What to Eat in Quito: Traditional Ecuadorian Dishes to Try
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Andean cooking was built for cool mountain evenings, and Quito’s food is exactly that — warming, generous and deeply rooted in potatoes, corn and cheese. Add a serious chocolate and coffee culture, and you have a city that is a pleasure to eat through. Here is what to order, with more trip planning in our Quito guide.
Locro de Papa: The Soup That Defines the City
If Quito had an official comfort food, locro de papa might be it. This thick, golden potato soup is enriched with cheese and often finished with slices of avocado on top. It is creamy without being heavy, and on a chilly highland afternoon it is exactly what you want.
You will find it on set-lunch menus all over the city, usually as the starter before a main course — an easy, affordable way to try it the way locals do.
Empanadas de Viento: Big, Puffy and Sugar-Dusted
The name translates roughly as “wind empanadas,” and one look explains why: these are enormous, airy, deep-fried pastries that puff up dramatically. Filled with cheese and often sprinkled with sugar, they land somewhere pleasantly between savory and sweet.
They are a classic afternoon snack, commonly paired with a hot drink. Tear one open while it is still warm and let the steam escape.
Llapingachos and Hornado: Highland Heavyweights
Llapingachos are griddled potato patties stuffed with cheese, typically served with a peanut sauce and accompaniments like fried egg, avocado, sausage or salad. Crisp outside, soft within, they are a highland staple.
Hornado is whole roasted pork, slow-cooked until the skin crackles. Plates usually come with mote (hominy), llapingachos or potatoes, and a tangy onion-and-tomato salad. Look for it in markets, where the roasted pig on display is part of the appeal.
Fanesca: A Seasonal Easter Tradition
Fanesca is Ecuador’s great seasonal dish, prepared during Holy Week before Easter. It is a rich soup made with salt cod and a long list of grains and legumes — beans, corn, lentils and more — simmered in milk and traditionally garnished with things like hard-boiled egg, fried dough and herbs.
Making it is famously labor-intensive, and families take their recipes seriously. If your trip overlaps with the Easter period, make a point of trying it; the rest of the year, it is generally hard to find.
Humitas and Other Corn Classics
Humitas are steamed parcels of fresh ground corn, usually mixed with cheese and wrapped in corn husks. Soft, lightly sweet and very comforting, they are a breakfast and afternoon favorite, often paired with coffee.
While you are at it, look out for tamales, quimbolitos (sweet steamed cakes wrapped in leaves) and roasted corn with cheese from street vendors.
Chocolate, Coffee and Canelazo
Ecuador is renowned for its fine-flavor cacao, and Quito is a wonderful place to taste it. Look for single-origin chocolate bars, tasting experiences and shops showcasing different growing regions. It also makes an excellent edible souvenir.
Ecuadorian coffee has been stepping into the specialty spotlight too, and the city’s café scene reflects that — expect carefully sourced beans from regions like Loja and Pichincha.
When the evening chill sets in, order a canelazo: a hot drink made with cinnamon, fruit juice (often naranjilla) and sugar, traditionally spiked with a sugarcane spirit. It is especially popular around the December holidays and on atmospheric streets like La Ronda. Non-alcoholic versions are easy to find, too.
Practical Tips for Eating in Quito
- Try an almuerzo — set lunches (soup, main, juice) are the local way to eat well at midday.
- Visit a market — central markets are great for hornado, fresh juices and fruit you may never have seen before.
- Ease into altitude — go gently on heavy food and alcohol during your first day or two.
- Ask about ají — the table hot sauce varies everywhere and is part of the fun.
Build a few of these dishes into your plans with our three-day Quito itinerary, and leave room for at least one empanada de viento. You will not regret it.
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