7 Best Restaurants in Southern Bolivia, Bolivia

Hanging out in Condor Café is a little like getting a big hug from a stranger: the vibe is chilled and smiley, and the food is delicious and abundant. Order a tucumana, a hand-size meat-and-vegetable-filled pastry that comes with a fresh, crispy green salad and some punchy salsas. The breakfast options are healthful, fresh, and homemade, and the lunch menu is one of Sucre’s best bargains. If you're vegetarian, you'll find yourself returning again and again. The café is part of Condor Tours, a 100% nonprofit tour organization that is the best option for exploring the city’s surrounding areas—while helping to support the communities you pass through.

This tiny, hole-in-the-wall spot with a few mismatched blue tables promises only one thing: salteñas (Bolivian empanadas). And it delivers! Few will disagree that these are the best in town, and plenty may agree that they are among Bolivia's best. They come out in massive batches between 9 and noon, piping hot, spicy, juicy, and tomato rich. If there aren't any in sight, wait for the next batch—it's worth it. These salteñas may be the best thing to eat in Potosí. There is no name outside, so just ask around, or keep an eye out for a small wooden sign hanging by the door that simply says, "Hay Salteñas."

A more relaxed version of Abis Café on the plaza, this is the city’s go-to gourmet burger spot, with some fine home-brewed beers to boot. The extremely social and omnipresent owner doesn’t stop there though. He blows the socks off guests with his barbecue ribs and chocolate milk shakes. There is happiness for the whole family to be had here, and the bill at the end will be a pleasant surprise, considering the high-quality ingredients used throughout. The patio out back is the best place to while away a couple of hours with high-speed Wi-Fi and one of those beers.

Set in a beautiful building right on the main plaza, this is the perfect spot to warm up after a day of visiting churches. Stop in for a glass of wine and a snack, or coffee and cake. The service is not great, but the food and drinks are above the rather low standard set in the city. Prices are in line with the very tourist central location.

Decent Wi-Fi and breakfast are pretty much all this little coffee shop has going for it, as service has slowed to a painful crawl over the years and the decor is almost completely without personality. If you go for breakfast, order the pancake stack or a healthy bowl of muesli. Some of the sweet cakes and desserts are tasty, so you might also stop in for a mid-morning snack and a cup of refreshing mate de coca (herbal tea).

The most popular of the restaurants on the main plaza, Gattopardo always has a lively buzz. If you can get a table on the sidewalk in between Tarija's trendy and well-to-do, it makes for a perfect place to people-watch, particularly in the evenings, with a glass of local wine. The food doesn't test the imagination much, with pretty standard international fare, but it's well done, and not overpriced for the location. Don't stray much beyond salads, pastas, or burgers.

As in every Bolivian city, there’s plenty of debate about who really makes the best salteñas in town, but many would point to El Patio—and add bonus points for its sunny interior patio. Prices are more than reasonable, so order one of each and find out which is your favorite. You’ll have to skip your hotel breakfast if you want to get the full experience and go for the typical 9 am salteña start to the day. The service can be slow during peak lunch hours. If you aren’t in the mood to wait in line, head over to their equally good neighbor, Salteñeria Flores, or, on the other side of the plaza, El Paso de Los Abuelos.