Quito's La Mariscal—'Gringo Landia'

If staying in Quito, then for the price, quality, and location, I think Hostal New Bask is hard to beat. It certainly keeps up its billing as "The Backpacker Home".

Located in the upmarket area of La Mariscal, also known amongst Ecuadorian locals as "Gringo Landia," it has the perfect location for Quito's best selection of restaurants, clubs, and bars. It is also only a short walk away from Banco de Central, and the old town, malls, and cinemas are just a short trole ride away, the nearest stop being Santa Clara.

The hostel boasts all of your usual amenities, including a laundry service, safety box, meals/ snacks, communal area with board games, Playstation, cable TV, video DVD, and a kitchen where you can prepare your own food. As well as these and highly useful is the free 1kg laundry washing service on arrival, hot water 24/7, a discount at a local Internet café, and tourist information for local sights of interest. There is also a huge notice board near the reception that is full of valuable information on hostels and places to visit all over Ecuador, plus a number of volunteer opportunities.

You can choose between dorms and private rooms, with all rooms having their own bathroom. Toilet paper, towels, and soap are also provided. Some of the doubles also come with TV as well. All of this for between $5 and $6 a night, so you really can't complain, especially when considering the friendly family atmosphere created by the staff and fellow guests. Security is also very impressive. Gates are locked all through the day and night and a ferocious (friendly to the paying guests!) dog prowls the locked gate on a regular basis.

The hostel from time to time takes on volunteers who help with the day to day running of the hostel. For this they offer free accommodation, food, and Spanish lessons. If not volunteering, Spanish lessons can also be arranged for a small fee. New Bask offers a discount of 10% for longterm stays and groups. Not bad at all considering the original price for a night's stay here. Of course the hostel isn't perfect. In some rooms there seems to be a slight damp problem, but you can easily deal with this for the price. Hostal New Bask is located at Lizardo Garcia 537, between Diego de Almagro and Reina Victoria. More information can be found by phoning 2503456 or 2567153.

New Year's Eve in Quito proved to be a much bigger problem than I was expecting in finding a place to eat. My girlfriend and I were hoping for some good pasta, but like almost all other restaurants in Quito, they all seemed to be shut so participation in drunken activities could be undertaken. This was the fourth Italian restaurant we had visited in the hope of being open. Sadly, I think in my opinion Tomato Pizza Bar Restaurant is worth being kept as a fourth choice, and no more than this.

The restaurant opens on to the busy Calle Juan Leon Mera, one of the thoroughfares through the La Mariscal district of Quito, giving ample opportunities for people-watching, and with an international feel to La Mariscal you are sure to see a few characters, including a homeless Irish man who lurks at the entrance to Tomato and stops everyone and anyone asking for a free slice of pizza. The window seats that sit virtually on Calle Juan Leon Mera are perfect for this opportunity.

Decorated in the style of a European Bistro, with good lighting, comfortable seating, and clean, bright table cloths, first impressions are very good. I don't know if it was the fact that the staff were a little unhappy at working on New Year's Eve, but they certainly didn't look like they wanted to be working upon my visit. Their lack of interest in pleasing customers was more than evident, and at times was just plain rude, the highlight of which was having the tray of condiments tipped over me, which had the waitress bent over in fits of laughter. Luckily it was only oregano and red pepper flakes that I had the luxury of being covered with.

Credit where credit's due, the food on offer was quite tasty, although the calzone I had my heart set on was apparently no longer available. A "personal pizza" offering four adequate-sized slices of any pizza with your own choice of toppings sets you back around $6 or $7. A little over-priced for the quality of the food, but nothing to write home about and quite in line with average meal prices found in Quito around La Mariscal. Larger pizzas and pizzas by the slice are also available, and can be ordered directly from the street if you are in a hurry or don't fancy a sit down meal.

In retrospect, if all you want is a quick bite to eat, then Tomato happily suffices. If you are looking for a nice evening meal, or even something a little more romantic, then I would choose from one of the large varieties of other Italian restaurants to be found just a 5- or 10-minute walk away. Tomato is located on Calle Juan Leon Mera near to Calle Calama and more information on prices and menu can be found by calling Tomato on 2906-201.

There are a number of superb quality restaurants within the La Mariscal district of Quito, but there is only one that I would be willing to eat at every single night. Granted, I might be English and our love for Indian food is well known, but I really was surprised at how authentic and tasty the food at Great Indian Restaurant is. It's not the same as Indian food in 'Old Blighty', but it's a very close second.

