Dave has eaten at all of these
restaurants. More restaurants will be added here during future climbing
trips.
Cafe Turmanye
is owned by Finnish and Spanish missionaries with the
proceeds from the cafe going to local missionary work. This cafe opened in
early summer 2008. Several couches make this a nice place to relax during
your breakfast and lunch. Good fruit juices and simple food items. This cafe
is just down the hill on the left side of the street from the Siam de los
Andes Restaurant (as mentioned below). Visit:
www.turmanye.org/pdf/turmanye_cafeteria.pdf
El
Fogon Restaurant is located almost across the street from
La Braza Roja restaurant mentioned directly below. It is located just a few
blocks from the main Plaza del Armas square and any taxi driver should know
this name. The signage out front is not good and the restaurant is located
upstairs so keep a sharp eye out when you get close. This restaurant can get
very busy on weekend nights especially with locals and as a result service
can suffer a bit. The food is decent with a good drink list.
El Encuentro at the time of this review had
just opened their 3rd restaurant. They have two restaurants right next to
each other in the same plaza as the El Horno Restaurant (as mentioned
above). The staff is very friendly, the restaurant is modern and chic
looking. They are located at Jr. Julian de Morales N 650. The food is decent
- good trout dishes. Outside dining is available for reasonable weather
days.
El Horno is located close to the center of town
in a courtyard surrounded by several guiding agencies. The restaurant is
clean and modern and is very setup for tourists. True to its name, the "horno" or
oven is clearly seen towards the back of the restaurant. Their specialty is
oven roasted Pizzas and BBQ meats and they have a fine selection of these.
They also have a terrace for dining which faces the nearby park. For more
information visit:
www.elhornopizzeria.com
Inka Pub, Monte Rosa is owned by a Swiss man
and serves some excellent Pizza's, Pasta and other local cuisine. The inside
of their restaurant is designed chalet style and is warm and accommodating.
The owner rents climbing gear and is also an authorized dealer for Swiss
Army Knife products. He has a plethora of local climbing and photo books
which before your meal may make a nice read. This restaurant is located
at: Jr. Jose De
La Mar 691just up from the main
street.
La Braza Roja is definitely one of
Huaraz's most popular restaurants especially by the locals as it is
not even located in the center of town but it is located on the main
street several blocks from the main Plaza where the new Cathedral
was built. This restaurant serves authentic Peruvian cuisine and is
always crowded on Friday through Sunday nights.
Their menu has a great selection of soups, salads, main entrees and
deserts. Looking to enjoy some alcohol, their Pisco Sour is very good and is larger than what most of
the area restaurants serve. Chicha Morada is a purplish drink made out of
maize and is very popular in Peru. This restaurants version is excellent and
is made naturally (watch out for some restaurants that use the artificial
version).
Here are a couple of other dishes that we recommend and have
personally tried.
The Anticuchos are beef hearts and one of these dishes is served
shish kebob style. There are also excellent Trucha or trout entrees. Oh, and
wonderful ice cream. A dinner here is always a tradition for us after ending
our treks or climbs.
Siam De Los Andes is one of the best Thai
restaurants in all of South America. In fact it is one of the best Thai
restaurants that we've tried outside of Thailand and that is saying a lot as
we have tried many. Siam de los Andes is run by the well-known Thai climber
Naresuan and
this restaurant is very popular with climbers.
It is located on the corner of Gamarra &
Morales at Av Agustin Gamarra N 560 just down from a primary school.
Naresuan has taught the locals how to cook excellent Thai food. He
divides his time between Columbia and Huaraz - spending the summer months in Huaraz.
If you want authentic Thai dishes eat here. The prices are certainly not
cheap, but the excellent food, nice atmosphere and friendly staff is worth
it. When there are climbers eating here its a good place to catch up on the
latest climbing routes and
conditions. Note that this restaurant is generally only
open part of the year during the climbing season which typically runs from
mid May through early October. If you are not visiting during those times,
this restaurant will probably not be open.
If you are interested in having a personal
bicycle guide for trails in the nearby mountains, the owner of this
restaurant, Naresuan is your man. In addition he also lives in Columbia
parts of the year and conducts guided trips there including through the infamous Darien Gap.
Please talk
to
Naresuan. Phone:
043-509173 or email:
naresuan@hotmail.com
About
Dave's Pick