9x the best restaurants in Montañita
Visiting this beautiful beach town? Then you should know which restaurants in Montañita you shouldn’t miss out on.
I was in Montañita for three weeks and definitely didn’t try every place in town. Still, with all the restaurants, cafes and food stands, you might not know where to start. This is why I wrote this guide with my tips. The favourites are not from best to worst or vice versa: I decided to go from breakfast to dessert.
Hope you enjoy!
Table of Contents
The Breakfast Street
Let’s start with one of the most important streets in Montañita you should know about: the Breakfast Street. I thought this was a nickname of the locals or tourists, but you can actually find it on Google Maps.
In this street you can find – you guessed it – breakfast. Omelettes, tostadas, juices… All the stuff you want and need after a night of partying. The best part? You will only pay $1 – $4 max for this food, and it’s amazing!
Panaderia Christian
Craving something sweet? Or with more carbs? This panaderia is the place to be. They have lots of bread, but also cake and pie. Honestly, I’ve been here nearly every day.
My tip: try out the pan de chocolate. Seriously. It’s only $1, and it’s the best chocolate croissant ever. If you’re like me, you are used to dried out croissants with a hint of chocolate somewhere inside. This is something else entirely: liquid chocolate will drip out of the croissant if you’re not careful.
Not a fan of chocolate? Their pan con queso y jamon is also very good!
Also: the lavanderia next to it (Shalom, on the left) is amazing for washing your clothes. Just give all your laundry to them, and they’ll sort it, wash it and dry it. You can often pick it up after a couple of hours, and I’ve never paid more than $5.
The Good Vibes Cafe
Alright, I’ve been most excited to write about this one. Actually, the idea for this blogpost came to me while sitting in this very cafe: The Good Vibes Cafe. You can go here for breakfast or lunch.
This is by far my favourite cafe in Montañita. I am a huge fan of breakfast, and Good Vibes excels in this. They have: oatmeal, French toast, pancakes, avocado-toast (my favourite), bagels… and much more. So if you’re looking for a place to eat… this is definitely one of the best restaurants in Montañita.
Oh, and their juices are amazing. Try the Booster if you have a hangover: works like a charm.
Tiburon in Montañita
If you want to try empanadas, this is the place to be. When I came to Montañita, I was told to go here for the best empanadas. Slightly skeptical but also curious, I went one night to try it out. And let me tell you: the people were right.
Although the preparing of the empanadas might take some time, it is definitely worth it. Keep in mind that they make the empanadas from scratch. This is also why they taste amazing.
I tried the empanada with only cheese, and it was so big that I could eat only half of it. The other half I had for lunch the other day. I’d definitely recommend going here!
The Wave
Time to treat yourself: you have to go to The Wave. This cafe doesn’t have your typical Ecuadorian food per se, but it does have some amazing dishes.
When I went there, I tried the guacamole clasicó, the burrata ensalada, and the fries. All were really good. The prices are a bit higher than in other restaurants in Montañita though, so it’s not an every-night kinda place.
However, I have been told that the taco’s are only $6 on Wednesday. Haven’t tried it myself, but it’s worth checking out if you have the chance.
Papillon in Montañita
Looking for a cute place to have dinner, then this is the best place for you. Papillon has all kinds of foods: burgers, salads, fries, foreign dishes, enchilada’s… and crepes! A lot of seafood too.
The place looks nice, and the staff is very friendly. We went there with a big group, and the staff made sure we could all sit together by pushing several tables against each other. I had the mega burrito (I think it was called), which was delicious, but indeed mega.
Pigro
If you have a craving for Italian food (like I have regularly), you’ll like this one. Pigro has the best pasta from all the restaurants in Montañita that I’ve tried.
I can’t really tell you anything else: the pasta is good, the juices are good, the wine is good… even the chocolates looked good, although I didn’t taste them because I was so full from the pasta. Everyone who went loved it, so I think you will too!
Ezzios Pizza
Some days, you just want an easy but cheap dinner. You’ve spend your day at the beach or in the pool, and feel too lazy to cook. Or you have been running around all day, exploring, studying, working, whatever: you can’t be bothered to also be busy in the kitchen.
In that case, go to Ezzios Pizza. In our hostel – and I’m sure in other hostels as well – this place is known as “the three dollar pizza place”. Because: they serve small pizzas for three dollars. Oh, and they also deliver. What more could you ask for?
Heladería Neptuno
Alright, last but certainly not least, this amazing ice cream place. Okay, sure, it’s not necessarily one of the restaurants in Montañita… but you can’t miss out on Heladería Neptuno.
The ice cream they have is amazing. Literally every flavour tastes so good. Don’t believe me? Go there yourself, because they will let you taste the ice cream in order to decide which one you want.
They also have vegan ice cream options, which is kinda rare in Montañita. Definitely stop by if you can!
