Iquitos Peru Restaurants

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.

La Noche, Maldonado # 177. Opens at 7 or 7:30 a.m. 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.

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
motocar 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 the jugo 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.

Ivalú Juguería, Sargento Lorres # 215. Opens at 8:00 a.m. 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

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.

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.

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.

Long Fung, San Martin # 458. No English menu. The food at Long Fung
would be 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.

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

La Exclusivo, Tacna # 186. Open at 7 p.m. 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.

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.

La Querencia Parrillada, Napo # 138. Ph# 225785. No English menu.
Steaks, and tenderloins with great homemade table sauces. I usually get
the small lomo fino with papa dorados. Located across the street from
Antica, half a block toward the river from the Plaza de Armas.

Kikiriki, Napo # 159. Ph # 23-2020 for delivery. Open at 6 p.m. 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.

El Carbon, Condamine # 115. Ph # 22-3292 for delivery. Open at 6 p.m.
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.

Long Fung. Same as in the LUNCH section except reopens at 7 p.m.

La Noche. Same as in the LUNCH section.

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.

Iquitos Restaurants
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 we can afford. Travelers on a tight budget will 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.

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

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Iquitos, Peru Restaurants

AMNR