Great Indian Restaurant (or Grean Indian Restaurant if referring to their business cards!) is perfectly located smack bang in the centre of 'Gringo Landia' on Calle Jose Calama between Calle Juan Leon Mera and Avenida Amazonas, meaning a 5-minute walk maximum is needed from any accommodation in this district of Quito.

From my experience of eating in Quito this seems to be one of the few restaurants busy all through the day and when you see some of the tables full with members of the Quito Indian community, you get the impression the food has to be authentic. The restaurant has seating for a good 60 people inside with additional seating outside on Jose Calama, which is mainly used by those who enjoy starting their alcoholic drinking way before sunset. Even so, this is a perfect place for a quick afternoon beer, watching people go by, and at only $1 for a large bottle of Brahma beer, one could easily turn into several.

Once inside, out of the midday Quito heat, there is an ample menu to choose from, with all your traditional madras, rogan josh, masala, korma, and jalfrezi dishes at the ridiculous cheap prices of $2.50-$3.00 per dish, which comes complete with your choice of rice or naan. Personally I would recommend the lentil curry dish ($2.50), which is the best I have chosen there so far. For something a little less hot, the chicken korma (a little more expensive at $3.50) is full of aromatic coconut and almond flavours and can be eaten to the soothing sounds of Bollywood films, which always seem to be playing.

If you have a real hunger problem, then you will be pleased to hear that the restaurant also serves a wide selection of starters and desserts. Of the starters I can highly recommend the samosas and poppadoms that are both delicious and come with a variety of spicy sauces to help them slide down.

Due to the high number of diners, service can sometimes be a little on the slow side, but the quality of the food easily makes up for this and the portions are very impressive in their size. I really can't recommend this restaurant highly enough and when you consider the $5 you spend here for starter, main course, and a drink, it comes much cheaper than other restaurants in the area. Owned by Mr. Mahendra P. Patel and Jashiben M. Patel, more information can be obtained by calling the restaurant on either 2238269 or 094180183.

It took three trips to Quito before finally finding this El Maple but I’m happy the perseverance paid off as I was mightily impressed with the high quality of vegetarian food they have to offer, served in a relaxed well-lit setting. Contrary to the directions found in a couple of guide books, El Maple is situated on Calle Mariscal Foch and not on Calle Calama. It was only by chance after hailing a taxi during a violent thunderstorm that I realised this mistake. Since clapping my eyes on El Maple though, it has been love ever since.

Within Quito and especially the La Mariscal district there is a surprisingly good selection of vegetarian food from a variety of international cuisine serving restaurants, but to my knowledge El Maple is virtually the only 100% vegetarian restaurant. This automatically made it a prime choice for my vegetarian eating girlfriend.

Upon entering the lightly pastel coloured restaurant, which is a converted outdoor conservatory, light bursting through the glass roof, you feel the relaxing warmth immediately. Luckily, a series of reed blinds stop the sun from becoming too hot and offensive. Although this is an ideal setting during the day, at night temperatures can become a little on the chilly side.

With wooden tables and padded chairs seating approximately 50 people, a nice relaxed atmosphere is had from the start. The atmosphere is improved more by plants situated around the restaurant and a vast array of fruits, which are freshly used in many of the juices and dishes. Ambient music is always playing to keep you entertained while waiting for your food, which isn't normally that long. Service is very friendly and is both fast and efficient, although they seem to have a tendency to forget about bringing you your drinks from time to time.

The menu is very impressive boasting a huge variety of international vegetarian dishes from around the world. Annoyingly though on several visits some of the Indian and Mexican dishes are not available. Of everything on offer though there are two reasons why I rate El Maple so highly. First is there selection of vegetarian soya burgers ranging from $2-$3. If cheapness isn't already impressive then their size certainly is. They are enormous and come complete with fries, big enough to be eaten between two! The other reason is there $2.80 three course vegetarian almuerzo, containing a soup, main course, and dessert. The almuerzo menu varies each day and could easily pass for a $15 meal anywhere in the US and Europe. I'm not exaggerating either, honestly! The restaurant also has a large selection of juices and even better still, milkshakes to swill down the large portions of food. Overall a normal meal including drinks, will set you back $6-$8 and even if not vegetarian, El Maple is well worth a trip. El Maple can be found on Mariscal Foch between Reina Victoria and Diego de Almagro.

