La Boca del Lobo, Quito

PLEASE DONT EAT IN LA BOCA DEL LOBO THEY COOK WITHOUT GLOVES AND THEY ARE DIRTY I WORKED THERE.

Recently, we were lured into the magic and seductive environment of “La Boca de la Lobo” (the mouth of the wolf). Enormous plate glass windows at street level offer a view of the fantasmagorical interior. Each section and room of this eatery reflects it’s own distinct décor, and all of which combine to create a rollercoaster spectacle for the eyes. The active hustle of the numerous rooms is expertly overseen by Rudolpho, titled the chief of service, and his more than able and competent counterpart Alex. Rudolpho is German and Columbian mix, tall, stately, bald and very like Mr. Clean or Daddy Warbucks. Although his attire is “Zone-Casual”, his attention to every detail of operation shows that he has an insight and appreciation for fine service not found in many restaurants in Quito. We were fortunate to have Rudolpho attending to our table for most of our visit. The menu, presented in an aluminum-type of binder consisting of many pages, is a bit daunting at first, but with a little effort, it can be tamed down to essentials. I was delighted when I ordered a Compari and Soda and actually got the lovely red Italian drink, most restaurants say they have appertifs, but really do not stock them…….my first indication that maybe this place was actually a bit different. Being confronted by the complex menu, we opted to order in progressive steps, allowing us time to digest the contents of the offerings. I began with the French Onion Soup, while my partner chose the miniature empanada turn- overs. I was surprised when Tony actually asked to try my soup (he hates French onion soup), had a sip, and then another, followed by a look of satisfaction and his pronouncement that the soup was “wonderful”……..I knew that the restaurant had just scored major points. Tony’s 6 miniature meat turn-overs were accompanied by two sauces: one a slightly picant and the other a milder mayo-type of dip. Both sauces complimented the nicely filled pastry for a very nice opener. Tony opted for a beef pot roast arrangement for his entrée. The thinly sliced beef in this plate turned out to be the most tender and tasty beef we have encountered since arriving in Ecuador. The sauce/gravy with a hint of ginger and the accompanying fried yucca strips and sautéed veggies were truly a treat both for the eye and for the palate. Since I have a rather small appetite, I selected a chicken wing appetizer dish, the creation of which I have never encountered. To the appearance, this would look exactly like coconut shrimp. However, the succulent pieces of chicken on the bone and covered in beautifully browned and crisp coconut were a whole new and exciting and imaginative experience. A small dish on the side contained a pile of additional coconut, which was great just by itself. The dish was garnished with 5 small fried yucca balls making the entire combination exactly right. I accompanied my dinner with a glass of house white wine, and at only $2.99 per glass it was an excellent taste. The restaurant also boasts a rather extensive wine list if you chose to order a bottle. From the dessert list, Tony ordered the Orange Crepes, which, while being a rather conventional dish, proved to be, like most items on the menu to be just a cut above the conventional. I took an adventurous step into one of the “new” items on the dessert offerings. Like most of the desserts, this dish was “crepe based”. Prepared and presented in small cast iron skillet lined with a crispy crepe, it was then filled with a pineapple, red raspberry and custardy blend that was just perfect to end the dinner. First, we would recommend that if you are visiting Quito, that you make at least one visit to the Marascal district, walk the sidestreets, investigate all that it has to offer, and then, top off your day with a truly magical and surrealistic visit to The Mouth of the Wolf.

A great place to start or finish off an Ecuador visit. Definitely not "cheap", but excellent and accommodating service, with food and ambiance to match. We modified the drink menu to fit our wishes, and the waitress managed to get all things in the right order at the right time, despite our somewhat tricky requests. One of the few places visited in Ecuador (out of some fifty places) that serves good coffee.

In addition to being quite expensive here in Ecuador, this place certainly does not live up to the price range it is selling for. Despite being Tuesday and a slow day, we had to wait for 10 minutes before anyone would offer us anything. Once we have ordered we had to wait for an additional 45 minutes. Now that's not bad, but if after that wait they bring you the appetizer and the main dish at the same time it quite ruins your experience. To top it off, the appetizers were stone cold and not eatable. Likewise during our stay noone had even bothered to ask us of our experience or check on us. Before leaving we did point all this out to the manager who just remained silent and took the credit card. Definetly the worst restaurant experience I've had in Quito so far. My wife did go there before and had always praised the place but even she vowed never to go back now.

We like very the quality of the drinks and the music. However the waiter (a colombian young man) was not up to the standard of such a place. He was unpleasant, agressive and not polite at all. On top of it, he was a liar. What a pity !!

The ambiance changes from touristy places otherwise usual in La Mariscal. Lots of locals there. A place to "see and be seen" - very "chic"! Extremely expensive even for the Mariscal. You have to be ready to pay the price... and better don't go there too hungry!

I used to love this restaurant but last time I went I was a little dissapointed....the waitress that served us didn´t pay attention to our complains and served us the food after an hour an a half and to my surprise she forgot my plate.

The restaurant is perfect on three counts: food (amazing!), service (friendly, helpful, funny servers), and ambiance (very cool looky restaurant). The menu is in both english and spanish for tourists. You just can't go wrong here.

I read good and restaurant taste good for i. u got 2 b kidding when u say bad bout boca loba. i luv lobo and boco.

For a feeling that you're not in Ecuador anymore, La Boca del Lobo is the place. Feels more like a New York club than something in S. America. But none the less, the service was great and there was a huge selection of food, all very tasty. A little on the pricey side compared to Quito standards. Location is right in the heart of Mariscal Sucre.