Restaurants of La Paz

Bolivia isn’t internationally known for its culinary chops. But nestled within these sloping streets are a few restaurants that are worth talking about.

When we started this trip, we had one rule for restaurants. Once per continent, we will go to a fancy schmancy swanky place and get all wined and dined. All part of the culinary journey. Our first attempt at this was Maido, in Lima, but we couldn’t get in. So when we discovered that in La Paz, we could go to not one, but three fancy schmancy swanky restaurants for the price of Maido, we decided this would be the city where we discover the pinnacle of South American cuisine.

Our first stop was Popular Comida Bolivia. A no reservation lunch joint. We got to the little courtyard it was in an hour early, and had a coffee at a nearby coffee shop. We slowly watched the line increase in size, until 15 minutes later, my anxiety and excitement became too much, and I sent Graham to wait in line. Good thing too, cause then we could sit at the bar and watch the kitchen. By the time the restaurant opened, the line snaked all around the balcony of the courtyard.

The menu gave us 2-3 options for appetizer, main and dessert.

The menu was 79Bs which is approximately $15 CAD. This was the best meal we will ever get for that price point. Was the meal the best I have ever had, no. It was easy to pick out what minutia could be improved. Everything has a subtle peanut taste but Bolivia is known for peanuts and peanut soup is one of its national dishes so that makes sense. The portions were massive and very rich so it was very difficult to finish everything. Additionally, all the plates were very beautiful and then they covered everything with a brown sauce. The pears were difficult to eat. But it was a good meal. I didn’t really know what to expect from Bolivian food and it was good. The restaurant was full in minutes but the service was impeccable.

The second restaurant we went to was Gustu. This is a top 50 restaurant in Latin America, and the highest rated in Bolivia (according to The World’s 50 Best). We sat down, unaware of what type of experience lay before us. It turns out, three snacks, five mains, and two desserts. Plus some extra cocktails.

It’s really hard to describe a meal like this. Every bite is delicious and unique. Its also hard to describe ingredients you only had once. Everything was perfectly balanced. unique, and delicious. It was very easy to appreciate the meal because the flavours were not hiding behind any fancy western ingredients. Some memorable parts were the smoked beet pastrami, alligator ceviche, the corn soup, pork belly and bok choy, and the chamomile popsicle. The drinks were also delicious. I can always tell the quality of a restaurant by how balanced their drinks are. It is very easy for cocktails to be one dimensional with a single flavour but these ones were some of the best cocktails I have ever had. Perfectly balanced and very good.

This was Graham’s favorite meal. After Huyana Potosi, we wanted to splurge and it was relatively cheap why not. This restaurant was also recommended and was the top 100 in Latin America. We started with some snacks which included bread and various sauces. We got a sour dough and a toasted white bread with a spicy tomato sauce, a delicious pate, and a fig jam.

The first course was a trout ceviche on crostini’s with a almond milk around it. Graham loved it. I thought it was a little fishy and the flavour was a little strong. I think my problem was my stomach wasn’t fully recovered from the mountain. The next course was pork with a sweet potato puree, with a “tiger milk,” which is the sauce you make ceviche with. Sweet, savory, and acidic. All the components you need for a great bite of food. Next was roasted artichokes with a walnut tomato sauce and roasted zucchini. Again, Graham loved it. The menu here seemed oddly catered to his tastes. The final main was steak with two different pepper risottos. This is the first time I have had steak in a restaurant that was on the same level as my dad’s. It was so tender, perfectly cooked, and well seasoned. I liked the yellow risotto the best. It was a little more sweet. Before dessert we had a pallet cleanser of roasted strawberries with a basil and a sherbet. We though this was dessert so we were pleasantly surprised when the actual dessert came. It was a dense panna cotta of an unplacable flavour. It came with some cakes, cherimoya and a caramel sauce. Overall it was a delightful victory meal, much more consistent with the flavors of home than the other two restaurants.

Bolivia has a unique set of culinary ingredients available to it compared to the rest of the Andes, and the world. International staple ingredients peanuts and potatoes are originally from the region. As a result, the flavours of these ingredients are slightly more powerful than their commercialized counterparts. Nuts in general are a major ingredient. Same with many local fruits, like the cherimoya and the strawberry. Then there are the delicacies, like alligator. All of these ingredients combine in a way unlike anything else we have tried for delicious, unique dishes.

The localness of the ingredients creates the many different culinary creations that we would not have had anywhere else. The Amazonian Paiche fish combined with highland potato balls like we had at Gustu could only have been had there. These restaurants gave us many ideas for home cooking, and many delicious bites we will never be able to replicate. Thank you Popular, Gustu and Ancestral for dinner delights we will cherish forever.