Overlooking the famous Plaza San Francisco at the heart of the Old Town, this five-star Relais & Chateaux hotel is both Quito’s most luxurious stay and a fascinating window into the city’s history. And while there’s a sense of grandeur in its airy, marble-floored lobby decked out with dozens of palm trees and its stately bedrooms with their French windows opening up onto the buzz of the square below, there’s also a relaxed feel to the place—the best way to spend time here is to sit on the rooftop terrace at sunset with a book and an iced tea, or to curl up in a corner of the moody, wood-paneled bar with one of their signature Cedrón spritzes later in the evening. Oh, and don’t miss lunch or dinner at the restaurant, with its elevated riffs on traditional Ecuadorian cuisine, whether zingy, freshly caught ceviches or a decadent dish of 72-hour cooked Criollo pork in a rich beer sauce.

If there’s one restaurant you might have heard of already in Quito, it’s likely to be Nuema—regularly named the best restaurant in Ecuador, and lauded as the 11th best restaurant in Latin America last year by World’s 50 Best, this tasting-menu-only spot in the city’s business district offers a brilliantly inventive culinary experience. Emphasis on experience: from the moment you step through the low-key entryway and into the moodily lit dining room, chef Alejandro Chamorro and his wife, the pastry chef Pía Salazar, are not only on hand to help rouse your tastebuds, but also to offer a fascinating lesson in the head-spinningly varied ingredients that are endemic to this part of the world. Think a tiny fillet of huayaipe, or longfin yellowtail, with a vibrant sauce of taxo, or banana passion fruit, and chia seeds; or a pre-dessert featuring macambo, a kind of white cocoa that was also presented with the whole beans on the side like a kind of culinary show and tell—educational and exquisitely delicious.

This charming retro cinema in La Floresta is both a hotspot to check out the latest arthouse releases from around the globe or re-releases of classic films, and a gathering place for the city’s creative set. During the day, you’ll find the café buzzing with activity (and the requisite creatives tapping away at laptops around the space) as friends catch up over herbal teas and barista coffees; in the evenings, you can order a cocktail and sit out on the kaleidoscopically colorful terrace before catching a late-night flick.

Cumbayá

Spend an afternoon soaking up the sights and sounds of this residential district in the (noticably cooler) valley below the heart of the city, where you’ll find locals browsing the myriad fashion boutiques and galleries or stopping for a matcha latte at the cafes surrounding the neighborhood’s leafy Plaza Central.