NUEMA

During a recent trip through several Central and South American countries, I had the privilege of dining at numerous restaurants that appeared in “Top 50” or “Top 100” and this was BY FAR the best experience I had. Each dish was thoughtful and I described more than one to a friend as ‘life changing’. The service was attentive without being overbearing. The way they describe the ingredients that constitute each dish is enlightening. I do wish the wine list was more comprehensive. But otherwise, an absolutely fantastic experience. I was here for lunch and did the shorter option.

Foodies travel for food… This TOP 100-RANKED BEST RESTAURANTS IN THE WORLD in Quito is A FOODIE’S SPLENDIDLY FULFILLING DINING 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩. THIS IS CERTAINLY A MATTER OF PRIDE FOR ECUADOR 👏👏👏 *** The Menu Course is INTELLIGENTLY CREATED AND STIMULATING TO THE PALATE. 🤩🤩🤩TIPS FOR THE PROSPECTIVE DINER: Lift the plate close to nose, and just breathe in the aromas… Then, Take small piece (teaspoon-size) at a time, let the taste buds and palate be stimulated. Have a sip of the wine pairing AND/OR plain water to cleanse the palate ready for the next course. This is true fine dining, which is enjoyed by really paying attention to the wait staff during each course. THE MENU SIMPLY LISTS THE MAIN INGREDIENTS (no dish names) SO LET YOUR TASTE BUDS DO THE NAMING🤩🤩🤩. We enjoyed every dish👍👍👍. The ones we’ll remember most for their uniqueness: 🤩 Sourdough Foam ::: this is not the French bread but a lovely fruit base that wakes up the palate 🤩 Stonecrab Mousse ::: chunky creamy with all the flavor of crab 🤩 Ceviche of Tuna::: it looks deceptively like a dessert BUT boy! the contrasting flavors of ceviche plus the fresh tuna plus the Aji-gingery fragrance of a native leaf… it is wonderful 🤩 Salprietta::: most delightful mix of granules of native peanuts 🤩 Consommé of Lamb::: instead of a cut of meat, it’s the MOST SURPRISING consommé of a meat, both visually and palatably!!! 🤩 Huayalpe::: a heavenly crudo of an Ecuadorian fish 🤩 Paiche ::: having had many a pleasure of this priced Amazonian fish, this the MOST CREATIVE PRESENTATION AND MOST SUBLIME Paiche dish. The broth marries all the ingredients together. 🤩 Cherimoya Tangerine Pastry:::: MOST FRAGRANT AND CREATIVE DESSERT. The dusting of tangerine peel is so pleasing visually, aromatically, and palatably!!! 🤩 Camomile Moringa Pastry :::: yet another very fragrant and very flavorful pastry. The aroma of Moringa is superb! 🍷🍷🥂🥂👍 The wine pairings are surprisingly complementary. The wines are a discovery for us😊😊😊… so kudos to whoever chose them. SERVICE IS OUTSTANDING. The restaurant has a minimalist design YET VERY PLEASING ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO DINING. CONGRATULATIONS to Quito for this gastronomic treasure👏👏👏👏👏.

Food presentation is very artistic. We tried full taste menue. I loved about half of the dishes. Some dishes the taste of sourness is too strong for me. The service is decent. One of the waiters has more enthusiasm than others

This was a huge miss for me but the wife enjoyed it. Although her stomach was upset for half the day the following day. Coincidence, probably. Customer service was pretty top notch. They did a good job explaining the dishes. However. All the seafood dishes had a disgusting and funky smell like old seafood. Ruined the mood for me. The Cocktails for my wife were all excellent. Only 2 national beers CLUB and Pilsener which is sad as for a high end establishment choosing to serve the poorest quality beer. They need to consult with a Cerveza Artesenal Brewery locally and create their on perfect light crisp easy drinker to go with the menu. Overall for $95 for 12 course pretty decently solid deal if the seafood items were fresh. I did not like any of the Pastry/Desserts. Bland and boring. Although she one Pastry chef of the year it did not show in this seating. But please visit her bakery and coffee shop next door called PIA. The aesthetics and decor are modern and trendy. The vibe is chill. Would I go back. No. Hopefully if you go they will use fresher seafood items.

OK good, terrible service. The food was OK, though I can’t comment on the authenticity of Ecuadorian ingredients. The prawns were slightly overcooked, and the dessert was overly sweet. The service, however, was terrible. I was told there were no English menus available, and the waitress couldn’t explain the difference between the 7-course and 12-course options. Instead, I received a Word document via WhatsApp—why not just print it? There was no wine list, and I was simply asked to choose between “red or white.” The waitress was inattentive, failing to notice I had no wine or water after four courses (yes, I counted!), yet she repeatedly asked how I liked the food. It felt like she was just going through the checkboxes, with refilling water clearly not on her checklist. Overall, it was quite a disappointment.

The restaurant occupies a former embassy and residence (mid century modern architecture) with an interior garden and a small art gallery on the second floor. The atmosphere is quiet and casual and the kitchen is in full view. The service is quite good, however the menu was unclear and the explanations of each course served seemed rushed. The food is an interesting take on local cuisine and includes regionally sourced ingredients. Unfortunately some of the dishes were so salty they left a lingering burn on the palate. For the price (easily 2 to 3 times the cost of similarly ranked restaurants in Quito) we expected better.

I like to try new foods, especially local cuisine when I travel. We had the seven-course tasting. Overall, I was not a fan of most of the servings. The flavors were odd or sour (not a preferred taste). The fish was cevichè (not a fan), and even my cooked fish was very fishy (my daughter's was not). My daughter, however, enjoyed most of the dishes and even ate mine, except for the really fishy tasting one. If you like the experience of trying unusual flavors and new foods, try it. It's pricey, but an interesting experience.

Exceptional is an understatement! We have traveled the globe seeking vanguard chefs and found one at Nuema, located in Quito Ecuador. Co-owner and Chef Alejandro Chamorro, has been able to create dishes that are not only superb in taste, but brilliant in optics. We had a 12-course experience that left us breathless - each dish pushing the limits of imagination. Thank you Chef Alejandro for taking the time to describe each dish, its history, and how to best savor each ingredient to best interpret the explosive flavors. Kudos