El Jardín

Top choice in Puyo


The best food in the Oriente may be at this ambient house by the river inside the charming hotel of the same name, 1km north of town. Award-winning chef-owner Sofia prepares fragrant pollo ishpingo (cinnamon chicken – ishpingo is a type of cinnamon native to the Oriente); its decadent, delicate flavors awake the palate.

Try the lomo plancho (grilled steak) for a tender, perfectly cooked slab among artfully arranged vegetables. Top-notch vegetarian and fresh fish dishes are likewise appealing. It's at its best during a leisurely, sunny late lunch.


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