A cafe in the cutest square in Cuenca serving good coffee and snacks.

Plaza de San Sebastion, Cuenca.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This is a nice little cafe that serves good coffee and a great breakfast, among other things, in a relaxed atmosphere. Open from 9am.

Benigno malo, Cuenca

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

A fantastic cafe-bar that has live music on most nights, serves excellent tapas, has comfy sofas and a couple of fires for those cold evenings. Open 5pm until late.

Gran Columbia, Cuenca

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

The place to be seen in Cuenca. Busy all the week through, with particular spikes for Ladies’ Night on a Wednesday and Salsa Saturday, it’s a buzzing mix of the beautiful people of Cuenca, hoary old expats and baffled looking travellers in zip-off trousers. Located in a superbly restored colonial building – all dark wood and exotic plants – and offering delicious international cuisine (although the portions are small), Eucalyptus is where it’s at.

Gran Colombia 9-41 and Benigno Malo;
tel: (593 7) 2849 157;
email: cafeeucalyptus@yahoo.com;
www.cafeeucalyptus.com;
Open 5pm to late, Monday-Saturday.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This tiny village in the outskirts of Cuenca is renowned amongst locals for its food, and caters for all tastes … provided you want meat. It comes in all shapes and sizes, but it’s fresh and there’s plenty of it. Served with local favourites mote (corn kernels) and llapingachos (potato cakes), and washed down with a beer, it’s carnivore heaven. And then of course there’s the guinea pig. Spit-roasted and served whole, you’ll never look at Fluffy the same way again.

There are a number of these restaurants, but El Tequila or El Campo are recommended. To get there take a short taxi-ride, or hop on a No. 19 bus from the centre.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

A lively spot, complete with that brand of funky décor that basically involves sticking beer mats, licence plates, and just about anything else that comes to hand onto the walls. It has good burritos and guacamole, its own potent concoction consisting of blue beer, and a nice crowd. But it always seems to close just as those beers are starting to blow the blues away.

Corner of Calle Larga and Luis Cordero.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Cheap and cheerful. A tasty and affordable menu, including the best chips in the city, cold beer and Dire Straits on the stereo – no-frills fun.

Presidente Borrero 9-68 and Gran Colombia, opposite the post office

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Deliberately hard to find, this unsignposted hole in the wall is the home of salsa in Cuenca. Here pinch-waisted, elastic-hipped locals swing gringas around the claustrophobic dance floor while their boyfriends sup beers and look on through green eyes. Open late, with a well-worn path from Café Eucalyptus on a Wednesday night, it’s as hot, hot, hot as it gets in Catholic Cuenca.

Location: Gran Colombia y Tomas Ordonez;
Opening hours: Midnight to late

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends