Cafeography
Desayunos y brunch · Quito

Brunch cafés in Quito

Ecuadorian breakfasts and brunch, from bolones in the Old Town to vegan menus in La Mariscal.

Photo: Cristian Arteaga, Pexels License

The word on Quito menus is desayuno (breakfast), and the Ecuadorian version is built on plantain, corn and cheese. The bolón de verde, a fist-sized ball of cooked green plantain kneaded with fried pork, cheese or both, is a common breakfast with black coffee, above all on the coast.1

Brunch cafés are spread thinly across the city. La Mariscal has the most, followed by the Centro Histórico and La Carolina, and Isveglio, on Isabel La Católica, serves its brunch menu every day from 10:00.

Local tip: For an Ecuadorian weekend breakfast in the Old Town, go to Sweeties in the Teatro Bolívar on a Saturday or Sunday, when llapingachos and fritada join the menu.

Where these cafés are: La Mariscal (3), La Carolina (2), Centro Histórico (2), La Floresta (1), Iñaquito & El Batán (1).

At a glance

9Cafés listed
3With opening hours
09:00Earliest opening
22:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Chiche Bombon, from 09:00 (Mon–Sat 09:00–20:00).
  • Closes latest: Tres Gatos, until 22:00 (Mon–Sat 09:30–22:00 · Sun 15:00–19:30).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (78%), bakery café (44%), vegetarian options (33%).

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Quito.

What goes on an Ecuadorian breakfast plate

A bolón can be eaten as it comes or fried until lightly toasted, and cooks prefer the dominico plantain for its smoother dough.1 Humitas, fresh corn with cheese and egg steamed in the husk, can be salty or sweet.2

Llapingachos are fried potato patties stuffed with cheese, served with pork, avocado, sausage, a fried egg and salsa de maní, a peanut sauce.3 They are common in the Highlands and on the coast alike.3

Breakfast in the Old Town

Alma Quiteña, at Venezuela and Carchi, specializes in typical Ecuadorian breakfasts. As of May 2024 it opened Wednesday to Friday 10:00–19:00, Saturday 09:00–19:00 and Sunday 09:00–18:00, closed Monday and Tuesday, and a bolón mixto or de queso cost US$2.76.4

Sweeties, in the Teatro Bolívar at Espejo and Guayaquil, adds llapingachos, fritada (fried pork) and yaguarlocro (a potato and blood-sausage soup) to its menu at weekends.4 San A Gustito on José Mejía and ZULAR, which has vegan dishes, also serve brunch in the Centro Histórico.

For a lighter start, Atávico, a café-gallery on Vicente León, has a long vegetarian and vegan menu; in May 2024 a mushroom omelette cost US$2.60 and a drink of máchica (toasted barley flour) with milk US$4.4 Cafetería Modelo still serves huevos a la copa, soft eggs in a glass, alongside its sandwiches.4 Casa Gangotena's Café Quiteño, on Plaza San Francisco, comes with savory and sweet snacks; a plate of three empanadas, from Ambato, Esmeraldas and Quito, cost US$15 in 2024.4

Brunch in La Mariscal and the north

Tres Gatos, the vegan-friendly café on José Tamayo, opens from 09:30 Monday to Saturday and on Sunday afternoons, 15:00–19:30. Isveglio is at Isabel La Católica E10-37, open until 20:00.

In La Carolina, Chiche Bombon on Avenida Naciones Unidas serves brunch from 09:00, Monday to Saturday, and Golo Frutti is on Avenida de La República. In La Floresta, Iorana on General Francisco Salazar has brunch, Wi-Fi and tables outside, and O Macarel Café Bistrot is on Vicente Cárdenas in Iñaquito.

Brunch with specialty coffee

The ranked roasters cook as well. In September 2026, Raymi, in the El Bosque mall, sold a sánduche de pernil (roast pork sandwich) for US$5.50 and flavored mochas, red berry, salted caramel or Amazonian vanilla, for US$4.5 Benchtime in Cumbayá served a kimchi fried rice for US$10.50 and matcha lattes from US$3.90.5 At Fankør on Whymper, a double smash burger or a pork-belly chicharrón cost US$13.5

Sources

  1. Bolón de verde, Wikipedia (Spanish), accessed October 2026
  2. Humita, Wikipedia (Spanish), accessed October 2026
  3. Llapingacho, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. Cinco cafeterías en el Centro Histórico, cerca a la estación San Francisco del Metro de Quito, Primicias (May 10, 2024), accessed October 2026
  5. Las cuatro mejores cafeterías de Quito | Son parte del ranking 100 Best Coffee Shops de Sudamérica, Primicias (September 23, 2026), accessed October 2026
Keep exploring

Other ways to browse Quito

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi

28 cafés
Panaderías y pastelerías

Bakery cafés

13 cafés
Terrazas

Outdoor seating

7 cafés
Abierto hasta tarde

Open late

5 cafés

By area: Centro Histórico La Mariscal La Floresta La Carolina

FAQ

Brunch in Quito: questions

What is a typical breakfast in Quito cafés?

Ecuadorian breakfasts lean on plantain, corn and cheese. The bolón de verde, a ball of green plantain kneaded with fried pork or cheese, is eaten with black coffee; humitas are steamed fresh-corn cakes, salty or sweet; and llapingachos are cheese-stuffed potato patties served with pork, avocado, a fried egg and peanut sauce.

Where can you get brunch in Quito's Old Town?

Alma Quiteña, at Venezuela and Carchi, specializes in Ecuadorian breakfasts, and a bolón cost US$2.76 there in May 2024. Sweeties, in the Teatro Bolívar, adds llapingachos, fritada and yaguarlocro at weekends. San A Gustito on José Mejía and ZULAR, with vegan dishes, also serve brunch in the Centro Histórico.

Which brunch cafés in Quito open on Sundays?

Isveglio, on Isabel La Católica in La Mariscal, serves brunch every day from 10:00 to 20:00, and Tres Gatos on José Tamayo opens on Sunday afternoons, 15:00–19:30. In the Old Town, Alma Quiteña opened on Sundays from 09:00 to 18:00 as of May 2024, and Sweeties adds its weekend dishes on Saturdays and Sundays.

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