Restaurante Casa Gangotena — Restaurant in Centro Histórico

FOODIES’ DISCOVERY OF AN OUTSTANDING HOTEL RESTAURANT in Quito’s Histórico Centro🤩🤩🤩.

It’s a luxurious environment, a throwback to the opulence of the 1920s when the hotel was built.

• The restaurant itself is a dining institution by its own right * it calls itself “Mestiza Cocina” at it highlights native Ecuadorian classic, certainly local produce, with an upscale twist 👏👏👏👏.

Indeed the MENU is short and sweet, the very of Chef mastery and vision.

There’s a tasting menu as well as a la carte. The latter displays the creativity of the chef 😎😎😎.

Equally outstanding is the Bar Menu, which has a list of the bartenders’ creations/mixes, plus a short list of the classic cocktails.

👍👍👍 The Trío of Empanadas is tribute to classic Ecuadorian: sweet cheese Quiteña hearty morocho pork Ambateña light green plantain shrimp Esmeraldeña

😎😎😎 The Tuna with Melon and Serrano Ham is a lovely re-interpretation of the Tuna Tartare. The chips of fried almonds gives a lovely crunch to the crudo.

😎😎😎 The Grilled Heart of Palm is an uplifted version of the usually plain Palm Heart, served with a lovely Camote purée and a Dumpling with Mango.

🤩🤩🤩 The Pangora Melloso is an outstanding re-invention of the Melloso. The Stonecrab stew is delicious topped with surprisingly crisp rice puffs.

🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 The Magret of Duck is classic. The confit of fennel is a terrible garnish side vegetable.

🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 The Andean Lamb is simply divine. The TENDEREST JUICIEST SLICES OF PRIME LAMB, with smokiness of a very slight dash of truffles, PERFECTLY SEASONED AND COOKED RARE TO MID-RARE…..wOW

🍷🍷🍷 Everything went well with a bottle of Chianti Superiore DOCG (Poggiotondo), a rather rare bottle.

The Fig-Parmesan and the Opera cake (for a our BDAY celebrant) are a great touch.

service is outstanding

HIGHLY...

Presentation - 10/10 Ambiance - 10/10 Flavors - 10/10

This restaurant is truly one of a kind—upscale, elegant, and unforgettable. It’s definitely fine dining, so I’d recommend dressing up; going in a t-shirt felt a little out of place. From the moment we walked in, the ambiance set the tone: refined, intimate, and thoughtfully designed.

The food itself was extraordinary—every dish felt like a carefully curated experience. The presentation was nothing short of art, and each bite was a gastronomic explosion of flavors, textures, and contrasts. We could taste layers of complexity that showed the chef’s skill and creativity.

Our server, Bertil, made the experience even more special. He explained every dish with knowledge and passion, guiding us through the journey of flavors so well that we could appreciate each nuance. It felt more like a culinary performance than just a meal.

Yes, the restaurant is on the expensive side, but it’s worth every penny. The balance of flavors, the creativity in plating, and the level of service make it an unforgettable dining experience. This is not just a meal—it’s an experience that stays with you long after you’ve left.

I can honestly say it’s one of the best dining experiences of my life, and I would recommend it without hesitation. A...

We really wanted to love Casa Gangotena. It was recommend in all the articles as one of the best restaurant in Quito. We looked at the menu and you even had a tasting menu.

Where to start... Casa Gangotena is really trying hard to offer a food experience at the level of French restaurants (we're from France)... but everything is a disappointment: The server didn't speak good english and couldn't explain the meals (which we get we're in Quito but less understandable in 5-star hotel and restaurant, they speak better english in less fancy restaurants), but the main issue is that it's just NOT GOOD.

At the end of the day, we spent a lovely evening because we were in a nice setting and together but in terms of food this wasn't tasty nor good and expensive. You have plenty of better restaurants in Quito for far less money. Don't bother going to Casa Gangotena.

For good restaurants prefer the neighbor La Floresta / Mariscal (Quitu, Nuema, Taqueria Guero Guey, Marcando El Canino)

PS: I did the tasting menu and my partner ordered an appetizer and meal that wasn't in the tasting menu so we had a good view of what the menu...