Raíces South American Fine Cuisine — Restaurant in Iñaquito

Food poisoning in a beautiful setting. My family decided to eat here to celebrate my dad's birthday on January 3rd around 9PM. While the setting was nice, it took entirely too long to get enough attention to get menus and then just as long to finally have someone over. This alone is not enough to warrant the warning I am leaving. As everyone knows, eating in Ecuador can be risky at less reputable restaurants, so we trusted the restaurant at the JW would be reliable, boy were we wrong. As a Platinum bonvoy member (my brother-in-law is a Titanium), I've eaten at a number of Marriott properties and this is the first that I would be outspoken to discourage. My BIL ordered the octopus and had given my dad some as well. At first nothing seemed wrong, but as he got to the center, my BIL noticed that the consistency of the octopus was off and didn't seem properly cooked, so he didn't finish. By the ride home, he was already feeling nauseated. At 1AM, he threw up the first of what would be 7 times. At 4AM, my dad started throwing up. Both of them ended up in the hospital needing antibiotics and my BIL needed an IV to replenish his fluids. We informed the hotel and restaurant of what had happened and was amazed at the lack of communication given the severity of the food poisoning. The final result was the restaurant not accepting any responsibility for the event and basically calling my BIL a liar to his face. Wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone, which honestly is a shame because it's such a...

Pros: -Amazing decor and atmosphere: visually stunning and very conducive to good conversation -Service: Fidel speaks great English and provided attentive service with a smile -Presentation of the food: two of our dishes came out in wood-fired kettles which made for a dramatic and fun presentation -The burrata appetizer was incredible (not easy to find good cheese like that in Quito)

Cons: -Apparently your parking is only validated for two hours, which is a little annoying when you have to pay $3 for parking after spending $200 on a dinner for three... -Tonga dish did not impress (though the presentation was great): it was labeled as a chicken stew on the menu, but really it was basically a piece of chicken served with rice and plantains...which you can get for $5 elsewhere in Quito.

Ultimately, it was a great experience, but for the high price (entrees $25-65) you can get better food at other restaurants like Somos, De la...

Upon arrival for a second time in Quito’s JW Hotel~ we were greeted with smiles and hugs by Wilzon the restaurant manager. He remembered us from our last visit. Not surprising because he spends a lot of time with each table of guests. He is uboth warm and professional and loves helping you decide on the best meal to delight your palette for the evening. Erika and Michelle are just as lovely, and so happy to explain the south American native foods that are prepared in ways one world not expect. Presentation is a treat for the eye and we savored every single bite as each is flavorful and unique. I am a seasoned cook and am usually disappointed when a chef can not prepare food better than me. Not the case Raices. Thank you chef, staff and manager Wilzon for a wonderful dining experience every time.

Little tidbit ask for the warm Cabernet with friit perfect ending to your dining experience. ...