El Nuevo Mesón

Description:

• Open to the passing parade of people, souvenir sellers, and curious locals on the malecón, this lively restaurant is a good place for an introduction to regional specialties and the city itself. If you come on a weekend night, you'll be entertained not only by altiplano musicians inside, but also by all kinds of locals hovering about the sidewalk tables, some gawking at your meal. (Several kids jostled for the rights to my leftovers; disadvantaged people occasionally hang around outside restaurants hoping for part of a meal.) Service can be a little haphazard, but most dishes are pretty well prepared. Try dishes such as the regional favorite pescado a la loretana (fish filet with yuca, fried bananas, and palm-heart salad), and freakier fare such as alligator crisps with fried manioc or curried turtle. There are also steaks, and a long list of fish, dominated by dorado (a kind of flaky white catfish).

• © Frommer's 2013