A Guide to Eating Out in Asuncion, Paraguay

In the heart of the market district in downtown Asuncion, the capitol of Paraguay, the diner El Bolsi caters to the businessmen and women needing a quick bite for lunch. A small electronic marquis above the kitchen window boasted “We have the best food south of the MASON-DIXON!!”. Noting just how far south of the famed boundary we were, this is a tall order. El Bolsi didn’t fill it, either. The quatro queso empanada was tasty but nothing that outshone food I’ve had between Asuncion and the Mason-Dixon Line. Considering that my colleague from Columbia, who was a naturalized U.S. citizen, had no clue about the Civil War reference, I wondered how many Paraguayans knew.

The rest of the meals eaten away from the Hotel Sheraton were delicious and satisfying. La Cabaña in the Del Sol Shopping Center and Paulista Churrasqueria on Avenue San Martin served tasty meals but the latter was clearly the superior. Much larger than La Cabaña, Paulista had more of a cafeteria feel but with it came the giant buffet with salads, pastas and other side dishes. Here, the waiters scurried about toting skewers of meat hot from the kitchen. At La Cabana, you had to ask for the next serving of meat and then it was brought to the table on a plate. The modest portions at La Cabana were a bit on the greasy side with gristle left on, but Paulista had similar cuts, just larger and more readily available. My favorite was the carne asada with queso, simple but tasty.

In the downtown area near the Paraguayan capitol building sits Le Flor de la Carta, a Peruvian restaurant. Our driver for our tour of Lago (Lake) Ypacarai suggested it when I asked for recommendations for ceviche, or cebiche as Le Flor de la Carta lists it on the menu. It comes with a choice of three different fish: surubi, mero and lenguado. There wasn’t an English translation for these but they were all types of white fish. The waiter told me that each dish with a single meat was rather small, so I chose the Cebiche Super Especial, which had all three. I got stuffed on the generous portions, and couldn’t finish it. My British-born friend ordered a grilled surubi plate and it satisfied even his discriminating pallet.

Il Capo, an Italian restaurant, is a few minutes walk from the Hotel Sheraton, just past the Del Sol Shopping Center and the McDonald’s. (Yes, the U.S. icon is ubiquitous, more so Burger King but nearly as omnipresent as Coca-Cola). Its relaxed atmosphere the night we visited could be attributed to the Paraguay vs. Venezuela soccer game on TV. The décor and menu were typically Italian and you could easily forget you were sitting in a South American capitol. I ate a simple pizza that was as good as any similar ones I’ve had in the states. The Brit had a much larger pizza with more toppings and once again satisfied his taste buds.

My biggest joy over the week was the Paraguayan beer Brahma. It had a mile taste but was very refreshing. The dark version actually had a sweet aftertaste that made it delicious. I wish I had found it earlier. Two other Paraguayan brews I tried were light and nearly as weak as many domestic beers. A search for Paraguayan wines proved futile, since most people there prefer the Chilean and Argentinean vintages.

An interesting departure from an otherwise routine food service was leaving a tip. In the U.S., we usually put the tip on the credit card instead of leaving cash on the table. However, in Paraguay, we were told many places that the tip could not be put on the credit card. This could make for awkward situations unless you are carrying several thousand Guaranies!

Overall, the food was delicious and I never had a bad meal. In fact, I felt that I may have gained a few pounds while enjoying the Paraguayan cuisine. Maybe the reason I tended to overindulge was the reasonable prices at even the fancier restaurants. For the amount of food served at La Cabaña, two of us ate for just under forty dollars. The regional delicacies were flavorful and tasty but not too spicy. And not exactly a place for anyone watching their cholesterol levels or their waist lines.