Where To Eat The Best Ceviche In Quito

From casual family-run establishments to high-end fine dining, many local restaurants offer traditional shrimp and fish ceviches. The best tend to focus on serving coastal cuisine, opening for breakfast and lunch, which is the time of day when most Ecuadorians eat ceviche.

1. Zavalita Cevichería

Restaurant, South American, Seafood

Zavalita is a favorite with Quiteños looking for excellent seafood dishes cooked in the style of the Manabí province of Ecuador. They offer a full coastal menu, which includes arroz marinero and viche mixto, a type of seafood soup. The Ceviche Rey Zavalita includes shrimp, crab, black clams, squid, and fish.

2. Las Palmeras

Restaurant, South American, Seafood

Laid-back and easy going, Las Palmeras is the go-to ceviche restaurant after a pick-up game in Parque Carolina. Popular seafood dishes include grilled black clams and encocado trimixto, a coconut-sauced trio of fish, shrimp, and shellfish. Ceviches on the menu include shrimp, fish, and black clam or a combo of your choosing.

3. Café Plaza Grande

Restaurant, South American, Contemporary

The Café Plaza Grande, located kitty-corner from the Presidential Palace, serves Ecuadorian ceviche with style. Accompanied by fresh plantain and sweet potato chips prepared in-house, this ceviche looks almost too good to eat. The restaurant also offers many other traditional Ecuadorian dishes and international cuisine.

5. El Esmeraldas

Restaurant, Seafood, South American

The outdoor seating at El Esmeraldas adds to the coastal ambiance of this traditional Ecuadorian seafood restaurant. One reason to choose El Esmeraldas over others is their delicious yuca fritos, deep-fried, crispy wedges of yuca. They offer a full selection of ceviches: shrimp, crab, squid, fish, and black clam. They also have mixtos with two or three options plus the grand Ceviche de Estilo Esmeraldas, featuring every ingredient in a single bowl.

6. Segundo Muelle

Restaurant, Seafood, Peruvian, American

For the best Peruvian-style ceviche in Quito, you can’t go wrong at Segundo Muelle. Fresh fish and shrimp ceviches feature garnishes such as bright orange Peruvian sweet potato, plump kernels of field corn, and crunchy tostado. The menu includes other Peruvian specialties and fusion-style pasta and sushi.

7. Achiote

Restaurant, Fusion, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Fast Food

Located in the popular Mariscal neighborhood, Achiote has a great reputation with tourists and locals alike. They offer a full menu of Ecuadorian specialties, including one of the more extensive lists of ceviches in Quito. Guests will find shrimp, octopus, squid, fish, and various shellfish varieties, and a choice of three different sauces—traditional, passion fruit, and tamarillo.

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