Caracas, Venezuela

Eating out in Caracas, Venezuela

Caracas is a sophisticated commercial metropolis, with a huge selection of quality restaurants that offer both international and local dishes, and range from trendy little cafés to the lavish gourmet. Carnivores thrive here, as steak is a main ingredient of many native foods, such as hallaca, cornmeal combined with beef, pork, ham, and green peppers wrapped in banana leaves. That's not to say that tropical fruits and exotic vegetables aren't available in Venezuela; vegetarian restaurants can be found if you look hard enough! It's just that the abundant local specialties, such as empanadas or pabellón criollo, are deep-fried dishes filled with ground meat, cheese, beans, and seafood. But no matter what you're in the mood for, the 2 neighborhoods you should head to for dining out are La Candelaria and Las Mercedes. Full of Spanish-style tascas (casual restaurants with bars), La Candelaria is the perfect spot for lunch, while Las Mercedes shines at night, with hip nightclubs and excellent restaurants.

Gourmet

Lasserre, a Fodor's Choice restaurant, has been serving the finest classical French cuisine for over 30 years. The owner, Tito (first-name only), keeps a superior wine cellar, and a gorgeous antique-filled dining room. The house specialties are lapa, a rare tropical boar cooked in red-wine sauce, and pabon, freshwater peacock bass. For dessert, the Grand Marnier soufflé is fantastic, but must be ordered in advance. Avenida Tercera at Cuarta Transversal, Los Palos Grandes.

Highly Recommended

Tarzilandia has been a Caracas institution since 1950, with a beautiful location next to Avila National Park. The international menu is spiced with time-honored Venezuelan dishes such as turtle pie, shrimp with tropical fruit, and grilled steaks and seafood. The garden is covered in green tropical plants, and crowded with parrots, tree frogs, and turtles. The specialty dessert is mango flambé a la mode. Av. San Juan de Bosco at Decima Transversal, Altamira.

Local Flair

Mi Tasca is the perfect introduction to the Spanish tasca restaurants. This intimate, friendly meeting place is always crowded with neighborhood families enjoying the relaxed ambience and huge menu of weekly specials. Avenida Solano, Sabana Grande.

Romantic

The elegant atmosphere at Muñeiras on the fashionable east side of Caracas complements well the great selection of Spanish food available, such as the empanadas gallegas, Galician-style meat pies, or the paella Velenciana, shellfish and chicken with saffron. The excellent wine list and intense desert cart should not be ignored. Avenidas San Felipe, La Castellana.

Going party in Caracas, Venezuela

Only on Monday nights are the streets of Caracas not filled with laughing, dancing Caraqueños, but the momentum builds up throughout the week until it seems everyone in the city is out on Friday and Saturday nights. The young and the hip go dancing in Las Mercedes, but El Rosal, La Floresta, and La Castellana also have popular discos, jazz bars, and nightclubs. And while the restaurants and dance clubs of Las Mercedes usually get the party going around midnight, the earlier evening café scene is centered around Los Palos Grandes. Bars and tascas can be found all over the city, while the culture-clubbers head to the Bellas Artes complex and the concert halls in the city center. The shopping malls offer a fun night out, with many restaurants, cinemas, and a place to just hang around for people-watching.

Dancing

Caraqueños start learning salsa dancing and merengue at a young age, and there are countless dance clubs for them to show off what they've learned. Aquarela Brasilera is a popular Brazilian nightclub that features live Brazilian music every night. El Sarao features live merengue and salsa band nightly, with tambores drum bands added to the mix. In Sabana Grande, the 2 most popular live music venues are El Maní Es Así (considered the best salsa club in town) and La Cibeles, with seething dance floors and an attractive clientele.

Bars

On the pulsing streets of El Rosal and La Castellana you'll find many good-time bars. "Weekends" is an enormous singles complex with 3 levels of interconnecting bars, booths, videos, and pool tables, and even serves Tex-Mex food. The Juan Sebastian is a classy jazz bar that runs a trendy restaurant while maintaining a reputation as the best live jazz venue in Caracas. El León is another popular bar with a friendly atmosphere and great eats in Plaza La Castellana.

Performing Arts

The Complejo Cultural Teresa Carreno is the place to go if you want to take in a show, as this internationally-acclaimed center of the arts puts on a ballet or symphony almost every night. The Ateneo de Caracas is another beautiful theater that shows art films and the like, with chamber music and opera from September to April. The Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra splits its performances between 2 venues, the Aula Magna on the Universidad Central campus, and the Teatro Teresa Carreno. The Teatro Municipal and Teatro Nacional both feature dance, music, and cultural events. It is best to take a taxi both to and from these venues.

Common events in Caracas, Venezuela

Carnival

The biggest party in South American culture, Carnival in Caracas is just as wild as in Rio de Janeiro. Forty days before Good Friday, Venezuela erupts in dancing and masquerades, when a great mix of cultures come together, such as Trinidad-influenced calypso music, and Madames, dancers who wear costumes from Guadeloupe while also wearing African headscarves. The spectacle is an energetic and colorful blow-out that's worth planning your trip around, if possible. February.

Easter Week

The entire week of Easter is a huge celebration across Venezuela, with different events each night, such as the burning of Judas, or the Culto del Nazareno on Holy Wednesday. This is the adoration of the sacred image of Nazarene as it is paraded around town, as people pay homage and give thanks for miracles and prayers throughout the year. The most noteworthy Easter event, however, is the feast that offers an excellent taste of traditional cooking at its best. March.

La Cruz de Mayo

The Day of the Holy Cross is another huge event that roars throughout the country, combining Christian worship with elements of nature, spring, and fertility. The Holy Cross is a deeply significant symbol for Venezuelans, and they recognize it with open-air celebrations of dancing and singing, and enormous feasts. In Caracas the urban festivals are different in each barrio of the city, but remember that if you attend the feast, it's considered impolite not to bring something to it. May 3.

Drumming Feast of St. John

Another religious festival, this Feast of John the Baptist takes place in Caracas and the surrounding towns. The interesting mix of paganism, African drumming, and Roman Catholicism make the entire month of June really energetic, and it's perfectly acceptable to join the trance-like drumming circles in town squares. June.