadorian fusion with small plates.

  • Clara

    Clara in La Floresta is a modern Ecuadorian bistro in a restaurant-and-bar format, with à la carte plates and small plates. Chefs Felipe Salas, Ángel De Sousa, and Ana Lobato rework Ecuadorian classics with modern technique and local sourcing. The bar serves craft cocktails. The kitchen received the Latin America's 50 Best One To Watch Award in 2024.

  • QUITU

    QUITU in La Floresta serves daily-changing tasting menus built on Ecuador's ancestral ingredients and regional traditions. Chef Juan Sebastián Pérez uses contemporary technique and local sourcing, and craft cocktails are served. The cuisine is contemporary Ecuadorian. The wine service is sommelier-led.

  • Somos

    Somos in Bellavista serves modern Ecuadorian fusion from Chef Alejandra Espinoza, who blends local ingredients with international techniques in creative tasting menus. The room offers a tasting menu, à la carte plates, and small plates. The drinks list includes craft cocktails.

Guayaquil and Samborondón: grill house, garden, and pizzeria

Casa Julián in Samborondón is an open-fire grill house, El Jardín in Downtown is a garden restaurant, and Diavolo Rosso in Samborondón is a Neapolitan-style pizzeria. Formats across the three rooms include tasting menus, an exceptional wine programme, breakfast and light meals, and drinks.

  • Casa Julián

    Casa Julián in Samborondón serves contemporary Ecuadorian fine dining. Chef Matías Gorrotxategi grills over open fire in the Basque asador style. A tasting menu and à la carte come with an exceptional wine programme, an extensive list, and sommelier-led service. Opinionated About Dining ranks it on the Top Restaurants in South America list and the Casual in Europe list. It holds Relais Chateaux Awards for 2025 and 2026.

  • El Jardín

    El Jardín in Downtown is a traditional Ecuadorian restaurant in a Botanical Garden setting. The day covers breakfast, wine, and light meals, and the kitchen is renowned locally for caldo de bola and other classic home-style dishes, served à la carte. It holds a Relais Chateaux Award for 2026.

  • Diavolo Rosso

    Diavolo Rosso in Samborondón is a modern Italian Neapolitan-style pizzeria, with à la carte service and a tasting menu. It ranked 45th on 50 Top Pizza Latin America in 2026 for its ingredients and technique. The wine programme has a beer programme as well. The cocktail list runs through classics and a section dedicated to negronis.

The Galápagos for hotel dining and island kitchens

In the islands, the strongest EPC venues are tied to hotels and expedition properties, with seafood and sustainability shaping the dining language.

  • Evolution Restaurant

    Evolution Restaurant in Santa Cruz Island sits on the Puerto Ayora waterfront. It serves Ecuadorian-Peruvian fusion in tasting menu and à la carte formats, using Galapagos seafood and local ingredients. The wine list is extensive and the service is sommelier-led. Relais Chateaux Awards name it for 2025 and 2026.

  • Pikaia Lodge

    Pikaia Lodge in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island serves Peruvian-Ecuadorian farm-to-table cooking with local seafood and produce. Chef Cristian Puente offers à la carte, tasting menu, and set menu formats. The list is extensive. The lodge holds a Relais Chateaux Award for 2025.

  • Ecoventura - Galapagos

    Ecoventura - Galapagos in San Cristóbal serves modern Ecuadorian fine dining with a seafood focus. Plates are à la carte, and craft cocktails are served. It is a 20-guest luxury expedition yacht, and Relais Chateaux Awards name it for 2025 and 2026.

Planning FAQ

Which city has the strongest serious wine scene in Ecuador?

Quito has the deepest serious wine scene in our guide. It holds the highest concentration of EPC venues, and the strongest cellar-driven rooms cluster in La Floresta, La Mariscal, Iñaquito, and nearby neighbourhoods. Zazu and Cardó are the clearest examples, while several other Quito restaurants pair tasting menus with wine lists.

