Giuseppe’s Restaurant

On the whole trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos I ate by far the best fish at Giuseppe’s restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, food in Ecuador is generally very good. It’s lovely though when you find something very special. On our first day on San Cristobal we were led to this gem and had our lunch here. I was sceptical at first because who wants to go for Italian food when you are in Ecuador? But it was amazing fusion cuisine and so delicious.

This little place alone is worth a detour to San Cristobal when on the Galapagos (if the many sea lions don’t convince you). Since the food was so good we went back again the next evening (after we learned our culinary lesson the hard way at the dinner the night before) .

Giuseppe’s has one large dining room with a window-front looking out onto the terrace. Instead of the typical red and white checkered table-cloth, the restaurant has red tables and white chairs.

dining room @Giuseppe’s restaurant

My love for Giuseppe’s food started with bruscetta. Nicely grilled bread, topped with tasty sun-ripenened tomatoes and just a hint of garlic. This can go wrong in so many ways, but when you use the best ingredients it is just outstanding. A simple dish which tells you everything about the chef in one bite.

bruscetta @Giuseppe’s restaurant

My main dish was tuna steak topped with calamari and shrimps served with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables and some kind of coconut sauce. Just one look at it and I felt a wave of pure bliss wash over me. Which only intensified when I tasted everything. The tuna was perfectly seared, rare on this inside and had a melt-in-your-mouth quality. The combination with the mashed potatoes, vegetables and the creamy sauce was just perfect. It was absolutely fabulous.

tuna steak with calamari and shrimps, mashed potatoes, vegetables and coconut sauce @Giuseppe’s restaurant

The vegetarian lunch was pesto spaghetti and although I usually find them boring if not to say bland, here they looked so creamy and yummy. They were pimped with zucchini and mushrooms and lots of cheese on the side. My friend looked indeed very happy with her dish.

pesto spaghetti @Giuseppe’s restaurant

On our second visit I opted for tagliatelle and ordered them with fish and shrimps. I actually couldn’t finish the portion. A little too much fish for my taste, especially since it was a compact and firm. I would have preferred a somewhat more flaky fish. But the overall taste was great, the tagliatelle al dente and the dish juicy enough.

tagliatelle with fish and shrmps @Giuseppe’s restaurant

My vegetarian friend ordered a salad and french fries. Even though it sounds like a healthy option, there was quite an amount of cheese on top of the salad. With grilled antipasti underneath, it was definitely a meal to satisfy all cravings.

salad and fries @Giuseppe’s restaurant

I am sorry to say I couldn’t sample any desserts. Both times I was just to full to eat anything else. Service was attentive, especially with the chef coming by personally to make sure that we were happy with our food. Definitely the culinary must-visit place on San Cristobal, don’t waste your money going somewhere else. Please do trust me on this. Yours, Pollybert

Giuseppe’s Restaurant
Av. Charles Darwin y Manuel J. Cobos, 200150 San Cristóbal, Galapagos, Ecuador
Tel: +593 5-252-0691
Email: via facebook
Mon-Sun: 16:00-23:00
https://www.facebook.com/GiuseppesRest/