Restaurant in Quito, Ecuador
Low booking friction, award-level Ecuadorian cooking.
Clara is the restaurant to book if you want Quito's most exciting current cooking without the formality of the city's established fine-dining circuit. The La Floresta restaurant and bar earned a 2024 One To Watch Award under chefs Ana Lobato, Ángel De Sousa, and Felipe Salas. Booking is currently easy — that will likely change as its reputation spreads.
If you're already familiar with Quito's dining scene and want to know where to push further, Clara in La Floresta is the answer. This restaurant and bar earned the One To Watch Award in 2024, which in practical terms means: it's producing some of the most considered Ecuadorian cooking in the city right now, at what is likely a more accessible price point than the fine-dining establishments further up the hill. Book it before the reservations get harder to secure.
Clara operates out of Quito's La Floresta neighbourhood, a district that tends to attract creative, independent venues rather than hotel dining rooms or tourist-circuit staples. The restaurant is co-led by three chefs: Ana Lobato, Ángel De Sousa, and Felipe Salas. That three-way creative partnership shapes the restaurant's character: the culinary proposal is described as simple and eclectic, which in practice suggests a menu that draws on Ecuadorian ingredients and technique without locking itself into a single rigid format.
The room itself reads as the kind of space where the focus is on what's on the plate and in the glass rather than on interior spectacle. La Floresta venues typically skew towards an artistically minded, neighbourhood-rooted crowd, and Clara fits that profile. Visually, expect a setting that feels considered rather than designed to impress on first glance.
The bar dimension of Clara matters here. Most of Quito's serious dining options are restaurants first and foremost, with bar programming that winds down early or exists primarily to support dinner. Clara's dual identity as a restaurant and bar positions it differently. If you've already eaten elsewhere and want to continue the night in a space that takes its drinks as seriously as its food, La Floresta is the right neighbourhood, and Clara is worth checking against your timing. Specific hours are not confirmed in our data, so verify directly before planning a late arrival.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, which makes Clara a realistic option even for same-week planning. Given the 2024 One To Watch recognition, that could change as the restaurant gains wider attention internationally, so don't assume easy access is permanent. No booking platform or direct website is confirmed in our data — your leading approach is to contact the venue directly or check current availability through a local concierge or restaurant reservation service in Quito.
| Detail | Clara | Nuema | Casa Gangotena |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhood | La Floresta | Quito | Historic Centre |
| Booking Difficulty | Easy | Moderate | Moderate |
| Format | Restaurant + Bar | Restaurant | Hotel Restaurant |
| 2024 Recognition | One To Watch Award | Regional acclaim | Established name |
| Leading For | Creative Ecuadorian, late evening | Tasting menu format | Occasion dining |
Clara sits in a specific gap in Quito's dining options: it has award-level credibility without the formality or booking friction of the city's more established fine-dining rooms. If you've already visited Nuema or Tributo on a previous trip, Clara is the logical next step. For a first Quito visit, it competes seriously with both. Pair it with a broader look at what the city offers via our full Quito restaurants guide.
For context on where Ecuador sits in a wider regional picture, the cooking coming out of Quito's independent restaurant scene is drawing comparisons with what Lima's neighbourhood restaurants were doing in the years before that city's dining scene reached international prominence. Clara is part of that trajectory. If you're also travelling to Guayaquil, Casa Julián is worth adding to your list. Galapagos travellers should look at Evolution Restaurant for options beyond the main islands.
For the rest of your Quito planning, see our Quito hotels guide, our Quito bars guide, and our Quito experiences guide.
Clara is a restaurant and bar in La Floresta with a simple, eclectic culinary approach grounded in Ecuadorian produce and technique. It earned the One To Watch Award in 2024, which signals serious kitchen ambition at what is likely a more accessible price than Quito's established fine-dining rooms. Go without a fixed agenda — the format is eclectic by design, so the menu rewards curiosity rather than a specific dish order.
Booking difficulty is currently rated Easy, so same-week reservations are realistic. That said, the 2024 One To Watch Award is starting to drive wider attention to Clara, and availability may tighten as international coverage grows. Book a few days ahead to be safe, and contact the venue directly as no online booking platform is confirmed in our data.
