Cuenca Restaurants
1. El Mercado
All the refinement of a beautiful city like Cuenca is distilled into one of its essential restaurants, where the farm-to-table philosophy is complemented by the highest concept of hospitality. With a menu designed “to share” and a vision that elevates rustic simplicity into haute cuisine, El Mercado becomes a living mirror of Cuenca’s soul.
Tiestos is the first place anyone recommends in Cuenca—for the food and for the show, born of Juan Carlos Lozano’s genius and charisma. Bubbling cazuelas, meats and seafood seared over fire, dishes built for sharing. This is eating as it should be: loud, generous, and unforgettable.
At Dos Sucres, Daniel Contreras has created his own small universe of conscious cuisine. Sustainability is not just a motto, but a method and a practice: heirloom potatoes from Cañar, native corn, wild herbs, Andean tubers… Fine dining grounded in the earth, where Ecuador’s best ingredients meet contemporary technique of a signature chef.
Hidden in the green outskirts of Cuenca, Le Petit Jardín feels like dining in a French country home. Chef Giovanni Cambizaca crafts seasonal menus that turn fresh market produce into elegant, comforting plates: duck confit, homemade terrines, inventive soups. A serene escape where Cuenca meets Provence at the table.
On Cuenca’s lively Calle Larga, La María is the brainchild of four chefs who chose to cook without limits. A locro might feature octopus, empanadas come stuffed with guinea pig, and ceviches find sweetness in tangerines... Every ingredient is traceable, sourced from local producers. It’s creative freedom, firmly grounded in the land.
6. La Chichería
7. El Jardín
8. Mansión Matilde
9. Trattoria Murano
10. Tar Tar
