The best bars and cafés Bolivia

Timetable

Cafés are open during the day and close in the late afternoon, or in the early evening in larger cities. Bars generally open from late afternoon until late at night.

Budget & Tips

Prices for an espresso or cappuccino in the big city chains are slightly lower than in France. Prices are considerably lower in street stalls and some small shops.

Age restrictions

In Bolivia, the legal drinking age is 18.

What's very local

Coca mate. An infusion of coca leaves. You'll find this typically Andean drink, used to alleviate altitude sickness, in all hotels and restaurants, often on a self-service basis. Drinking coca mate or chewing the coca leaf helps the blood absorb oxygen and aids digestion. The cocaine content of the leaf is minute, so there is no risk of toxicity or dependence.

Chicha. An alcoholic beverage obtained by fermenting corn, consumed mainly in the south of the country (Cochabamba, Tupiza, Tarija, Chuquisaca...). It is the Inca drink par excellence. It was used for religious ceremonies and the cult of Pachamama long before the arrival of the conquistadors. In the Oriente region, you'll also find chicha de maní, a refreshing non-alcoholic drink made from peanuts.

Api morado. This is the typical drink of the Altiplano. Try this hot drink made with purple corn, sugar and cinnamon. Serve with a buñuelo (doughnut) or salteña.

Café boliviano. Yungas coffee (arabica produced by the Afro-Bolivian communities of the Yungas) is truly delicious, probably the best coffee in the world, as the "gringo" advertisement exaggerates. The department of La Paz produces 95% of Bolivia's coffee.

Fresh fruit juices. You'll find them in every market in Bolivia. Try carambola juice (a delicacy),achachairú juice (fruit of the ointment tree or apricot tree, as it's known in the West Indies), mango juice, apple juice... A guaranteed vitamin boost!

Cerveza (beer). Imported by ^20th-century German immigrants. Each city produces its own beer: Paceña in La Paz, Ducal in Santa Cruz, Taquiña in Cocha, Potosína in Potosí, Astra in Tarija, Sureña in Sucre and Huari in Oruro. The top three: Huari, Potosína and Paceña.

Smokers

It's worth pointing out that smoking is forbidden in enclosed public places (although it is tolerated on terraces in some establishments).