How many Michelin-starred restaurants are in Ecuador in our guide?

Ecuador has no Michelin-starred restaurants in our guide. Relais Chateaux awards for 2025 and 2026 name Zazu in La Mariscal, Quito, Casa Julián in Samborondón, Guayaquil, and Casa Gangotena in San Francisco Plaza, Quito. Each of those restaurants holds the Relais Chateaux award in both years.

Where should I look for tasting menus?

Tasting menus in our guide include rooms in Quito, Guayaquil, and the Galapagos Islands. In Quito they include Nuema in Bello Horizonte, Zazu in La Mariscal, URKO and QUITU in La Floresta, Cardó in Iñaquito, and Somos in Bellavista. In Guayaquil, Casa Julián in Samborondón offers a tasting menu. In the Galapagos Islands, Evolution Restaurant in Santa Cruz Island and Pikaia Lodge in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island include tasting menus.

Which venues hold wine awards in Ecuador?

Cardó in Iñaquito holds a Star Wine List award for 2026. The restaurant cooks modern Mediterranean food with Ecuadorian ingredients. Chef Adrián Escardó works in a multi-level space with its own huerta, with à la carte plates and a tasting menu. The list sits above the city average.

By Emmett Haley · Updated October 8, 2026 · Editorial standards

Ecuador

Where to eat in Ecuador

Selected entries from the current guide for Ecuador.

Casa Julián restaurant in Guayaquil

Guayaquil, Ecuador

Casa Julián

Casa Julián brings the Basque asador tradition, open-fire grilling rooted in northern Spain, to Guayaquil's Parque Histórico district, with chef Matías Gorrotxategi carrying lineage from one of the Basque Country's most respected grilling families. Recognised by Opinionated About Dining's 2025 South America list and a fixture in OAD's European Casual rankings, it occupies a rare position: a fire-forward grill house earning recognition across two continents.

Guayaquil, Ecuador
Diavolo Rosso restaurant in Samborondon

Samborondon, Ecuador

Diavolo Rosso

In questo angolo dell’Ecuador troverete Diavolo Rosso. Locale molto curato nei dettagli, tanta passione per la pizza, quella contemporanea con il cornicione leggermente pronunciato. Nel menu troverete qualche entrata e qualche insalata, tra speck e noci e l’immancabile burrata con pomodorini disidratati, tra quelli freddi, tra gli antipasti caldi, sono di ottima fattura gli arancini con ragù e i crocchè, come tradizione vuole. Le pizze sono divise tra base bianca e base rossa, oltre al calzone e la novità del calzone aperto. Da provare La Napoli con salsa di pomodoro, mozzarella, ricotta, salame, e Grana Padano. Vi consigliamo di provare assolutamente il calzone, ovvero un ripieno non sempre facile da trovare fuori dalla città partenopea, con pesto, fior di latte, pomodoro, speck e Grana Padano. Tra i dolci il classico tiramisù ci sembra la proposta migliore. Di pregio la proposta del bere, soprattutto per i cocktail, che spaziano dai classici ai più fantasiosi, ad un’ intera proposta dedicata ai negroni. Servizio premuroso e conto nella media cittadina. In this corner of Ecuador you will find Diavolo Rosso. A well-kept establishment with a lot of passion for pizza, contemporary with a slightly pronounced crust. In the menu you will find some appetizers and salads, including speck and walnut and the inevitable burrata with sun-dried tomatoes, among the cold dishes, among the hot appetizers, the arancini with ragu and croquettes are of excellent quality, as tradition dictates. The pizzas are divided between white base and red base, in addition to the calzone and the novelty of the open calzone. A priority-try is La Napoli with tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, salami, and Grana Padano. We highly recommend trying the calzone, a filling not always easy to find outside the city of Naples, with pesto, fior di latte, tomato, speck, and Grana Padano. Among the desserts, the classic tiramisu seems to be a useful option. The drink offering is of high quality, especially for cocktails, ranging from classics to more imaginative ones, with a whole section dedicated to negronis. Attentive service and average city prices.

