The Loki Community

Bars/Clubs restaurants

In the center historico, there are many restaurants to choose from in the daytime. If you take the ecovia to the next stop south, La Marin station, and head up ave. Chile you will find many cheap but good restaurants offering a variety of food.

At night the best variety of choice is in Mariscal, you can take the ecovia bus a couple of stops north to get to the Mariscal. The heart of Mariscal is the corner of Juan Leon Mera and Calama. From here there a a variety of restaurants, some are overpriced and aimed at tourists, otherwise you can buy a shawarma for a dollar or two.

There are also a variety of bars and discos. Our recommendations (quality, fun, value for $):

In heart of Mariscal:

Shooters, next to papaya net on calama. Cold beer on tap for $1.50. Don´t charge tax, mainly a tourist hangout but good. Nice place to go before you hit the clubs. Good coffee.

Patatus: Matt´s favorite. Free pool table!,small beer $1.50, cuba libre $2, two for one earlier in the night. $3 entry fri and sat with free drink. Probably 70/30 mix locals/tourists. Service better than average. Owner Alfonso speaks English and German. Wilson y Amazonas.

No Bar: I really don’t like this place, overcrowded, hard to get a drink or go to toilet no much room to move, cover charge, but worth going at least once, party atmosphere, dancing bartenders that may serve you a drink if you are lucky. Calama y Juan Leon Mera

Quiteña Libre: Reasonably new place, nice setup, good music,nice place, young 18-20 crowd usually more dancing than drinking. Fairly quiet before 11pm. Great if you can´t get a bar seat in Shooters or any other bar earlier in the night.. Calama y Juan leon Mera

Plaza Foch: This area has been done up, with many trendy bars and restaurants (but probably still very average service). Mainly wealthier quiteños and people who want to be noticed. Pricey.Foch y Reina Victoria

Soul Bar? (changed name) on Calama and Almagro. This bar is popular with hip young travellers and locals, nice tunes, lots of dancing. Drinks a bit expensive, and usually cover charge.

Not in the heart of Mariscal, but close:

Turtles head: scottish owned pub, have own beer! Nice bar. Not as cheap as some other bars but good beer if you are sick of Pilsener! and food. La niña y Juan Leon Mera (take cab)

Reina Victoria Hotel: british pub been here for ages. Good place to meet other travellers. Only local beer. Food like fish and chips, unfortunately a bit expensive, but good for happy hour (5.30-6.30pm). Reina Victoria y Carrion

Seseribo: Salsa club near the Catholic University. Three clubs here, Seseribo to the right, Osiris in the middle, and a big place with awful service to the left (don´t go!) Osiris is great, 95% locals, age range 18-40. Small place, wooden tables large jugs of beer, table service, you can get up and dance and your table will be kept for you. Variety of music, latin, classic 80s rock, salsa, reggaeton etc. Friday nights best, go early to get a table.
Ventimilla y 12 de Octubre.

El pobre del diablo:
Nice arty sort of place in La floresta. Friends recommend it.. Isabel de Catolica behind swiss hotel.

Busters:
British pub. Owned by Alfred (turltles head) across the road from qui centro shopping mall (modern mall in wealthier part of town). Nice décor, good service, burgers, wings. Bar staff have interesting uniforms!

Naranjilla Mecanica
Super chevere cafe/bar. Artwork, sometimes controversial, changes monthly. Good cocktails, nice atmo. Hard to find (no ads out front). On Tamayo y Ventimilla, near the Catholic University. Ask street guard for the house. Imported dutch fashion upstairs.

Thats all I can think of for now,
places change so will update in the future,
Cheers,
Matt