Las Monjas Restaurant
Serving You Ecuador's Heritage

Las Monjas Restaurant (monjas means "nuns" in Spanish—the restaurant is named after the convent across the street) is easy to miss as you're walking along Borrero.

But it's one restaurant you definitely don't want to miss.

From the beautiful sign on the wall outside, to the two-story waterfall inside, to the gorgeous decor and the excellent service, Las Monjas is an exciting new addition to Cuenca's restaurant scene.

The Decor

The English portion of the restaurant's brochure describes the decor as a "minimalist and comfortable environment." Jeff thinks it's anything but minimalist.

Jorge Regalado, the owner, has put his 22 years in the Colombian hospitality industry to good use. He knows how to create an inviting atmosphere.

As you walk up the stairs into the restaurant, you face the waterfall.

You'll find a quiet sitting area and a couple of tables to the right. Turn to the left and there's another, larger, area with tables.

Continue up the stairs to the main dining area, where the bar and the balcony are located.

Take a look at the woodwork, all in a dark stain, and the floors before you take a seat at an impeccably laid out table.

The only thing we didn't enjoy was the flatware. The dessert spoons were too deep and narrow, and the knife handles were set 90° from normal.

The Food

Las Monjas is part of the Novo Andina movement in Ecuador.

Jorge's menu uses foods that are disappearing from the market, including sambo, jícamas, chamburo and babaco. (We'll let you have the pleasure of learning what each one is, and what it tastes like.)

"By making excellent dishes with these products, we rescue the Andean cooking and preserve the gastronomy of the Andean people," Jorge told us before dinner began.

The food was very nicely prepared as well. We started with small bread rolls and a selection of four different dips.

Jeff had the best chicken soup he's had in Ecuador, and one of the tenderest chicken breasts he's had in the country, with a very nice babaco sauce. Lulie enjoyed a steak, cooked exactly as she asked for it, with a delicious sauce that she described as like a soft mustard.

We both enjoyed not having rice with our meals. Instead, we had wheat berries in a very intriguing sauce that neither of us could identify (Jorge later told us that it's a cheese sauce).

Dessert was a bit of a disappointment, but then Jeff, the chocoholic, has yet to find a brownie in Ecuador that isn't really just a piece of cake. He held out hope, but it was not to be. The taxo ice cream was interesting, though.

If you're into different ice creams, try the mora/cherimoya/rose ice cream combo.

The Service

We're not the types to go out to expensive restaurants where the servers hover about, ready to pounce on an empty plate. But we were very impressed with the efficient, and, at the same time, understated, service from Jorge and his staff.

We never lacked for anything, including water in our glasses, yet we were given our space by the attentive waiters.

Prices and Payment Options

Although the individual dishes are reasonably priced for the quality of the food, we still managed to run up a $45 bill.

This included two glasses of wine and the dessert, plus the 12% tax and 10% service charge.

Lulie's steak was $9.90 and Jeff's chicken dish was $6.90. The soup was $3.90 and the dessert $4.90. The wine was $4.50 a glass, which was pricy given that we've had very nice wine in a hotel restaurant for $1.80 a glass.

Payment options are cash and credit cards.

Location

Las Monjas Restaurant is located at Borrero 6-41, between President Córdova and Juan Jaramillo. If you miss the sign to the right of the entrance, look for a driveway into a big courtyard with unusual blue lighting. There's artwork on one side of the driveway and stairs up to the restaurant on the other side.

The phone number is 07-2822750. For reservations, call 09-8214096. Or email them at lasmonjas_restaurante@hotmail.com.

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