The best restaurants Gran Asunción

One of the best restaurants in the country, ranked in 2016 among the 50 best restaurants in Latin America. Its owner, chef Rodolfo Angenscheidt, presented the Ricos y Sabrosos program for 18 years and is a MasterChef Paraguay judge. After graduating from some of Europe's top culinary schools, he set up his own restaurant. Bright, well-kept surroundings, efficient service and an imaginative menu. Discover creative fusions of traditional Paraguayan cuisine and international flavors.

The Café de Acá ("the Café d'ici") was started by young Paraguayans who realized all the little things they missed while they were abroad. The café-restaurant therefore showcases Paraguayan customs and traditions, with a cheerful and neat decoration and refined local cuisine. A wide choice of typical dishes (an unforgettable mbeyú!) and you can even treat yourself to a tereré in a silla cable. Terrace on the street, cosy room, or patio with trees, the place is quiet and friendly. A charming address, with a beautiful energy.

A Paraguayan chain offering typical Paraguayan dishes, as well as snacks, pitas, salads and pasta. Several branches in the capital, but Ña Eustaquia on Calle Palma is the most pleasant. It's located just opposite the tourist office (Turista Róga). You can sit in the air-conditioned dining room, or on the terrace overlooking the street. Specialties include chipas (4 quesos, So'o...), empanadas, mbeyús, bori-bori, to be enjoyed with a fresh fruit juice. "Ña " is the apocope of " Doña ", the honorific title of "Madame" (followed by the first name).

The entrance on the emblematic Calle Palma with its security guard impresses a little, but the large hall is rather warm. Ask for the pieces of meat you want and help yourself to the buffet of starchy foods, salads, vegetables and sauces. There is a wide choice and vegetarians will find what they are looking for. Then have your plate weighed. Pay at the cash desk on the way out. A good Brazilian churrasqueria in the centre, at a moderate price (well, it depends on the weight of the plate!). Weekend concerts of Brazilian music or harp.

La Vienesa is one of the best places to treat yourself to a pastry with friends. There are around ten branches in the capital. The central location is modern, cosy and bright, with a large air-conditioned room and a terrace overlooking the street. Pies, ice creams, cheesecakes, flans, floating islands, chocolate mousses or mburucuyá... smoothies, tea, coffee, but also savoury snacks, salads, or more elaborate dishes, but you quickly see that this is not their speciality. Don't be in a hurry, as service is generally rather slow.

Right in the center, a long-established Korean restaurant, much appreciated by center employees and students alike. At the entrance, you'll find a buffet of Korean and Oriental dishes, both hot and cold (salads, kum chun, pork chops in sweet and sour sauce, sushi...). It's quite appetizing, and the plates fill up fast. Payment is taken at the cashier after weighing. A good option for small budgets and for vegetarians who will find what they're looking for. The place is clean, with an upstairs dining room, and the welcome is friendly.

One of the capital's great classics. Open since 1985, this warmly decorated restaurant offers delicious Spanish specialties: tapas, gazpacho, chorizos and Serrano ham, Spanish tortilla (not to be confused with the local tortilla), Galician-style octopus, garlic prawns, and of course the famous paella. Enjoy in good company, with a bottle of wine or a carafe of sangria. Prices are reasonable and service is friendly. A true Spanish tavern, simple and friendly.

In a large air-conditioned room, there is a pasta restaurant with homemade pasta. The concept is original: you compose your own dish, you choose the ingredients, the type of pasta, the type of sauce. The dish is prepared and served at your table in just a few minutes! There's also salads and pizza. It's hearty, fresh, but the flavors could be better. A restaurant that remains good value for money. Also a Bellini in the historic centre (Palma casi 14 de Mayo) and in most of the patios of the shopping centre comida.

Club Alemán is a warmly atmospheric restaurant housed in a former factory. Run by Pedro Cácere, a renowned Paraguayan chef, it offers an abundance of delicious buffets, which you pay for by the weight of your plate (fixed price for the all-you-can-eat Sunday buffet, which is a great success). An excellent option for lunch, with a wide variety of well-presented hot and cold dishes to suit vegetarians (lots of salads and vegetables), as well as meat and fish lovers.

Shangri-La has the reputation of being the best Chinese restaurant in Asunción. The food is good and fresh, but not extraordinary either. A la carte dishes from different regions (Cantonese, Taiwanese, Pekingese specialties...) and a tempting and copious buffet (upstairs), with hot and cold dishes, soups, Mongolian barbecue (prepared a la plancha in front of you)... The setting is pleasant and the restaurant offers good value for money. Branches in the patios de comidas of Shopping Mariscal, Shopping del Sol and in Paseo la Galería.

