Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [427]
Amazon Café (cnr Putumayo & Próspero; starters S10-14, mains S20-35; 7am-12am) You can sit here on the balcony at the top of the Casa de Fierro and enjoy premium plaza views and a varied if overpriced menu ranging from seafood to steak. There is a good selection of whiskies and cocktails.
Fitzcarraldo Restaurant-Bar (24-3434; Napo 100; mains S10-25; noon-late; ) The Fitzcarraldo anchors a whole block of riverside restaurants and is the most upscale of them, with good food and service. Dine indoors (the air-con can be extra chilly) or on the streetside patio. It does good pizzas (delivery available) and various local and international dishes.
Ari’s Burger (23-1470; Próspero 127; meals S10-25; 7am-3am) On the corner of the Plaza de Armas, this clean, chirpy and brightly lit joint is known locally as ‘gringolandia.’ Two walls are open to the street, allowing great plaza- and people- watching. It’s almost always open, serves American-style food as well as local plates and ice creams, changes US dollars and is popular with tourists and locals alike. Desserts in Iquitos don’t get gooier.
Chez Maggy (24-1816; Raimondi 181; pastas around S12, pizzas S20-30; 6-11:30pm) A wood-burning oven produces fresh pizzas, just like its sister restaurants in Cuzco and other Amazon cities. Across the street, they’ve now opened a second, yet more ambient venue, Parilladas Chez Maggy, for those preferring grills.
Taberna del Cauchero (23-1699; latabernadelcauchero@yahoo.es; Raimondi 449; mains S15-30; 8am-10pm) This place pays homage to the city’s rubber-boom days with intriguing memorabilia on the walls. The only Cordon Bleu chef in Iquitos serves up innovative modern takes on Amazon cuisine (such as river langostinos with chorizo and avocado stuffed into a Mexican-style tortilla) in a spacious, stylishly rustic eating area. It even does sushi, and there’s a pool. A traveler hangout in the making.
Antica (24-1672; Napo 159; breakfasts S7-10, mains S18-30; 7am-midnight) New in 2006, the Antica is the best Italian restaurant in town. Primarily a pizza place – there’s an impressive wood-fired pizza oven – pasta also takes a predominant spot on the menu with the lasagna being an excellent choice. Chow down at solid wooden tables and choose from the range of fine imported Italian wines; unparalleled for the Amazon.
Bucanero (Av Marina 124; mains S20-30; 11am-5pm; ) For great river views in civilized air-conditioned environs, this restaurant with a fish-dominated menu is a great lunch stop. Pescado a la plancha (grilled river fish) with chicharrones (fried chunks of pork) goes down remarkably well with an icy Iquiteña (Iquitos beer).
Gran Maloka (23-3126; Lores 170; menú S15, mains S25-40; noon-10pm; ) Enter the bygone world of the rubber-boom glory days at this atmospheric Amazonian restaurant. It’s an elegant tiled mansion with silk tablecloths, wall-length mirrors and imaginative regional delicacies such as chupín de pollo, Amazon venison with toasted coconut and the scrumptious Loretan omelet with jungle leaves. Locals consider this to be the town’s best restaurant.
Drinking
Iquitos is a party city. The Malecón is the cornerstone of the lively nightlife scene.
Arandú Bar (24-3434; Malecón Maldonado 113) Next to the Fitzcarraldo, this is the liveliest of several thumping Malecón bars, great for people-watching and always churning out loud rock-and-roll classics.
Musmuqui (Raimondi 382; to midnight Sun-Thu, to 3am Fri & Sat) Locally popular lively bar with two floors and an extensive range of aphrodisiac cocktails concocted from wondrous Amazon plants.
Café-Teatro Amauta (23-3109; Nauta 250) Hosts live Peruvian music on most nights and has a well-stocked bar with local drinks, as well as a cafe.
Nikoro (50-8973; end of Pevas cuadra 1) A chic bar that goes through spates of being really popular or really dead. If it’s lively, there’s nowhere better