Restaurants, Cafes and Bars in Caracas

Caracas is said to have the highest ratio of restaurants to inhabitants in South America and walking around Caracas it is very easy to believe this. If you want to eat in a Venezuelan, Spanish, Peruvian, French, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Columbian, Brazilian, Mexican, Uruguyan, Thai, Iranian or avante-guarde molecular cuisine restaurant, you will find one in Caracas. For some reason, English cuisine is not represented in the Caracas gastronomic spectrum.

All of the popular guidebooks include a variety of suggested restaurants but they can only skim the surface of this gourmet city. However, to help you narrow down the choice, here are a few of our recommendations.

We've started with restaurants and cafes in the eastern part of Caracas because there are lots of them within easy reach of the Chacao, Altamira and Miranda metro stations in our GREEN zone but we'll add more in other areas later on. We haven't given telephone numbers because most restaurants in Caracas don't accept telephone reservations unless they know you. You can normally pay with the usual international credit cards and charge cards.

Almazara

Our favourite place for lunch has only six tables, it is not mentioned in any of the guidebooks and the last thing we want is for it to be filled with tourists so we were strongly tempted to keep quiet about it. Then we decided that as there are no tourists in Caracas anyway we might as well tell the world that this is the best-kept gastronomic secret in Caracas. Almazara is tucked in a quiet street close to Chacao metro station and specialises in the traditional Venezuelan dishes called "mantuana" or "criollo". The food is excellent, the prices are moderate, it's easy to reach and the owners speak fluent English - what more could you ask for? You can see the menu of the day on their website www.almazara.com.ve

Arabica

This is another favourite haunt we were tempted to keep quiet about because it is where you will find the best cup of coffee in the world. If you're in the Altamira district, there is no better way to start the day than to sit out on their terrace facing the Ávila mountains and enjoy a rich, smooth "marron grande". The coffee beans come from 18 Venezuelan coffee farms ("haciendas") which are paid several times the market rate to ensure the highest possible quality and it shows. The Arabica is open from early morning to late night, when it becomes a popular place to meet for a beer or an expensive glass of wine. You can also buy their coffee on-line at www.coupacafe.com. Arabica is in Avenida Andres Bello, a few minutes walk from Altamira metro station.

Bar Juan Sebastian

For more than 30 years this has been the temple of jazz in Caracas. Just over the road from the JW Marriott Hotel in El Rosal, it's not cheap but the quality of the music makes it worth while. A typical evening starts with classic "cool" jazz, then changes to a salsa session, then continues until late with more jazz. If you like live jazz, this is a must. It's a few minutes walk from Chacaito metro station.

Boston Bakery

This is a very good place for breakfast, lunch or a light evening meal. Like many cafes and restaurants in the Los Palos Grandes/Altamira area, it occupies the ground floor of a residential block, a few minutes walk from Altamira metro station. They've recently introduced live music nights on Thursdays and Fridays, mainly Latin Jazz, Blues and World Music.

Chez Wong

Caracas has many excellent Chinese restaurants but this one is regarded locally as one of the best. Chez Wong is a few minutes walk from Altamira metro station, close to the British Embassy. Connoisseurs say that their Peking duck is the best in Caracas but their desert menu also often includes the very Venezuelan mango and parchita soufflé. If it's on the menu when you visit, don't consider anything else.

Come a Casa

"Come a casa" means "Eat at home" in Italian and this restaurant aims to provide the experience of Sicilian home cooking. It's usually busy both at lunchtime and in the evening. They are known locally for their cannoli - a Sicilian desert made from fried pastry filled with cream cheese flavoured with vanilla, pistachio or chocolate - and they also do a very good take-away pizza.

Dena Ona

Dena Ona is an atmospheric Spanish restaurant that has been run by the same family for over 25 years. It has an open kitchen so you can see what's cooking and cured hams hang from the bar. Fish and seafood are its specialities and its "zarzuela" (a Spanish seafood casserole) is particularly recommended. The restaurant is conveniently close to the Bar Juan Sebastian, which makes for a very good night out.

El Barquero

For over 35 years El Barquero has been one of the best places in Caracas to enjoy Spanish fish or seafood dishes. They also offer many meat-based dishes for those who can resist the allure of fresh Caribbean fish cooked in classic Spanish styles. It's more formal that most Caracas restaurants so if you like to dress up a bit when you dine, you'll feel at home there.

Evio's Pizza

Evio di Marzo is a well-known singer/songwriter in Venezuela and his pizzeria in Los Palos Grandes is also regarded by local pizza lovers as the best in the city. In addition to all the expected pizza types there are varieties with toppings such as goat's cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. It's very popular in the evenings when there is often live music. The nearest metro station is Miranda.

La Estancia

Not to be confused with the nearby cultural centre of the same name, the "La Estancia" restaurant in La Castellana has been a shrine to red meat for over 40 years. With a strong Argentinian influence, it offers every type of beef-based meal as well as chicken and fish for half-hearted carnivores. Vegetarians might prefer to go somewhere else. It's very popular with the locals so you'll need to get there early to be sure of a table.

Palms

The Altamira Suites hotel near Altamira metro station includes one of the best restaurants in Caracas where the chef, Helena Ibarra, has developed a personal combination of French technique and traditional Venezuelan "Mantuana" recipes. Make sure you chose the "tequeños"" (fried pastry filled with goat's cheese) as your starter.

Tarzilandia

Nestling at the foot of the Ávila mountains, this unusual restaurant is surrounded by tropical gardens containing macaws and other local animals. It's been going for over 50 years and locally it's famous for its steaks but it also offers a wide range of international dishes. You'll probably want to take a taxi as it is quite a long walk uphill from Altamira metro station.