La Paz - Post Report Question and Answers
What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
I've been pleasantly surprised with the restaurant options, particularly in Zona Sur. The local cuisine is tasty and there are some great restaurants like Gustu and Manqa that do elevated versions of it. There's also a delivery app - PedidosYa - that is easy to use. A few Asian options but not a ton. Pizza is mostly mediocre but we found one place with great pizza. Very few American fast food chains - there's Burger King, Hard Rock, and one or two others, but there are local equivalents. - Jan 2024
La Paz is not a big city so food options are much more limited compared to other South American cities. And Bolivian food is not exactly diverse or great compared to other countries in the region. There are food delivery apps but you will need cash. Some international options but are of mediocre quality. - Aug 2022
Lots of pizza, some sushi even (but choose wisely), decent Bolivian food, and some Venezuelan cuisine. We didn't eat out much, but others did. - Dec 2019
Safe restaurants include a fabulous sushi place (New Tokyo), Brazilian (Paladar). and burgers (Crafted). Good pizza is a rarity. We only eat at vetted restaurants, as proper food handling is not standard and digestive issues are a frequent concern. We have never had food delivered. - Feb 2019
Surprisingly, for a landlocked country, there are several sushi options. Beef is big here, either top quality Argentine, or above average and slightly cheaper Bolivian cuts. There are several decent pizza joints, and a place called, The Factory, which offers a taste of home (think Chili's baby back ribs, draft beer, and blues music). No McDonald's. We do have a good local fried chicken place and Burger King. Bolivian fare is quite good, but it does get old sometimes. - Sep 2016
There is a BK but everyone tells you not to eat there. "Fast" is a very loosely translated word here. - Jun 2015
There isn't too much fast food, which I love. They have Burger King, and McDonald's will be coming soon. Starbucks is starting to pop up too, though not here in La Paz yet. There are plenty of cafe's and a handful of decent restaurants. I find eating out to be pretty cheap. This weekend we went to a TGIFriday's type restaurant and it was about US$50 for 3 adults and 2 kids. - Apr 2015
The choice of restaurants was awful in recent memory but is improving. You can get somewhat decent Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Korean, and Japanese food. Entrees are less than US$10 equivalent most places. You can eat for as little as US$1 depending on how brave you are. Gustu is the one true upscale restaurant in La Paz and can run you up to US$70 a person (a bargain for the world class dining experience). Bear in mind that food poisoning is very common and seems worse than other places, possibly due to the altitude, it messes up your body. - Nov 2014
Not many American fast food outlets, just Burger King and Subway. There are a growing number of international restaurants that are pretty decent, usually under US$20 per person for a nice meal. There is a growing interest in gastro-tourism. Famous European restauranteur Claus Meyer recently opened Gustu which offers organic local Bolivian ingredients prepared in a modern international style. Most higher-end restaurants are European or American in style but you can also find Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese food although the quality may not be so great. Brazilian and Argentinian style BBQ is very popular. - Jan 2014
Burger King and Subway....I found myself missing McDonald's, even though I've never been one to eat there often...there are a few good places to eat. - Jul 2013
There is one Burger King. Everything else is a national or local company. Eating out here can very often cause sickness. You must be very careful. La Paz is not a town to come to if you are hoping for great food experiences. - Jun 2013
Burger King, some chicken places, and plenty of good beef and Trucha fish from the lake. - Jul 2012
Few beferias with Argentinean food, Brazilian, wine restaurants. You have to be extremely careful where you eat in La Paz. Also do not drink the water. - Feb 2012
Burger King is the only US chain. - Aug 2011
Burger King. McDonald's left years ago, but Arica, Chile is 7 hours away by car - its a beauiful drive and there is a McDonald's there! There are also a few good restaurants here but not too many. Still - you have a few options - so its not totally bad. - May 2011
American fast food only Burger King.3 to 7 dollars combos. There are a few very good restaurants and prices are not too high. The most expensive plate would be 20 dollars. - May 2011
The only American fast food is Burger King, and one Subway at the airport!But there are many good restaurants here of almost every nationality! Cost range from $3 to $25 per person depending on what you want to eat. - Mar 2011
Only Burger King is available. There are other Mexican, Italian and Spanish restaurants available. Several to pick from. - Aug 2010
No McDonald's (Yes!!) but there are good, cheap restaurants. it might not be such a cosmopolitan choice but there is good Bolivian, peruvian, Mexican, Swiss, French etc. - Jan 2010
Burger King and a chicken place. Both are okay. - Aug 2009