Samborondon, Ecuador
Capitan&Co. restaurant in Cuenca

Cuenca, Ecuador

Capitan&Co.

Capitan&Co. operates from the heart of Cuenca's historic centre, on Tomás Ordóñez in the city's dense grid of colonial-era streets and independent restaurants. Set against a dining scene where locally sourced Andean ingredients increasingly define serious kitchens, it occupies a position worth understanding alongside peers such as Dos Sucres and Le Petit Jardin. For visitors mapping Ecuador's provincial restaurant culture, Cuenca is one coherent place to start.

Cuenca, Ecuador
Chez Jérôme restaurant in Quito

Quito, Ecuador

Chez Jérôme

Chez Jérôme occupies a measured position in Quito's evolving French-inflected dining scene, operating from an address on Whymper in the Mariscal district where European culinary tradition meets Ecuadorian context. The format rewards patience: this is a restaurant where the pacing of the meal matters as much as what arrives on the plate. For visitors cross-referencing the city's more prominent contemporary tables, it represents a different, quieter register.

Quito, Ecuador

Ecuador

Where to stay in Ecuador

Selected entries from the current guide for Ecuador.

Hermes Galapagos Catamaran hotel in Puerto Ayora

Puerto Ayora, Ecuador

Hermes Galapagos Catamaran

The Hermes Galapagos Catamaran operates as the first ultra-luxury cruise vessel dedicated to the Galapagos archipelago, repositioning live-aboard travel in this protected zone from functional to genuinely refined. Based out of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, it offers access to sites unreachable by land-based itineraries, with a service model calibrated to the small-group, high-engagement format that serious wildlife travel demands.

Puerto Ayora, Ecuador
Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel hotel in Puerto Ayora

Puerto Ayora, Ecuador

Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel

Named Ecuador's Leading Boutique Resort at the 2025 World Travel Awards and ranked 16th on Condé Nast's Best Resorts list the same year, Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel occupies a privileged position in Barrio Punta Estrada, Puerto Ayora. The property sits at the smaller, design-conscious end of Galapagos accommodation, where proximity to marine iguanas and giant tortoise habitats shapes the daily rhythm as much as the rooms themselves.

Puerto Ayora, Ecuador
JW Marriott Quito hotel in Quito

Quito, Ecuador

JW Marriott Quito

A Star Wine List-recognised address on the Avenida Amazonas, JW Marriott Quito occupies a distinctive pyramid-shaped building at the intersection of the city's financial and diplomatic corridors. The hotel places guests within reach of both the colonial Historic Centre and the Mariscal Sucre district, with Andean skylines framing almost every public space. It operates as one of Quito's most consistent full-service addresses for business and leisure travellers alike.

Quito, Ecuador
La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat hotel in Puerto Francisco de Orellana

Puerto Francisco de Orellana, Ecuador

La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat

Named South America's Leading Eco-Lodge at the 2025 World Travel Awards, La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat sits deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon outside Puerto Francisco de Orellana. The lodge positions itself in the specialist tier of Amazon basin accommodation, where proximity to primary rainforest, low guest capacity, and structured naturalist programming define the competitive set rather than resort amenities.

Puerto Francisco de Orellana, Ecuador
La Laguna Galapagos Hotel hotel in Isabela

Isabela, Ecuador

La Laguna Galapagos Hotel

La Laguna Galapagos Hotel sits on Av. Los Flamingos in Puerto Villamil, placing guests within walking distance of Isabela's flamingo lagoons and volcanic shoreline. The property occupies a quieter tier of Galapagos accommodation, where proximity to the island's ecosystem matters more than resort scale. For travellers routing through Isabela rather than the more trafficked Santa Cruz circuit, it represents a grounded base for the western archipelago.

Isabela, Ecuador