This is our first shot at a list of Cuenca restaurants and bars popular with foreigners. Consider it an invitation or a forewarning, depending on your tastes. When I say foreigners, this includes not only local expats but the hundreds of foreign students, teachers, volunteers and tourists in Cuenca at any given time.

I also recommend that you check the drinking and dining suggestions in such country guides as Lonely Planet, Moon and Footprints. One of the reasons we are compiling our own list, however, is that the guides are often out-of-date, a fact that many hungry, thirsty travelers are painfully aware of.

As I said, the list is a work in progress and will be updated regularly. We welcome reader additions, comments and idle rumination. Write us at CuencaHighLife@gmail.com.

Restaurant / bars

Cafe Eucalyptus, Gran Colombia and Benigno Malo
Probably the most popular venue in Cuenca for foreigners and locals alike. Cafe Eucalyptus has an international menu, as well as a good selection of drink offerings.  There's live music three or four times a week and Wednesday is the popular "Ladies Night.”

Sankt Florian, Calle Larga and Luis Cordero
Austrian-owned and located in a lovely historic building overlooking the Barranca, Florian has a varied international menu. There are billiard tables upstairs.

Wunderbar, Calle Larga and Escalinata
Wunderbar has a great Happy Hour, serves a $3.50 lunch, and has a book exchange as well as a billiard table upstairs.

La Parola, Calle Larga and Escalinata
A popular place with younger locals, it has a great view overlooking the Tomebamba River from the outside deck. They often have good music groups starting around 9.30pm or later. 

Cafe Austria, Benigno Malo and Juan Jaramillo
A meeting place for local and international students and teachers, Austria has good coffee and pastries and a free reading rack of English and Spanish newspapers. They offer an unmemorable $3.50+ lunch.

Cacao y Canela, Borrero and Juan Jaramillo (Jovenes)
A popular night time hangout for locals and expats. Cheap drinks and decent food.

El Cafecito, Honorato Vasquez and Luis Cordero (Jovenes)
A very popular restaurant and bar as well as a hostel. They make good margaritas ($4.50) and one of the best breakfasts in town, not necessarily recommended together.  

Creta, Mall del Rio
A pleasant environment in Mall del Rio. It’s located next door to a bowling alley (popular and upscale here) which makes it easy to imagine that there’s a hell of a thunderstorm going on outside!

Zoe, Borrero and Sucre
The new kid on the block in Cuenca’s bar and restaurant biz. Nicely decorated, good cocktails, good food. Could become "quite the place" in town.

Restaurants

El Moliendo, Honorato Vasquez and Hermano Miguel (Colombian)
This is the ultimate mom and pop shop, with mom cooking up the popular Colombian fare and pop serving it. The lunch special is $2, mas o menos. The menu prices are cheap and the food is tasty. The national dish, Bandeja paisa, is not recommended for those with high cholesterol (but who’s counting).

La Vina, Luis Cordero and Juan Jaramillo (Italian)
Good Italian food whipped up by a real Italian (say hi to Eugene, the guy in the fedora). Particularly good is their pesto. Particularly bad is their wine although I’ve discovered, through a great deal of experimentation, that it improves after the second carafe.

Bertuchis, Unidad Nacional and Padua (Italian)
Very popular on weekends with Cuencano families and the handful of gringos who venture beyond El Centro. The chef/owner was trained in the U.S. and his food is consistently good.

Otabe, Remigio Crespo 2-33 (Japanese)
A Benihana-type Japanese restaurant where the food is cooked in front of you.  Sometimes tricky to find them open, especially at lunchtime, as they seem to open when they like and don’t follow their own posted hours.

Sakura, Paseo 3 de Noviembre and Escalinata (Japanese/Sushi)
The only sushi worth eating in Cuenca. Good service, great setting. Especially good is the Gunkan Sushi. There's also a $3.50 lunch menu available daily that includes a glass of wine.

Pedregal Azteca, Gran Colombia and Padre Aguirre (Mexican)
If you've lived in Mexico, this is imitation Mexican food. If you haven't lived there, you might enjoy it. Ole.

El Maiz, Calle Larga and Calle de los Molinos (Ecuadorian),
Comida tipica, or the typical food of Cuenca. Good, fresh ingredients. Service can be slow. Sit back and set a spell.

Raymipampa, Benigno Malo and Parque Calderon (Ecuadorian)
Very popular with both tourists and locals, serving mostly local fare. They have a $2 breakfast with eggs, a rarity in Cuenca. Don’t miss their locro de papas (potato soup).

La Parrillada, Remigio Tamariz 2-25 (Grill)
The only grill serving the Brazilian cut, "picanya" (where’s the damn tilde when I need it). They have a good Sunday buffet for $7.50, as well as the usual grilled meats menu.

La Herradura, Remigio Romero and Remigio Crespo (Grill)
A very popular grill among locals.  I always ask myself, "why?"  Service is good but it is without charm, in my biased opinion.

La Parrilla de Hector, Panamericana Sur, past Banos turnoff (Argentinian Grill)
New Argentinian grill on the outskirts of town. Good atmosphere, great food.

El Che Pibe, Remigio Crespo and Juan Iniguez (Grill)
A mediocre grill with good prices on their "mini" dishes. They also have an inexpensive carafe of vino tinto.

El Arriero, Latinoamericana 1-50 (Grill) (new location, near the Totems)
The best priced grill in town with fresh food and good sides: good llapingachos and mote sucio. A "Parrilla simple" which serves two is $8..

Red Crab, Luis Moreno Mora 3-63 (Seafood)
The best and most expensive seafood restaurant in Cuenca. Within walking distance of Old Town. Good service and great presentation.

Marisqueria de Pedro, Luis Moreno Mora and Paucarbamba (Seafood)
A basic indoor/outdoor palapa with the best garlic shrimp in town. Also, good corvina with a seafood sauce.

Good Affinity, Gran Colombia and Av. de las Americas (Vegetarian)
Taiwanese vegetarian with a different lunch menu every day. Includes soup, main course and juice, for $2.25. Good deal despite the ghastly name.

The following restaurants were reviewed in full under Penny Ripple on this site:

Akelarre, in Hotel Inca Real, 8-40 General Torres, between Sucre and Bolivar  (Spanish/Basque)

One of the few places open on Sunday.  To my taste they could amp up the spices, garlic and olive oil.

Cuatro Rios, 10-44 Padre Aguirre, near Gran Colombia (International)

Good menu, presentation and setting.  Change out of your blue jeans before dining there.

Mediterraneo, 7-64 Honorato Vasquez (runs parallel to Calle Larga) near Luis Cordero  (Italian)

Nicely appointed restaurant with good food.  I have yet to discover my favorite dish there.

Pronto Tacos, Av. Jose Peralta, runs into the Stadium from Centro.

Mediocre Mexican food.  However, nice to have those flavors and cholestrol cloggers available when you need them.

Vino & Olivo, La Esquina Mall, 12 de Abril and Antonio Cueva (overlooking Rio Tomebamba)

I have yet to go there, but it comes recommended.

Corvel, 8-37 Simon Bolivar and Lumtur, in Paute

A charming place with great food and greater prices.  If you feel like heading out of town it's worth a visit.