Diez lugares para visitar en Caracas

The landing in Maiquetía was captivating. To the right, only mountains; to the left, the Atlantic Ocean: I was finally in Venezuela. We set off for the capital, Caracas, about 30 kilometers along a wide highway. My initial impression was one of lush greenery; mountains and vegetation filled my horizon. The first restaurant we visited was right in Los Palos Grandes, a neighborhood nestled at the foot of El Ávila, the iconic Caracas landmark I'd heard so much about. From the grounds of the house that houses Bocca di Lupo, I could see the lower slopes and glimpse the summit, then shrouded in clouds.

It was Tuesday, past 2 p.m. and the place was packed. Dispelling any preconceived notions from the very first lunch, it wasn't the image of a country suffering from shortages, as various media outlets had been reporting until recently. A few days to wander the city, experience it, savor it. Here's a tour of some restaurants, cafes, and lunch spots in Caracas and the surrounding area. Just a bite, but a delicious one, well worth repeating.

La Casa Bistró. The Venezuelan breakfast of your dreams. No ingredient or detail is overlooked; the table is exceptionally abundant. This is the creation of Valentina Semtei and her partner, chef Francisco Abenante, based on produce from the urban garden Valentina and her husband, Omar Sharam, cultivates on the roof of a factory they own in an industrial area of ​​Caracas. There are arepas made with hominy, baked or fried; arepas filled with chicharrón (fried pork rinds) and reina pepiada (a type of Venezuelan cheese and bean paste); hallacas (small corn tamales) with sweet peppers and chicharrón; cachapas (corn pancakes). Empanadas filled with cheese, domino (a type of Venezuelan stew), cazón (shark), beef tongue, plantain with cheese, shredded beef, and more. It's hard to choose what to eat.

Located in Los Palos Grandes, with a production center and kitchen running like clockwork, if any diner isn't feeling particularly Venezuelan, they also offer sourdough bread and even financiers. But honestly, the sweet arepas with cheese and cream steal the show from any French pastry. This is Venezuela at its finest.

Lamb. The focus on a unique protein, sourced from the Proyecto Ubre farm, is the backbone of Cordero, using Assaf sheep, a breed known for its mild flavor. At the helm of the kitchen is chef Issam Koteich, who accepted the offer from his friend Pedro Khalil, the breeder, and returned to Venezuela after years abroad. His new restaurant is another tribute to the animal that sustains them, incorporating its hides into the decor.

From the open kitchen come the dishes on the menu or the courses of the tasting menu, in both cases using suckling lamb (45 days), yearling lamb (three months), and spring lamb (six months). The variety also comes from the cooking methods and a wide range of side dishes. A success. In fact, they have a vegetarian tasting menu. The milk they use also comes from the farm, goat and sheep milk, with which they make butter, cheeses, dulce de leche, and punch. Memorable dishes include the puffed taro (yam) soufflé, the chistorra sausage with aioli and smoked apple puree, the boneless shoulder of suckling lamb, pumpkin gravy, and potato mille-feuille. And, yes, the dulce de leche.

Bocca di Lupo. Simply put, this is a place dedicated to Italian cuisine with local ingredients, a casual spot with dishes meant for sharing, ideal for gatherings. Many Caracas residents come for their thick and flavorful Sicilian pizza, but the raw fish dishes are just as captivating. There's a menu, and also a chalkboard that changes depending on product availability.

We sampled a red tuna crudo with chili emulsion, seven-day aged amberjack, the house specialty, as Chef Juan Hernández would say, and kingfish with emulsion and cilantro sprouts. Our appetites were whetted by the classic Neapolitan pizza and some Margarita Island sea urchin fedelini, a craving from the menu. For dessert, the green mango ice cream took me back to my childhood, the pistachio ice cream was a delicious take on a classic, and the Venezuelan chocolate filled us with diverse textures and bitter notes.

El Bosque Bistro, the venture of chef Iván García, founder of the Kilómetro 0 project in Venezuela, is celebrating its eighth anniversary. Located in a house in Los Palos Grandes, it boasts a spacious terrace where they offer à la carte breakfast and lunch in a relaxed atmosphere. In the evening, under soft lighting, they also serve a seven-course tasting menu paired with Venezuelan beers, wines, meads, rums, and coffees. Both the menu and the tasting menu feature products from different regions of the country, reflecting the Kilómetro Cero initiative.

Options include raw fish, shrimp and octopus in a kimchi pink sauce with avocado, the very local asado negro with pasta and aged Venezuelan cheese foam, and mussels with smoky garlic cream and a cone of Margarita Island sea urchin. For cocktail lovers, it's an interesting place to try new flavors.

