El Nispero

Description:

• If you're looking for a high-end restaurant serving updated takes on traditional Ecuadorian cuisine, this is the place to come. The restaurant is housed in a charming old home that has been totally gutted and renovated with hardwood floors and blue and yellow walls; a serene, quiet atmosphere prevails throughout. Service is gracious and the food is very good. The focus here is on traditional ingredients and recipes updated with an eclectic twist. The roast pork is served with figs and a mint sauce; the fresh prawns with coconut sauce come with an Ecuadorian nut called tocte; pancakes are made from yuca flour; and the humitas (a kind of corn mush) are served like a pudding, in a bowl. For dessert, try the oritas -- small Ecuadorian bananas drizzled with local honey -- or the éclairs filled with naranjilla cream. If you like ice cream, be sure to ask about the helado special of the day -- it's delicious.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010