Santa Cruz Island bars and restaurants
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RESTAURANTS
LA GARRAPATA RESTAURANT
Situated half way along Avenida Charles Darwin, La Garrapata is a classy restaurant with an earthy feel that sells a good range of both local and International dishes. With its open airy environment, it beckons guests to enjoy a meal its nice surroundings. Low lying walls and tasteful hanging baskets are filled with leafy plants and mellow music exudes from hessian covered speakers. Immaculate starched white table cloths and white crockery give the place a crisp, clean fell and cutlery comes wrapped in serviettes. The staff are friendly, well dressed and very welcoming, which may be why this place is popular with tourists and it’s hot unusual to find large groups of people gathered socially round tables, enjoying good food. At night, the place is lit up with small lights that sit in the ceiling, creating a relaxed and confortable atmosphere. Open between 8 and 9am in the morning until 10pm at night, (closed only on Sunday) the daytime menu consists of set breakfast ($3 - $450) snacks, salads, hamburgers, quiche and desserts. Afternoon, you can choose from the main menu. Which has a range of starters, seafoods, ($6.50 - $19.00, including lobster), chicken ($6 - $6.50), beef ($6.50 - $9.50) and spaghetti ($5.50 - $9.00).
ANDY’S SODA BAR
Situated on Baltra Street, Andy's “American style” soda bar is a great place to retreat in the heat of the day. Painted in nice cool colours with pine and silver furniture, it makes a refreshing change to sit inside drinking cold soft drinks or eating on Here you can also watch your favourite American soaps on T.V. or buy your favourite chocolate, which is displayed on the counter. There`s a small area where you can sit outside but surrounded by cement rubble and scrawny bushes, the scenery is quite uninspiring.
THE ROCK
Five minutes walk from the harbour, you’ll come across a corner bar with large windows and wide open doors that welcomes you into its’ classy surroundings. A nice open airy place with big chunky wooden tables and tall sturdy stools sat at an immaculate bar, The Rock has a friendly feel about it and a small welcoming staff proves this. Open every day from 3pm until 3am (closed on Tuesdays), this place has an even flow of customers and constant tide of funky tunes churning out from its’ speakers. Arty lamps hang down amidst a coloured hessian ceiling, shedding dim light and creating a comfortable atmosphere. There’s the usual selection of drinks available plus a choice of $4 tropical cocktails. Long drinks cost $4.00-$4.50 and natural juices and non-alcoholic tropical shakes are available for $2.00.
FREE SOUL CAFÉ
Situated on Avenida Baltra, Free Soul Café is a newly opened place in Puerto Ayora. As you walk past its open front, its bright and airy surroundings entice you in where you can enjoy a cuppa in the sun or shade, with a breeze passing through. With a sing made from wooden trunk and a leafy tree protruding through the roof, this place exudes on earthy feel with the odd potted plant creating a nice, natural environment. Round pine tables sit on a grey, gravel floor and are painted with penguins, dolphins and boobies. Tall steals stands at a bamboo counter beneath an orange hessian canopy. A large painting of manta rays gliding through a sea of green and blues hangs from a white wall and parts of the floor are painted in lemon, long strip of coloured material drape from the ceiling and white paper lanterns hang down in various shapes. The menu has a great selection of cheap snacks consisting of empanadas, humitas and sandwiches.
I ordered an “empanada de verde con pollo” (green plantain empanada with chicken), which was severed on a cute pineapple plate and was delicious. There’s a good range of desserts available and these are placed on display in an icy cold cabinet. The usual hot and cold drinks are on offer. Nothing on this menu is above $2 (apart from the set breakfasts) and everything is immaculately fresh and clean.