I don't like to admit to bouts of homesickness, but everyone suffers them from time to time. There are two ways to deal with homesickness. One is to let it get the better of you, sending you into a small spiral of depression. The other is fighting it head-on and trying to get that little bit of home you desire. If in Quito and British then a trip to La Reina Victoria Pub can help immensely.

As you walk down Calle Reina Victoria the location of the aptly named Reina Victoria Pub soon becomes bluntly obvious from a placard covered in British flags stating the variety of traditional English food the pub has to offer. From 'fish and chips' to 'steak and kidney pie' to 'shepherds pie', all can be found here. This immediately filled me with excitement. I was a little confused as to where the pub actually was at first as from the outside it looked like any ordinary lime green-painted home, except for the English and British flags plastering the upstairs windows.

Upon entering, it was like stepping back in time. I have been to numerous 'traditional' Irish bars all over the world but these seem to be very little like the Irish bars found in Ireland itself. Reina Victoria on the other hand was perfectly fashioned on your typical rural English pub. In fact it was so perfectly fashioned I could have easily imagined I was back home, especially with the variety of English accents on show. Also like your typical English pub, people looked un-amused and completely lost when a foreign language like Spanish was spoken.

Reina Victoria comes complete with darts and is furnished with dark mahogany tables and benches, with seating for no more than 20 people, giving the place a smug, cosy atmosphere. The bar is surrounded by stools that always seem to be taken by the locals and regulars, the same kind of old men that can be found in any English pub witling away their pension.

I was a tad disappointed to find no English imports on offer. I was hoping to treat myself to a bottle of London Pride, but alas it wasn't to be. They do have pints of home brewed stout and bitter on offer that worked wonders for my homesickness, if leaving me a little out of pocket ($3.50 each). During happy hour (5pm-7pm) you can buy two bottles of Pilsner for the price of one, which is perfect for some cheap drinking. Imported Guinness bottles costing $5 a bottle can also be purchased.

Service is friendly and the pace of life inside is slow and very relaxed. La Reina Victoria Pub is located on Reina Victoria 530 and Roca and is open daily between 5pm-2am (Sunday until 12am). Barbecues are also offered some days of the week. I was unable to obtain any more contact information.

Located just outside the main club and bar scene in the Mariscal district can be found one of only a handful of Irish bars within Quito. On first impressions I have to say Kilkenny’s is fairly authentic with wooden furnishing, soft relaxing armchairs and sofas, and dim lighting, which adds a little atmosphere and dignity.

The traditional Irish pubs I’ve been to in Ireland were always packed to the brim with happy drinkers, normally frolicking and dancing to an array of live music. Sadly Kilkenny's doesn't come with the same lively atmosphere. I would put this down to its location just off the main tourist strip. When I entered with friends at the respectable time of 9pm, we were virtually the only people in there. Even two hours later approaching the ludicrous late time for me of 11pm, the bar, which has seating for around 60 people was probably still less than quarter full. Such quietness isn't always a bad thing though as this makes for a perfect place to chat with friends over a few drinks before heading to somewhere more lively.

If a quiet drink is more up your alley then Kilkenny’s has many positive sides. Not only do they have a good selection of bottled beers including Pilsner, Club and Brahma, costing around $3.50 per pint, and even Guinness, a little more expensive at $6, but on a Friday and Saturday night for the quite ridiculously cheap price of $7.50 you can drink as much draught Pilsner until your hearts content. Not bad if you are envisaging a few hours of drinking ahead of you. The bar staff here are very friendly, the sort you could easily find yourself drinking until the early hours with later in the night and they also have a good level of English if you are unable to ask for a beer in Spanish! Other highlights include TV entertainment, a variety of soft rock music (which can be a little loud at times) and at the weekend they have live music that plays until the early hours of the morning. Sadly no food is served here, but with so many restaurants so close by you are still spoilt for choice.

Due to normal beverage prices, stopping off for just a quick drink this bar proves to be quite expensive, as already mentioned, compared to other bars less than a hundred metres away, which offer bottles of Pilsner for $1. If you are looking to spend an evening drinking and chatting in a quiet, relaxing and comfortable setting then you can't really go wrong with Kilkenny’s Irish Bar. It can be found at Lizardo Garcia 559 and Reina Victoria. Open from 6pm until late, more information can be found by emailing kilkenny@irishpubquito.com , calling Kilkenny’s on 2901467 or by visiting their website at www.irishpubquito.com.