The best restaurants Bolivia

Timetable

Restaurant hours are very varied. Traditional restaurants, like in France, are open for lunch and dinner, often with a weekly closing day (or two), usually on Sunday (restaurants open on Sunday evenings in La Paz are rare). Small local restaurants are open for a single service eight hours a day. If restaurants open early in the morning, they close around 2pm. Those that open in the late morning provide service until around 7pm. And there are those that open around 5pm and close late in the evening. The restaurants intended for a clientele of tourists are in principle open every day, from morning to evening without interruption. In Uyuni, the city of the Salar, most restaurants are only open in the evening, because during the day travelers are on excursions... The markets' comedors are generally open from morning until 2 or 3 pm.

Budget & Tips

Eating in the markets. Throughout the country, the mercados often have a comedor where you can enjoy local menus for nothing! For lunch, they often offer an almuerzo formula consisting of a soup and a main course for a handful of bolivianos (between 10 and 20 Bs the menu).

The restaurants. Almost all restaurants offer almuerzo lunch packages at low prices, with soup and a main course for the smaller restaurants (around 40 Bs), plus salad bar, desserts and drinks for the better ones (up to 70 Bs). Prices for a la carte dishes vary greatly depending on the choice of restaurant. The cost of a dinner is generally higher than lunch. And, with a few exceptions, the prices charged by good restaurants are not prohibitive

What costs extra

The tip is normally already included in the bill, but nothing prevents you from thanking a good service or a particular attention... It is a habit that has been lost little by little, but that recovers all its sense to thank those who make an effort and deserve it.

The local way

Bolivia is a country with a great climatic, geographical and cultural variety: its gastronomy reflects this diversity. If each region has its own typical dishes, most of them are accompanied by sopa (soup) as a starter, and bread, potatoes in all their forms and (very) hotaji (chilli) sauce. In working-class neighbourhoods or in the countryside, sopa is sometimes the only meal of the day. It is also a smart way to eat at high altitudes. There are many different recipes, which differ from region to region. The main courses are usually served generously and will satisfy even the biggest appetites. As far as international cuisine is concerned, the cities of La Paz, Sucre and Santa Cruz have everything to satisfy the most demanding palates

Here are some words to know when it comes to the art of eating in Bolivia:

Ají : condiment very used in the Altiplano cuisine; beware, it stings! If you are not used to it, you'd better not try it. Or try it... but just a little! In the restaurant, just say "sin ají" and we'll understand.

Charquí : dry, salty meat that can be kept for a long time.

Choclo : hard, sweet corn, very popular in Bolivia (the kernels are torn off with the teeth directly from the cob and can be served with cottage cheese)

Chuño : dehydrated potatoes. They are left to harden overnight at temperatures below 0°C; the next day they are squeezed until water runs out. This process is repeated for several days until there is absolutely no water left. The potato then has a black colour.

Locoto : red, green and sometimes yellow pepper, similar to our pepper but smaller and much hotter!

Llajua : hot sauce made with locoto, tomato and a little onion, it is seasoned with different herbs in each region. It is the national sauce. Be careful, it is often very spicy!

Humita : sweet and salty choclo dessert.

Salteña : This is an empanada, originally from Salta in Argentina. This delicious baked turnover is filled with meat (beef, chicken or other), egg and various vegetables. The salteña boliviana is very juicy and is usually eaten in the morning between 10am and noon. You will find it all over the country

Tucumana : similar to the salteña, but without the juice; it is also fried and the dough is different.

Yuca : tuber that replaces the potato, very common in the Bolivian East. One will have recognized the manioc

To be avoided

Don't drink tap water, prefer mineral water: La Cabaña, Vital or Cristal or the very good Viscachani carbonated. Also among the carbonated drinks, try Papaya Salvietti.

Avoid drinks with ice cubes (especially those sold on the street), as well as pre-cut fruits and vegetables.

Kids

In all tourist cities, restaurants, especially those in hotels, offer menus or specialities for children. Baby milk is easily available in the big cities, but baby food is very rare. Bolivians often give soups and rice to the little ones.

Smokers

Smoking is prohibited in enclosed public places. In practice, the law is sometimes circumvented in small establishments in villages and rural areas.

Tourist traps

Be careful where you eat. Don't think you're going to die because you're eating chicken foot soup in a local market, but take precautions and, if you have a weak stomach, avoid the street stalls: they're pretty rudimentary. On the Altiplano, condiments are used to excess(aji in particular, chilli pepper), which is not the case in the Oriente. Most of the time, travelers do not appreciateaji very much, and most restaurants nowadays offer international or local dishes, but without any particular flavor.