Where are the best places to eat in manta Ecuador while on your day tour here?
We are always giving out advice to people visiting Manta and one of the most common questions is where should we grab a bite.
In 2020 our best places to eat blog post covered some of our favorites, but we must admit there are a lot of great spots to visit in Manta. For the more adventurous people that don’t mind a little developing country decoration choices, we have a few off-the-beaten-track options too.
Table of Contents
South Indian Restaurant
South Indian restaurant is the only South Indian restaurant in Manta, they are located on Calle Universitaria in Barbasquillo 6.
At lunchtime this is one of my favorite restaurants in Manta, you will find its menu in English and Spanish, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, cocktails, wines, beers, and a particular atmosphere with authentic Indian music.
I am not a cauliflower lover at all, but in this place <<The Manchurian Cauliflower>> is my favorite starter, and apparently one of the most popular in the restaurant. Ricardo is the waiter, is friendly and is always very attentive.
On the other hand, they offer all-you-can-eat buffets on specific days that start at approximately $11.99 per person. On our longer tours and excursions, we always bring clients to eat here.
Verde y Café
Bolones is a typical breakfast from the Ecuadorian Coast, which can be made in different ways, but its main ingredient is the green plaintains.
If you are on the coast of Ecuador do not forget to try one. When I feel like eating bolón here in Manta my go to choice is Verde y café, we always ask for a vegetarian bolón, this is accompanied by a fried egg, juice and coffee/tea.
Plus the chili sauce that they serve with the dishes combines wonderfully with the food.
Verde y Café has a lot of variety when it comes to its breakfasts and à la carte dishes, and if you wonder what the atmosphere is like, it is definitely a relaced nice ambience. With many plants and water features in the garden, so there are often butterflies or little birds nearby. Which makes it a nice place to take photos and spend time with friends or family.
They also have beers, cocktails and sometimes live music in the evenings.
When we have a shore excursion or day tour and the clients want a quick breakfast or lunch, this is our top choice. You can really get a feel for local cuisine in a nice relaxed environment.
Deelloco
This is one of the off the beaten track options I mentioned. It´s just round the corner from my condo so I eat here quite regularly.
The food is great Very typical dished with lots of seafood options and the service is commendable. I will say its not the most luxurious location and the bathrooms leave a little to be desired. So if you don´t mind a little 4×4 offroad cuisine i highly recomendo this spot.
El Dorado
This restaurant is a nice place to relax and eat some top quality food. When he have a shore excursion or day tour that will be Manta for more than a day we will often get a lunch or dinner here.
El Dorado is located in the Poseidon hotel, right next to there beachfront pool. I love this place because it is in an open space with views of the sea and the pool, quiet with a good atmosphere and music.
The food is delicious, and its drinks are too. This restaurant is a nice place to relax and eat some top quality food. When he have a shore excursion or tour that will be Manta for more than a day we will often get a lunch or dinner here.
The hotel currently offers a DAY USE where an adult pays about $30 of which $15 is consumable and includes the use of the pool, jacuzzi and private beach. If you want to go with your children (6-11 years old) cost for them is $15 fully consumable.
Jaimito’s Gringo
Sometimes you just want to eat pizza. By far the best option in manta for me is Jaimitos Gringo Pizza. Thin crust with high end ingredients, packed with taste.
Homemade fresh dipping sauces… what more can you ask for? I often take our team of guides to eat here after a busy day of cruise ship excursions. It´s located right on the main restaurant and nightlife strip in Manta.
Extra points for the kids reading club library they have here , where they lend out books for free to any kid that comes and asks. My kids love flipping through the books while we wait for the food.
As for the drinks, they have juices and beers, I like the strawberry juice at this place, although my favorite is the mint one, which is really good. So if you want pizza in Manta, make a stop at this place since they also have pasta, lasagna, wings, among others.
Sappari
Sushi in Manta can be delicious, there are a 2 great restaurants along the main strip, and a couple of BAD ones so i would stick to Sappari or Maido. I hate to insult someone’s business by name but there is a really bad one right in the middle of the restaurant strip. Sorry guys.
Sappari is my personal choice. It’s a little more relaxed. owned and operated by local chef Marco, that worked for years as the head chef of a local 5-star hotel restaurant.
He branched out with the help of his wife and 2 daughters and now they run a tight ship. Quick service, great special offers and a large variety of dishes. I love the manabi roll that comes with fresh crab and Mango.
CAPPERI
Capperi is one of those little gems that you just know is going to be great. It only has about 10 tables and can get full pretty quick so call ahead if you are going at peak times. the owner and head chef Rafeal was a chef in Italy for 12 years and has brought back some amazing recipies.
You have all the pastas, lasagnas and pizzas you could ever need. I adore the Sangria here too. It´s located right in the middel of the reastaurant zone and has a nice cosy ambience.
Trattoria de Gabrielle
Located in Montecristi, approximately 22 minutes from Manta, a family restaurant with a view of Montecristi.
Speaking of cosy ambience, trattoria de Gabriel is a little further out than most restaurants I recommend.
This place is second generation family owned by a lovely couple that really go the extra mile to bring great italian cuisine and wines to our neck of the woods. Gaby and Andy are amazing people and anyone who steps foot in there restaurant knows immediately they are in for a treat. the decoration, the music, the secluded romantic atmosphere all adds up.
It is located next to a monastery halfway up the Monticristi mountain, so the views are amazing too. For Monticristi day tours or shore excursions that don´t need to be back too early this is a great stop. Surely one of the top 5 restaurants in the whole province.
ROLL WINGS
Roll wings is a popular for its American-style food, so if you are in Manta and want to eat wings or hamburgers among other things, this may be an option.
They are located in the Barbasquillo area and have private parking.
Our favorite places to eat in manta Ecuador
In conclusion, there are a lot of good options here. We have tried not to order them in preference, but I must admit the first on the list South Indian restaurant is my favorite by a long way. So I recommend giving any of these great restaurants a try. If you want some more options to check out of original 2020 blog post. Bon appetite.
