A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Caracas
Caracas and Venezuela are famed for their food; the country as a whole is widely regarded as one of the best places for eating and drinking in South America. A dizzying array of dishes are on offer, many of which see influences from other Latin American regions.
However, there are plenty of unique specialties to sample, such as 'pabellon criollo', (which involves shredded meat, rice, black beans and fried plantain) and foie gras with mango or smoked salmon.
Like much of South America, meat is the real highlight of dining in Caracas. Right the way across town, there are a number of great places to pick up a huge (and hugely affordable) steak. The handful of restaurants on Avenida Principal La Castellana and Calle Madrid are particularly popular with the locals.
And in addition to the great, cheap food, Caracas nightlife is second to none. The city's residents and students are notoriously hedonistic, with the scene building up steadily from Tuesday onwards.
Most locals don't tend to hit the bars and clubs till around midnight, meaning visitors could initially be in for a lonely few hours. Night owls cannot go far wrong if they head to the Las Mercedes district, though, and it's certainly always heaving come the weekend.