The best restaurants Paraguay

Timetable

Restaurant opening hours are very variable, with a wider range in Asunción than in the rest of the country. Many popular restaurants and cafeterias open continuously from 7-8am until around 3-4pm. So we can have breakfast there. Restaurants with a service worthy of the name, open rather between 12h and 14h30, then from 19h or 20h, until 22h or 23h, even midnight on weekends. The Paraguayans eat dinner pretty late, not before 8:00. Establishments usually close on Sunday or Monday. On Sundays in the capital, many restaurants only open for lunch, or offer a buffet-style brunch until around 2pm.

Budget & Tips

Restaurants are economical in Paraguay, even in the capital. Apart from long-distance travellers, for whom a good restaurant is synonymous with luxury, the best tables in the country are very affordable for a European travel budget. For an idea, you can eat on the go, or in the popular market restaurants, for 15,000 Gs (2 €), and for less than 5 € in the cafeterias by weight (comida por kilo) or restaurants offering daily lunch menus (menú ejecutivo). Count 15 € per head for a good meal in the evening, and to really treat yourself, around 60-70 € for two, wine included, in a gastronomic restaurant.

What costs extra

Taxes are included in the displayed prices. It is customary to leave 10% of the cost of the meal for the service (the propina). If you ask for water, you will normally be brought a bottle of water (for a fee), as the water carafe placed on the table is not the practice of local restaurants. However, you can easily ask for a glass with ice cubes and a slice of lemon (no extra charge). Soda water is called agua con gaz, still water is simply agua (or agua sin gaz). In restaurants where you pay by weight, cassava (mandioca) is usually available free of charge (do not put it on the plate to be weighed).

The local way

The patios of comidas are fast food areas located in shopping centres (usually on the top floor). You can find fast food as well as local cuisine, including Asian or Italian cuisine cafeterias... They are very popular with families or groups of office colleagues, because everyone can eat what they want and everyone is around the same table. One pays either a "dish + drink" type formula or according to the weight of the contents of the plate (comida por kilo). Apart from the comida patios, many restaurants offer weight-based buffets with better value for money and a warmer atmosphere. These weight buffets make it possible to serve portions of all the dishes you wish to taste. A real provocation for gourmets! The hamburgueserías and asaderos that can be found in restaurant trucks or even on the pavement are also very common and economical, but be careful with the basic rules of hygiene. There are more and more "food parks", where old combos converted into food trucks are gathered in a large area, offering the traditional hamburguesas, súper panchos or lomitos árabes, but also gourmet comida rápida, often with vegetarian or vegan options.

Ñoquis del 29. As in Argentina and Uruguay, it is customary to eat ñoquis (gnocchis) on the 29th of the month, an old tradition brought by Italian immigrants. Don't forget to put a note under the plate to attract prosperity!

Kids

Children are always welcome in even the most fancy restaurants. However, there are rarely children's menus or high chairs for the youngest ones.

Smokers

Smoking is not permitted in enclosed areas, but is often possible on the outdoor terraces of restaurants and cafés. Please check with the staff.