 BREAKFAST 1. El Gringo Bar (Putumayo # 168) Open 24/7 Menu with English Half a block from the main square, half a block from the boulevard and the river. Good place to relax and meet the characters from the ex-pat community. I alternate between the vegetarian omelettes; wonderful fruit salad with yogurt, banana pancakes, eggs and bacon or BLT, fresh squeezed orange or papaya juice. If time is short, better to go to Ari's Burger. See next entry. 2. Ari's Burger (Prospero # 127) Opens early Ask for the English menu On the main square, one block from the boulevard and the river. Good place to start till you learn your way around. Easy to find, open air, good service, brewed coffee, a place to see and be seen. For something healthy and different, try one of my favorites, the Super Erectus, or any of its derivatives. 3. La Noche (Maldonado # 177) Opens at 7 or 7:30 am Menu with English On the boulevard between Napo and Nauta, overlooking the river. Our office is three doors away. Fresh squeezed orange juice with bacon and eggs, or the triple vegetarian sandwich. Bacon is not on the menu, ask for it in Spanish, tocino. 4. Las Jugueras (9 Diciembre con Próspero) Opens at first light No English Walk 9 or 10 blocks South on Prospero from the Plaza de Armas, or take a motocarro for 2 soles to the entrance of the Belen Mercado. This is for the adventurous or the traveler on the tightest budget. You will recognize the place when you see 50 blenders in two rows, blending five fruits into juice, (We prefer the Jugo Surtido, not theJugo Especial). For $1 or less, you can buy a couple of egg with avocado sandwiches and all of the juice you can drink. Explore one of the most interesting third world markets. 5. Ivalú Juguería (Sargento Lorres # 215) Opens at 8.00 am No English Wonderfully quaint and typical. The second street south of the Plaza de Armas, second block from the boulevard and the river. Our favorite for tamales, and humitas, with delicious home made sauces. The pies and cakes taste as good as they look. LUNCH 6. Huasai (Fitzcarrald # 131) No English on the hand written specials menu Across the street and a few doors from the Plaza de Armas, northwest, away from the river. We eat lunch here at least twice a week. Fast service, several choices of specials. Enjoy a beautifully prepared and presented meal, with great sauces, plus a pitcher of juice for only $2.50. Very popular with local business people. 7. Bucanero (Avenida Marina # 124) Lunch only No English on the menu Sit at the back on the second floor for a great view of the river and port. We usually eat fried fish nuggets (chicharones), or fried farm raised shrimp (camarones). A good place to try a pisco sour. Take a motocar for one and a half soles. 8. La Vecina ( Tavara West # 352) Lunch only No English menu This is our favorite little cebicheria, in fact the only choices are a large plate of cebiche, and a small plate of cebiche. We each get a small plate and an extra serving of sweet potatoes (camotes). Only 6 tables, usually full, but worth the wait. Take a motocar for one and a half soles, there is no sign informing you that it is La Vecina, or even that it is a cebicheria. 9. Long Fung (San Martin # 458) No English menu The food at Long Fung would be a considered delicious in any city. Take a look in the kitchen at the flame rolling up the side of the woks. We eat at Long Fung once a week. We always get the fried rice with pork and alternate between Marmelita's favorite, tamarindo, a sweet and sour sauce, with twice fried chicken and vegetables, or my favorite the parrilla huevos, chicken and pork, with quail eggs, vegetables and lots of ginger. We usually take half of it home to eat for supper. The chicken soup with vegetables and big chunks of ginger seems very healthy. Take a motocar to Plaza de 28 Julio for one and a half soles. 10. La Noche (Maldonado # 177) English menu Meet us on the boulevard with a great view of the river, three doors from our office. Try a pitcher of camu-camu, or maracuya, with the special, or either a triple vegetarian, or a chicken sandwich. We are in luck when they have the peanut sauce. DINNER 11. La Exclusivo (Tacna # 186) Open at 7 pm No English menu Our favorite restaurant for typical local Iquiteña dishes, cooked with a gourmet flourish. If you are a group, be sure to order the special meal for 6-8 that includes paiche, caiman, turtle, deer, majas, heart of palm salad, potatoes, yucca, and bananas cooked several different ways. The meal is an adventure. Take a motocar the first time for a sole and a half. It is an easy walk back. 12. Antica (Napo # 159) Ph# 24-1988 for delivery No English menu We eat at Antica twice a week. Homemade pastas, pizzas cooked in a wood fired oven, wonderful cheeses and sauces. The most interesting menu in Iquitos. After experimenting with nearly all of the many choices I usually get the fettuccini with a delicious tomato sauce for 16 soles, including a bowl of grated parmesan cheese, a basket of fresh baked bread and butter or virgin olive oil. A very large glass of red wine is a bargin at 5 soles. Try the Antica sauce on a perfect pasta. Marmelita usually orders the scachiatina "Mosaico" which I also enjoy. The Mista salad balances a special meal. Located less than half a block toward the river from Ari's Burger. 13. Kikiriki (Napo # 159) Ph # 23-2020 for delivery Open at 6 pm No English menu We eat here twice a week. The chicken is cooked over a bed of coals on a large rotisserie. $2 for a quarter of chicken and fried bananas. Potatoes a few cents more. The hot spicy green sauce is very good. Easy walk one block from the Plaza de Armas corner of Napo and Condamine. Kikiriki, Cock a doodle doo…get it, in Spanish, ha ha. 14. El Carbon (Condamine # 115) Ph # 22-3292 for delivery Open at 6 English menu We eat here once a week for water buffalo tenderloin kabobs or tenderloin steak with golden potatoes, and perfect vegetables. I like my steaks rare so I order medium. If you want well done you must over emphasize. Located next door to Kikiriki. 15. Long Fung Same as in the LUNCH section except reopens at 7 pm. 16. La Noche Same as in the LUNCH section. 17. Parrilladas El Zorrito (Fanning # 355) Dinner only No English menu We enjoy the fish wrapped in bijau leaves and cooked over charcoal. Try palometa, acarahuasu, gamitana, or peacock bass. Sábalo tastes good but is more dangerous to eat because of the bone structure. Take a motocar for one and a half soles. This is not a 10 best restaurants list. It is simply a guide to where Bill and Marmelita eat. Our choices provide a wide variety of food that we love at prices that we can afford. Travelers on a tight budget will only want to eat at Los Jugueras, around the open air market, Huasai, Kikiriki's, La Vecina, and Ivalú. We receive no discounts, commissions, special portions, or favors. I just had a complete physical. My cholesterol is 160, triglycerides are 138, blood pressure is excellent, and I have no parasites. It is safe to say that eating where I eat, could be good for your health. Please check out our web site at www.dawnontheamazon.com and contact me at dawnontheamazon@yahoo.com Bill Grimes, President Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises 185 Maldonado, on the boulevard, corner of Nauta Office phone # (+51-65) 223730 Mobile 9939190 |