No seat count or private dining information is confirmed in our data. La Floresta venues tend to run smaller, more intimate rooms, so groups larger than six should contact Clara directly to confirm capacity and configuration before making plans.
For a tasting-menu format, Nuema is the reference point for ambitious South American cooking in the city. For occasion dining with more formal service, Casa Gangotena in the Historic Centre is the established choice. Tributo and Cardó are worth considering if you want to stay in the independent, neighbourhood-restaurant category. For a traditional experience, Rincón La Ronda covers the classic Ecuadorian side of the spectrum.
Yes, with the right expectations. Clara's One To Watch Award gives it the culinary credibility for a meaningful meal, and the La Floresta setting feels more personal than a hotel dining room. It's better suited to a celebratory dinner between people who care about food than to a formal occasion requiring white-tablecloth service. For the latter, Casa Gangotena is a stronger match.
No specific information on dietary accommodation is available in our data. Given the eclectic, produce-focused nature of the menu, the kitchen likely has some flexibility, but contact Clara directly before arrival if dietary needs are a factor in your booking decision.
Clara operates as both a restaurant and a bar, which suggests bar seating is part of the experience. Whether the full menu is available at the bar is not confirmed in our data. If bar dining is your preference, flag it when booking or contact the venue to confirm the setup.
La Floresta's neighbourhood character and Clara's bar component make it a reasonable solo choice. A restaurant-bar format typically means counter or bar seating is available, which suits solo visitors better than a room configured purely for table service. The easy booking difficulty also removes the friction that can make solo reservations awkward at higher-demand venues.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clara | Chef: Ana Lobato, Ángel De Sousa, & Felipe Salas document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { var el = document.getElementById("Achievements_chefs"); if (el && el.parentNode) { el.parentNode.removeChild(el); } });; Located in Quito's La Floresta neighborhood, Clara is a restaurant and bar with a simple, eclectic culinary proposal. It is known for its crystal-clear vision and execution of some of Ecuador's most exciting dishes, earning the One To Watch Award in 2024. | — | |
| Nuema | World's 50 Best | — | |
| Zazu | — | ||
| Casa Gangotena | — | ||
| URKO | — | ||
| Tributo | World's 50 Best | — |
How Clara stacks up against the competition.
Clara's restaurant-and-bar format in La Floresta is more suited to small groups than large parties. Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so a table for four or six is realistic with same-week notice. For larger groups, check the venue's official channels to confirm capacity. If you need a dedicated private dining room, Casa Gangotena is the more structured option.
Clara runs a simple, eclectic menu focused on Ecuadorian cooking — expect a creative rather than formal experience. It earned a 2024 One To Watch Award, which signals ambition without the stiffness of Quito's more established fine dining. The bar is a genuine part of the offering, not an afterthought, so arriving for drinks before or after a meal is a legitimate move.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, meaning same-week reservations are realistic at present. The 2024 One To Watch recognition may increase demand, so booking a few days ahead is sensible if your dates are fixed. Walk-in bar seating may also be available, given Clara's dual restaurant-and-bar format.
For Andean fine dining with a longer track record, URKO and Nuema are the stronger comparisons. Zazu suits those who want a more international menu in a polished setting. Tributo is worth considering if tasting menus are the priority. Clara sits between those options — award-credentialed but more relaxed and easier to access.
Yes, with the right expectations. Clara's 2024 One To Watch status gives it credibility for a celebratory dinner, and the bar format means the evening can extend naturally. It is not a white-tablecloth occasion venue — for that, Casa Gangotena or Nuema are better fits. Clara works well for occasions where quality matters but formality does not.
No specific dietary information is documented for Clara. Given the eclectic, creative format and relatively small operation in La Floresta, communicating restrictions at the time of booking is the practical approach. Venues of this type in Quito typically accommodate requests when given advance notice.
Clara is described as a restaurant and bar, which strongly suggests bar dining is part of the intended experience rather than a fallback. This makes it one of the few Quito venues where the bar is a deliberate programming choice. If counter or bar seating is important to you, it is worth confirming availability when you book.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