Hiroshima is the capital's best-known Japanese restaurant, despite its location outside the trendy districts. This family-run establishment is a benchmark for Japanese gastronomy in Paraguay. For over thirty years, it has been serving traditional cuisine appreciated by the Paraguayan-Japanese community, but the chef also allows himself a few very personal touches, which are well received. The setting is simple and intimate, the atmosphere quiet (sometimes too quiet!) and the prices reasonable.

Apart from the pleasant company that introduced us to this good little address, we appreciated the simple, friendly and warm setting of this pizzeria in the Jara district, but above all the quality of the pizzas. Real Italian-style wood-fired pizzas, with light dough and a wide variety of toppings, prepared with fresh, tasty ingredients. Accompanied by a craft beer or a bottle of wine. A relaxed, open-air atmosphere, perfect for an evening with friends.

An authentic Breton crêperie, set up by Erwan and Valeria. It's located right next to the Lycée Français Marcel Pagnol and is very popular with the French-speaking community, who like to get together here to enjoy flavors that are rare in Paraguay. The crêpes and galettes are made using traditional recipes and ingredients from Brittany, such as buckwheat flour. They also prepare great sandwiches, salads and original desserts, coffee and juices, etc. Warm atmosphere and very reasonable prices for a French restaurant. Three other locations in town.

One of Asunción's first gourmet restaurants. Opened in 1995, its reputation is still excellent. International, Mediterranean and auteur cuisine, with a few Paraguayan touches. Interesting menu with seasonal dishes and a fine wine list. The setting is pleasant, in a handsome architect-designed house, with meticulous decoration. Works by local artist Koki Ruiz are on display. A warm welcome and impeccable service. A classic to (re)discover, but be sure to book in advance.

A famous Brazilian churrasquería, but here there's no need to make reservations - the room seats over 500! The waiters come to your table in rapid succession, offering you every conceivable piece of meat. They come to you on skewers and cut the desired pieces, which end up on your plate. Buffet with a wide choice of mixed salads, vegetables and starches. If there's room, a wide selection of desserts awaits you. A great option for groups.

Adjacent to the municipal market, this informal restaurant is one of the few comedores open in the evening. Typical cuisine at unbeatable prices. No alcohol here, but the famous " puretón " (from " purete ", an expression meaning "great"). This is aParaguayan tortilla covered with minced meat and potatoes, topped with a fried egg. This hearty dish is particularly popular with night owls, as it is highly effective against resaca, the hangover!

Open since 1953, it's an icon of downtown Asunción. This brasserie offers a pleasant terrace right in front of the Pantheon, but the most typical thing is to eat at the bar, under the powerful fans. A U-shaped bar in the middle of which little ladies in suits jostle to take your order. The sound of mixers and clattering plates mingles with the laughter of the waitresses. An authentic place to eat well. Try the caldo de pescado (fish soup), or an empanada de carne (to be placed in homemade bread, like a sandwich!).

Doña Chipa is a family-run business, founded in 2004 and producing, as its name suggests, the famous chipas! They come in all shapes and sizes: traditional, filled, with four cheeses... There are also empanadas al horno (baked), pastels mandi'o, mbejú, and some basic pastries. Doña Chipa franchises can be found throughout the capital, particularly in shopping malls. Typical recipes and quality products, at modest prices. Perfect for snacking, with a cocido or fruit juice.

Lomitos, chorizos(butifarra, morcilla, picante), costillas de cerdo, pollo, accompanied by mandioca and a delicious chipa guazú... In short, mouth-watering grilled meat. A completely informal atmosphere for this asadito, with a few plastic tables inside and others on the sidewalk, and lots of carnivores around 8pm every evening. The food is typical, good quality and you get satisfecho for less than 3 euros!

An institution! Since 1960, the Bolsi has been as successful as ever, and it's hard to find a table on the terrace. Inside, two air-conditioned rooms. The first is a rather expensive, almost chic restaurant, while the other is nicer, with a circular bar, around which people come to have a coffee, or eat empanadas ("the best in the southern hemisphere!", to be discussed...). The à la carte selection is vast, and all the typical specialties are on offer. Service is reputedly slow, but prices are reasonable and the setting pleasant.