Outdoor seating cafés in Quito

When to sit outside in Quito

June, July and August are the safest months for a terrace.¹ At about 2,850 m the air cools quickly once the sun goes, with a mean night low of 9.8 °C, so evening tables outside call for a jacket.¹

The contrast between seasons is sharp. July averages 22 mm of rain over about five wet days, April 168 mm over about 20, and July and August each get more than 215 hours of sun.¹

Sun and UV at a Quito terrace

Sitting outside here means strong sun. Because of its altitude and its position on the equator, Quito receives some of the most intense solar radiation in the world: the average UV index is 11 or 12 in every month of the year, and readings have reached 24.¹ A shaded table, sunscreen and a hat are worth it even on cool, cloudy days.

Terraces around Parque La Carolina

The park's 64 ha, at about 2,760 m, are the district's open space, from the botanical garden to the lagoon; part of the ground was the old Hipódromo de Quito, a racecourse that ran until 1974.² Abiñela, at Bulgaria 146, has outdoor tables, a no-smoking rule and step-free access, opens daily 08:00–19:00 and takes cash only.

Bríndame, on Antonio Navarro (N32-107), opens daily 09:00–21:00 with seats outside, and Lekka Lekka, on Pasaje Rumipamba by the Shyris, serves at its outdoor tables on weekdays, 08:30–17:30. Floyd's Specialty Coffee, at Shyris and Portugal, also has outdoor seating and brews by Chemex, V60 and AeroPress.³

La Floresta, González Suárez and Guápulo

In La Floresta, Café Vélez on Julio Zaldumbide and Iorana on General Francisco Salazar have tables outside; Iorana adds Wi-Fi and brunch. Toward González Suárez, Café Ritón on Avenida Paul Rivet has a terrace.

Below González Suárez, Guápulo looks out over the Tumbaco and Pifo valleys, and its cobbled lanes are lined with cafés and bars along the Camino de Orellana.⁴ Guápulo Park, a 19.5 ha public park, gives the slope its green space.⁷

Patios and views in the Old Town

In the Centro Histórico, Casa Gangotena serves its Café Quiteño, a local afternoon-tea service, on the hotel's interior terrace beside Plaza San Francisco, and a coffee there cost US$4 in 2024.⁵ Alma Quiteña, at Venezuela and Carchi, has a view toward the Basílica del Voto Nacional.⁵

Café Mosaico, on Manuel Samaniego, sits on a hilltop with one of the widest views of Quito and opens daily 12:00–23:00.⁶