Toro. Opened in early 2024, this steakhouse is led by chef José Antonio Casanova, formerly head chef at Atrio. While animal protein is the foundation of the menu, one of its strengths is its wide selection of vegetable and mushroom side dishes. The smoked tomato and vanilla bavarois served over wood-roasted tomatoes with crispy garlic bread and fennel flower is delicious; there's also the cachapa, prepared like a mille-feuille, which would work equally well as a dessert. For sharing, a perfectly cooked ribeye steak (beef or pork), a grilled red snapper, or a beef rib are all excellent choices.

A place with a carefully curated aesthetic, as well as its tableware and preparations, accompanied by a complete drinks menu, which includes local spirits such as cocuy and cocktails made with it.

Atrio. Opened in 2021, it's located on the second floor of a mansion in the municipality of El Hatillo, near Caracas. A classically styled restaurant with white tablecloths and an air of old-world elegance, it features contemporary art and decor, including a work by Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamín. There's an à la carte menu and a tasting menu. Its cuisine, overseen by chef Santiago Fernández, is based on Venezuelan ingredients and employs diverse techniques, resulting in interesting dishes.

Colorful and delicious, the purple yam taco filled with blood sausage, pico de gallo, and roasted pineapple gel, and a memorable treat for Venezuelans, the tropical salad with tomato, avocado, and hearts of palm. They regularly use lionfish, a flavorful product whose fishing helps to reduce its invasive presence in the Atlantic Ocean. For dessert, there's cacao in five textures and a box of traditional sweets: milk candies, reminiscent of piñatas; coconut kisses; guava and plantain snacks; and a chocolate bonbon filled with sweet chili pepper.

Yusmila Lunch Counter. A single empanada from this place is a complete meal; the problem is choosing from their nearly 70 flavors. Even more, because they cater to their customers' cravings and keep expanding their selection. Located in a small shop in Chacao, their display case is a delight. Upon arrival, you'll see customers biting into their empanadas in mid-air, as there are only a couple of high tables on the sidewalk, and due to the high turnover and demand, chairs aren't available.

They have four sauces to choose from, including a very tasty spicy one. To drink, there are fruit juices packaged in pineapple-shaped containers, coffee, and, of course, an ice-cold malt beverage. Pabellón, dominoes, ham and cheese, roast pork, dogfish, and the list goes on.

Casa Veroes. A stroll through downtown Caracas, its plazas, pedestrian streets, museums, and traditional shops, finds a welcome respite at Casa Veroes. Located within the Lorenzo Mendoza Quintero House of Venezuelan History Studies on the National Pantheon Boulevard, it's open during the day for coffee and delicious tequeños or empanadas, or, if the heat is intense, a refreshing tamarind shaved ice. The restaurant is at the back of the building, next to a well-shaded courtyard, and features an open kitchen and a very welcoming atmosphere. You can also stay for lunch, enjoying a confit suckling pig and finishing with the memorablely creamy quesillo.

I want one coffee. Another spot in Los Palos Grandes, ideal for a break after a hearty breakfast or lunch. Specializing in Venezuelan coffee, they also offer some from other countries. The baristas and staff will tailor your drink to your taste preferences and bring it to your table with a card detailing the farmer's name, origin, farm, variety, species, altitude, roasting date, and cup profile.

Robusto. This cigar bar carries 24 of the 27 brands from the Cuban company. Located on the first floor of a corporate building, it's a sort of speakeasy with private access. The space boasts meticulous architecture and interior design. The humidor, the centerpiece of the establishment, sits right there in the middle of the bar, where the cigars are kept at the required humidity and temperature. They offer short and long cigars ranging from $12 to $82, for both beginners and experts.

Customers choose their cigars with the guidance of sommelier and Habano Master Jorge Scholz, and then move to the lounge to enjoy their selection. There's a menu of expertly prepared bites, from hot dogs to Caesar salad, as well as a wide selection of spirits, including excellent rums; wines; and classic and signature cocktails. Robusto seems frozen in time, as contemporary as it is rooted in the 1920s, during Prohibition in the United States. Its clientele is primarily male, and the music is carefully chosen to ensure that conversation is not secondary, but as central as the humidor and its cigars.

They offer various brewing methods and a selection of hot and cold coffee-based drinks, a couple of craft beers, pastries, and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Coffee prepared with love in a location with views of the eastern peak of El Ávila mountain.