QUITU | Identidad Culinaria

This place is a culinary explosion of flavor, using locally sourced products, fresh, and an abundance of choices. Service is attentive, without being intrusive. If you want beautiful South American vibe, and a great bar with an amazing mixalogist, Quitu is the place to come!!

Beautiful restaurant and one of the highlights of our recent trip. It was certainly expensive, but the quality of the food and service was quite exceptional. We had the tasting menu and the food was excellent and to a Michelin star quality. There were lots of very different and interesting food combinations - like bone marrow with trout. Unlike a lot of Michelin starred restaurants, though, the menu had a very distinct sense of place with lots of local products and cuisine. The service was professional, but also relaxed. We had some good banter with the servers. Would highly recommend the experience.

Quitu was a culinary marvel. Located in a house previously occupied by an artist, it is a large building with flowing spaces. Two menus are offered, a 6 course or a 9 course, priced very reasonably. The chef himself seated us and the manager explained the menu. Freshness of produce from small artisanal local farmers and producers featured prominently in the menu. Items such as lobster and grouper from the Galapagos, macambo beans from the Amazon, potatoes and grain from the Highlands are used. Foraging features prominently in the master chefs of the world. Look at Central in Peru, the now closed Noma in Copenhagen or Room For Desserts in Bali. Having tried these restaurants, sometimes when pioneering flavours are pursued relentlessly, the results draw mixed reactions. Some of Central' dishes required effort to appreciate for example. There was no such problem at Quitu. Every dish was deliciously spiced, flavoured and cooked. Our best meal in South America.

Dining at Quitu in Quito was nothing short of a revelation—a 10-course journey that felt like a love letter to Ecuador’s culinary soul. Each dish was a masterful blend of tradition and innovation, showcasing hyper-local ingredients with textures and flavors that surprised and delighted at every turn. The chef’s deep respect for ancestral techniques was evident, yet he wasn’t afraid to play, creating a menu that felt both rooted and refreshingly modern. The intimate setting and personal storytelling behind each plate made the experience feel like more than just a meal—it was a cultural immersion, and one I won’t soon forget.

This was a beautiful experience! We were greeted at the door and assisted with parking. We were walked directly through the kitchen and greeted by everyone we walked past. I can’t even begin to explain how invited and personal this dining experience was. For that reason alone this topped my list as the best dining and tasting menu I have tried. We did the 6 course for $55pp but I have no idea how they count because I counted 10 (11 pictured because they gave us an additional desert treat for my birthday). Hands down an exceptional experience and the food is amazing. The flavors are exquisite. Each dish has a history. The chef delivered some dishes himself and said goodnight to us on our way out (again leaving through the kitchen). You feel like family here. 10/10 would recommend.

Foodies travel for food. We this one out in as it is cited as one of Quito’s “50 Discovery Restaurants”. BUT IT DIDN’T LIVE UP TO HYPE🫤🫤🫤. *** There’s creativity in the dishes, BUT MANY ARE UNDER-SEASONED AND/OR FAILS TO STIMULATE THE PALATE OR THE NOSE. 🫤 Pamba Mesa::: an updated version of the classic Ecuadorian shareable small plates, BUT ITS UNDERWHELMING —- The Lapingacho is a visually lovely patty of purple potatoes BUT UNDERSEASONED. —- The Flatbread is BORING, looks and tastes like an ordinary pizza dough. —- The Corn squares are tasty mash BUT IT IS UNREMARKABLE, nothing special about it. 🫤🫤🫤 then there’s a tangerine-based cold dish, the name of which we forgot AS IT IS SIMPLY VERY UNREMARKABLE. The tangerine flavor is overwhelmingly. Then there’s most surprising and LOVELY OYSTERS😊… BUT THE TOPPING KILLS THE NATURAL FLAVOR OF THE OYSTERS. — the topping adds nothing👎👎👎 — the oyster should have been king🫤🫤🫤🫤🫤. 😊😊😊 Ceviche and Shrimp dishes pairing::: these two are complementary. 👍 the cold ceviche is very mildly tart. It wakes up the palate. 👍 the warm shrimp is deliciously put together. 😊😊😊 Artichoke::: it’s a delectable concoction, tender artichoke cup and a beautiful sauce, BUT where did the heart go? ? That’s the best part of an artichoke ! 😊😊😊 Pork Roast::: a very lovely twist on the Chancho. The fat has been completely rendered. The pork with its charred skin is flavorful and textural. 😊😊😊 Cacao Toast::: a most creative rendition of a toast made from 100% cacao. 🤩🤩🤩 Lamb dish ::: this is EXCEPTIONAL, perfect mid-rare lamb and highly complimentary potato/veggie garnishes and sauce 😑😑😑 Chocolate Crème::: very pleasing taste and texture BUT SO BORING VISUALLY. Service is very good. The restaurant has an excellent ambience, the painting decors (one Guayasamin) liven the dining rooms. It’s inside a large compound with simple but pleasing garden.

I happened upon this place after visiting Guayasamin’s house museum, via google map search. The kind beverage manager led me into the dining room and introduced the restaurant to me. The place feels like a house not unlike the Guayasamin house museum and indeed there is a connection. But the real magic was the food. Sitting at the chef’s table I have watched the team whipping up dishes both traditional and innovative. I wasn’t that hungry was planning just having a coffee and snacks but I ended up with a 6-course tasting menu and wished I could come back for dinner some day. The service was impeccable and very warm. I highly recommend this place.

I booked Quitu on a whim — it turned out to be a real gem. It had an 8- and a 5-course tasting menu; I opted for the latter. The restaurant has recently moved to a new venue inside a beautiful classical building but inside, it’s an unassuming, almost industrial space with an urban bar area, a dark, almost bunker-like dining room and a chef table next to the kitchen. I planted myself there. I was the only customer. Seven people looked after me. The food, the knowledge, the creativity and commitment to local ingredients was off the charts! I had some ingredients I have never heard of; most remarkably, neapia, which is a paste, native to the Amazon region, made from yucca, chilli and ants(!), cooked for 80 hours, fermented for 3 days. Then it is used to flavour broths, for example. Here they made a mushroom broth using the paste to complement grilled grouper and shiitake mushrooms. Every dish was so interesting, beautifully presented and delicious. I had two small glasses of wine, picked by a sommelier trained in Bermondsey. The “Tempranillo” was divine. A real highlight of Quito.