Talking about lunch, it can be quite challenging to find good and affordable places to eat in Loja... Not that there is any shortage of reaturants by any mean. The thing is that the typical $2 to $3 "almuerzo" doesn't really satisfy most expats' tastes.
There are of course more expensive options, "a la carta", but then prices go up.I love the Howard Johnson's lunch time buffet but althought it is great value for the money it is way out of my average lunch time budget.
In the "treat" department (coffee, cakes, ice cream ...) in the past few years a number of new cafeterias have popped up in Loja and the quality of the coffee has significantly increased. Many of them now have espresso machines and can make you a decent cappuccino or mochaccino, some have crepes / pancakes and even waffles. This is a bit of change from the traditional tamal or humita.
In this section we will review some places that we found interesting in the center of Loja.
Cafe Bourbon Arte Latte - Origin Arabica Coffee in Loja Ecuador
Hubert Ontenada - Cafe Bourbon - Av. Orillas Del Zamora Y Virgilio Abarca, LOJA
Created by the first certified barista in the city of Loja, Hubert Ontaneda, Cafe Bourbon Arte Latte is a cozy and very nicely decorated place located more or less 6 blocks from the central park of Loja.
Here they sell the origin arabica coffees "Leon Toledo" and "Uchima" produced by the family Leon in Vilcabamba and they serve a variety of excellent cups from traditional filtered coffee to cappuccinos and short espressos.
Read on...
COSTA