Last Sunday a large group of us were all sat around a cropping of picnic bench tables ordering buckets of Pilsner. One of the first timers here asked about how much he should expect to spend and Kevin, who lives up the road and comes about every week said: “I don’t know really, I always order a few beers a plate of fish and ceviche and always end up paying about $10. In the end after a few crates of beer– I’m not sure how many beers our group of thirteen drank, but we all had a plate of fish and ceviche and it was a $138 bill. I probably shouldn’t be telling you about the best cevicheria in Quito. If you surfed, you’d understand about guarding the local secrets. I invite you all to try out our little cevicheria—don’t even think it has a name— in the district of Guapulo. Just not all at the same time.

Set in the hills of Guapulo, a little district just over the hill from the main urbane valley of Quito, Guapulo looks out of verdant hills and zags down into the valley of Cumbaya, the upscale suburb of Quito. The narrow cobble streets and the houses pinned to the hills reminisce of something Mediterranean. The green and quiet and sound of birds lets one forget they live in another dirty Latin city. Our restaurant is set in a nice little home. The family that runs it only open on the weekends. The have a lovely little terrace with views of the cathedral and valley where up to about 20 people can be accommodated at any one time. Don’t expect express service. Come with a mind to enjoy the day, and of course, the ceviche.

And the ceviche, (pronounced se-vee-chay), I kid you not, is the best I think I’ve ever had. I think they must use orange juice instead of Lime, because the sauce is much sweeter than sour. For those that don’t know, ceviche is a popular dish in Latin America where fish, shrimp and other sea life can be “cooked” in the acids of citrus juice rather than than over conventional heat supplies. Simply chop up the raw fish, squeeze the lime into a container, mix and store under refrigeration. Come back a little later and it’s ready to eat. One usually adds tomato, onion and cilantro to make it complete. Simple, it’s an excellent dish.

And so there you go. Go check it out. Guapulo is a lovely little apart from Quito. Little Posadas to stay in, artsy cafes, an exquisite cathedral, tranquility, and the best ceviche in Quito. Like I said, can’t give you the name. There is none. Can’t tell you exactly what’s on the menu or the exact price, cause there is none. Just ask for the cevicheria when you’re near the cathedral and just ask for ceviche or fried fish and the bill when you’re done. Some of the best things in life don’t have a sign post or a price tag attached.

Related posts:

• Guay a quil ya: a Strait shooters guide to Ecuador’s second city. Part 3
• Discount Shopping Near the Malecon – La Bahia Market
• Guay a Kill Ya: A strait Shooters guide to Ecuador’s other City. Part 1
• Guay a kill ya. A strait shooters guide to Ecuador’s other city, Part 2

Tags: Ceviche, Local cuisine, Quito