Cuenca restaurants Ecuador, Café Ecualyptus

Located in Cuenca, Café Eucalyptus offers a refuge from the chilly mountain nights to warm ones body and soul in front of one of its roaring fireplaces, enjoying the beverage of your choice and sharing international tapas while planning the following days excursions in Ecuador’s most beautiful city. Alternatively, put on your dancing shoes and salsa to live music into the wee hours. The restaurant has two well-stocked bars where you can sample vintage wines, compare one of 14 different rum selections, sip a frozen margarita or embrace a warming canelazo – the traditional (and delicious!) hot alcohol and flower infusion of the Andes. Share a table with friends and experience an extensive menu from freshly made sushi, Vietnamese shrimp chaotom, or Mexican chicken mole to Spanish squid in garlic sauce, French tapenade dip or Tunisian Omi Houriya. Travel the epicurean world without leaving the comfort of Café Eucalyptus. Founded in November of 2002, Café Eucalyptus quickly became THE place to be (and be seen) in Cuenca. Here’s the buzz about Café Eucalyptus:

The Eucalyptus Café is an “international tapas bar” and serves traditional tapas-sized delights from all over the world – more than 100 dishes from 20 countries in all. The Eucalyptus Café would stand out anywhere, but here in Ecuador, its one-of-a-kind.
(International Living – 2004)

Opened in late 2002, this has fast become Cuenca’s hippest and most happening restaurant and bar.
(Frommer’s – 2006)

…The place to be seen in Cuenca. Busy all the week through, with particular spikes for Ladies’ night on Wednesday and Salsa Saturday, it’s a buzzing mix of the beautiful people of Cuenca, hoary old expats and baffled looking travelers in zip-off trousers. Located in a superbly restored colonial building…and offering delicious international cuisine…Eucalyptus is where it’s at.
(Guardian – 2006)

Cuenca has never seen anything like Eucalyptus, which attracted a compatible mix of colorful expats and sophisticated locals. …it was easy to appreciate the scope of the place – it’s upstairs gallery, it’s luminous bar – and the meticulous attention to detail…
(Sun-Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale – 2006)