I’ve been Montañita for over three weeks now, and at this point it kind of feels like home. The town is small enough that I feel like after just three weeks, I have a pretty good idea on where and what to eat (and I’m obsessed with food so of course this is of high importance for me). As a lot of tourists visit, it has been really easy to find vegetarian/vegan food to eat!
casa del sol
This may seem slightly biased because I stayed here for a month with breakfast and lunch every day, however, the food is so so good! Breakfast is included with the hostel and made by the lovely Juanito! The breakfasts range from everything from quinoa porridge to pancakes and fruit. For the yoga training, we were spoiled with a lovely guest chef from Canada, Alison! I’ll let the picture speak for itself. Not only did she cook the greatest lunches, but she outdid herself with the Thanksgiving dinner! To add on this neverending list, there is also Tommy who cooks amazing dinners most nights. If you see arepas or a lentil burger on the chalkboard… grab yourself a seat at Casa del Sol.
shanka
Located almost right across the street from Casa del Sol on the ocean. This is located near La Punta and one of the more expensive places in town with meals costing about $8-10. Due to the convenience, I found myself here quite a few times. But not only is the food really good (my favorite was the Buddha Bowl), but they brew their own beer and cider! The list is always changing, but I really enjoyed the IPA.
ezzio’s pizza
A personal pizza for $3. Not sure I need to say anything more. Okay, I will… because not only are they cheap, but they are so good! A medium pizza costs $7, but I’d just suggest getting two for $6 (not sure of the logic here).
caña grill
This seems to be a Montañita staple. Burgers range from $3.50 to $4.50 and are MASSIVE. Of course, since I’m a vegetarian and recommending this place… there is a veggie option – a delicious falafel burger. And I mean if a burger is only $3.50, might as well splurge an extra $2.50 for fries (and bomb dips!!) plus a huge beer! Most nights there is also live music playing. On weekends, they start boarding up the front and a live band comes on playing allll types of music, then the dancing starts and everything from salsa to reggaeton to throwbacks is played.
pigro
It seems random to find great Italian food in a little beach town in Montañita, but Pigro does just that! It’s on the more upscale end, meaning you’ll be spending around $10. No pizza here, but there are risottos and all kinds of pasta.
empanadas/medialunas
There is an abundance of Argentinians in town, so there are quite a few empanada stands in town. Unlike the typical empanadas you may think of, these are baked and not fried. There was also a guy who swung by the hostel every day on our lunch to sell medialunas. They look like crescent rolls, however more sweet. Empanadas are $1 and a medialuna is $0.50.
cocktail alley
Okay, not food, but Montañita is known for their Cocktail Alley… so it’s kind of necessary to hit up a couple of the spots on the street. The cocktail possibilities are endless and a drink for $2.50?! Yes, please!
If you hit up any of these places, let me know what you think!
