Ecuador is a small entry in our directory. We list six Spanish restaurants in the country: four in Quito, and two on Avenida Samborondón, which our directory files under Guayaquil. Three of the six have descriptions, one more has opening hours but no description, and two are an address and nothing more. This guide sticks to what each listing actually says.
Samborondón: two tascas on the same avenue
La Tasca de Carlos has the fullest record of any Ecuadorian listing. It describes itself as a Spanish restaurant that opened more than 23 years ago, with dishes made from products of what it calls the Iberian basket. The address on file is Torre C, Km 1.5, Avenida Samborondón.
The menu in its record reads like a tour of Spanish bar food:
- Tapas, croquettes and potato omelette
- Galician-style octopus
- Rice dishes and paellas
- Salmorejo and gazpacho
- Chistorra and butifarra sausages
- Grilled squid and Córdoba-style aubergines
It also lists Spanish red and white wines with designation of origin. If you are new to that label system, our guide to how Spanish wine classification works explains what DO means on a bottle.
La Tasca del Norte, in the Edificio Mirador on Avenida Samborondón, describes its kitchen as built on traditional Spanish flavours: tapas, paellas, rice dishes, fish and regional specialties. Its listed hours run from 12:30 every day, closing at 20:30 on Sundays, 22:30 Monday to Thursday and 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Quito: a Basque grill and three more addresses
IRATI, on Avenida Paúl Rivet, calls itself a gourmet restaurant of Spanish and Basque cuisine. Its record mentions kitchens and grills where fish, meats and traditional Spanish dishes are cooked. For a sense of what a Basque grill menu usually looks like, see our explainer on Basque food beyond pintxos.
IRATI's listed hours are 12:00 to 22:00 Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00 to 22:00 on Monday, and 12:00 to 16:00 on Sunday, which makes it the one Quito listing with recorded Sunday hours.
El Rastro, at Santa María E4-443, has no description in our directory yet. What we do have is its hours: 11:00 to 20:00 on Monday, 11:00 to 22:00 Tuesday to Friday, and 12:00 to 22:00 on Saturday. No Sunday hours are recorded. The name is shared with Madrid's well-known Sunday flea market.
Two more Quito listings are addresses only: Casa La Rioja on Calle de los Pinos, and BiziBizi at Whymper and Avenida Orellana. We have no menu, hours or description for either, so call ahead or check their social pages before you plan a meal around them.
Planning a Spanish meal in Ecuador
- For a long menu of Spanish classics, La Tasca de Carlos has the most detailed record.
- For grilled fish and meat in Quito, IRATI is the listing that mentions grills.
- For a Sunday lunch in Quito, IRATI is the only listing with Sunday hours on file, and it closes at 16:00.
- For the address-only listings, confirm they are open before you travel.
If you run a Spanish restaurant in Ecuador and your listing is thin, you can claim and update it. More detail helps diners find you, and it lets us write about you properly.
