Nuema

Verdict: Book Nuema if You Can Get a Table

Nuema is the clearest answer to the question of where to eat in Quito. Ranked #61 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in both 2024 and 2025, holder of a 2025 Pastry Award, it sits at the top of Ecuador's fine dining conversation; and earns that position through a tasting menu that changes with the seasons rather than resting on reputation. If you are in Quito for even one serious meal, this is where to spend it. Getting a reservation, however, requires planning well in advance; booking difficulty is near impossible, so read the logistics section carefully before you commit.

Portrait

Nuema opened under chefs Alejandro Chamorro and Pía Salazar with a clear intention: to make Ecuador's biodiversity the actual content of the menu, not just a marketing footnote. Chamorro trained at Noma and Astrid y Gastón before returning to Quito, which gives him both the technical vocabulary and the ideological conviction to work with hyperlocal produce in a globally legible way. Salazar, from Cuenca in the Ecuadorian Highlands, holds the pastry programme; a programme serious enough to win a World's 50 Best Pastry Award in 2025. That award matters here: at many tasting menu restaurants, desserts are a polite conclusion. At Nuema, they are a distinct reason to book.

The tasting menu rotates constantly, following Ecuador's agricultural seasons. La Liste, which scored Nuema 77.5 points in 2025 and 76 points in 2026, specifically notes the role of vegetables, used in extended forms, sometimes in a supporting role, sometimes as the lead. What that means practically is that the menu rewards repeat visits, it means a single visit will not give you a definitive picture of what Nuema serves. What it will give you is a picture of what Ecuador produces right now, in this season, rendered with the kind of technique that gets a kitchen onto the World's 50 Best list.

On the drinks side, Nuema's position as a world-ranked tasting menu restaurant in a country without an established domestic wine industry creates an interesting dynamic for wine-focused visitors. Ecuador does not produce wine at scale, so the beverage programme at this level of ambition will typically lean on South American producers, particularly from Argentina and Chile, alongside broader international selections. For the explorer dining here, the drink pairing is worth requesting: at a menu driven by unusual local ingredients, the pairing choices will often be doing more interpretive work than the list itself suggests. If you are coming for depth on the drinks side, ask about the pairing format when you book rather than assuming a standard wine list will map cleanly onto what Chamorro and Salazar are plating.

The address on Bello Horizonte puts Nuema in a residential stretch of Quito rather than the historic centre, which means arrival feels quieter than the colonial tourism circuit. Service hours run Tuesday through Saturday, lunch from 12:30 to 3:30 pm and dinner from 6:30 to 10:30 pm (11 pm on Saturdays). The kitchen is closed Sunday and Monday. That Tuesday-to-Saturday window, combined with the restaurant's global profile, is why reservations need to be locked in well ahead, weeks at minimum, often longer for prime Saturday slots.

Booking

Booking difficulty is rated near impossible. No phone number or website URL is currently listed in Pearl's database, so the most reliable approach is to search for Nuema's reservation system directly or contact via their social media channels. Given the demand at this level, a World's 50 Best top-100 restaurant in a city that does not have a deep bench of comparable options, do not leave this to the week before your trip. If you are planning a broader Ecuador itinerary, also consider Casa Julián in Guayaquil or the dining programmes at Ecoventura in the Galapagos and Evolution Restaurant in the Galapagos Islands as part of a food-forward Ecuador trip.

Practical Details

For full Quito dining context, see our full Quito restaurants guide, our full Quito hotels guide, our full Quito bars guide, our full Quito wineries guide, and our full Quito experiences guide.

How It Compares

See the full comparison below in the vs-category section.

Pearl Picks: More South American Fine Dining

• Gustu, South American in La Paz: Bolivia's equivalent of Nuema in mission, local biodiversity through a tasting menu format, a comparable commitment to regional identity.
• Amazónico, South American in London: For South American flavours in a more accessible booking window.
• Tributo and Clara: The Quito alternatives worth considering if Nuema is fully booked.
• Cardó: Another Quito option for locally focused cooking at a different price point.
• URKO: Ecuadorian produce-driven cooking with a lower booking barrier than Nuema.
• Casa Gangotena: For Ecuadorian fine dining with a hotel setting if you want a more relaxed booking process.
• Ceviche Bar in Warsaw and LOA in St Paul's Bay: South American cuisine for those planning onward travel.
• El Primero in Origgio: South American in Europe for those returning from Ecuador.