Restaurants in Los Roques

Food & Cuisine in Los Roques

The most popular food in Los Roques is seafood. You can get a wonderful variety of stews made out of fresh fish and other seafood, all through the coast of the Caribbean islands.
The chicken and meat preparations served with bread are also delicious. Most of the steakhouses in Venezuela cook beef on a charcoal grille or a la parilla. The best resource for beef is the cattle from the Los Llanos ranches. Venezuelan food, known as comida criolla, owes its uniqueness to the generous use of vegetables and roots like yucca, plantains, yams and beans. All tropical fruits from papaya to pineapples are very creatively put together to make shakes locally known as batidos.

Gran Roque is a very expensive place because most of the items are imported on this island. Comparatively, Caracas, the capital of Venezuela has many more choices. This city not only has the largest number of restaurants but also the finest and most stylish hotels in the country. However, if you prefer something truly native and rustic, you can walk in to any of the local eateries in Los Roques. Don't be disappointed by the lack of ambience - you will be surprised by the most authentic and tasty Venezuelan fare.

Nearly all tour operators in Los Roques have food and beverages included in the packages to Los Roques. Owners of several posadas also follow this trend. Still, for the sheer experience of it, you must visit one of the vibrant, brightly painted eateries and enjoy a great meal along with a refreshing drink.

Venezuela has a very large number of people from different countries that have made it their home. So, if you are looking for a change or some comfort food, there are plenty of restaurants in Los Roques that serve authentic Italian, Chinese and Middle Eastern food.

Local Food

Seafood is what comes usually to mind when we talk of Venezuelan cuisine. Most of the dishes use very high quality fresh fish and shellfish and are available anywhere. The food is remarkably well prepared all over the country. You can get the tastiest and the rarest varieties of seafood in Venezuela. Strangely enough, the national dish here is pabellon, which is a delicious combination of shredded and stewed meat served with rice, banana and black beans.

Some other National Specialties

Another popular dish here is a Venezuelan version of lasagne - arroz con coco and pastiche, meaning rice with coconut. Then, there is the yummy ensalada de pollo, a chicken salad. You must try the hervido. It is a nourishing combination of beef, chicken/fish and root vegetables, all made into a soup. Hallaca is a much-loved item during Christmas - a mixture of chicken, beef, pork, olives and other ingredients is wrapped in corn meal dough, packed in banana leaves and then steamed. You will also like the cachapas, which are sweetish pancakes of corn, normally filled with ham, cheese or both.

National Drinks

The most popular is espresso coffee - if you need milk, ask for café marrón. You must also try the fruit based milkshake, the merengadas and chicha, which is a creamy, sweet drink made out of rice. After a tiring day out, relax with the cool, sugar cane and lemon juice drink, papelón con Limon.

Tipping

Almost all restaurants and bars add a 10% charge to the bill. By an unwritten convention, you are expected to a leave a tip of 10% of your bill at the more up market places.