Tarapoto has grown as a culinary destination in the last few years, with far more restaurants to choose from and a general increase in standards. There are still plenty of abominations, of course, but no city is perfect.

To help you avoid the abominations and find the city’s best eating experiences, here’s a list of my favorite restaurants in Tarapoto. Very few, if any, of these restaurants have websites, but most have Facebook pages.

I’ll update this post as and when I discover more restaurants, ideally with your help. Go ahead and leave your own recommendations in the comments section below, as well as your opinions — positive or negative — regarding my choices here.

Restaurants in Tarapoto

El Rincón Sureño — For me, this ranchero-style restaurant is the best place in Tarapoto for steaks and other slabs of meat. The steaks here are some of the best I’ve had in Peru. Jr. Augusto B. Leguia 458

Caja Criolla — This place does the best chunks of pork in town, cooked in a caja china, with rendered fat, crispy crackling and succulent meat (kind of like my mum’s roast pork back home, which is high praise indeed). There’s also good chicken cooked in a cilindro peruano. Jr. Rioja 328

El Norteño — Serves a variety of good Northern Peru-inspired dishes, but the standout plate is the pollo cantones con arroz chaufa (Cantonese chicken with fried rice). It’s without doubt one of my favorite dishes in Tarapoto, and well worth the short trip down to La Banda (El Norteño is a block from La Banda’s main square). Jr. Santa María 246, La Banda de Shilcayo

Brother’s Burgers & BBQ — Owned by a friendly American, Brother’s serves up some of the best burgers in town, as well as ribs, wings, excellent fries and more. It’s located down in Morales at Jr. Sgto Lores 590, not far from Cine Star and the Bechilinos club. facebook.com/BrothersBurgersBbq

Don Betoo Trattoria — This pretty little restaurant in the town center is the perfect place for an intimate candlelit date. Dishes are primarily a mix of Peruvian and Italian. Jr. Lamas 130. facebook.com/p/DON-BETOO-Trattoria

Chalet Venecia — Probably the best service in Tarapoto and one of the most elegant atmospheres. If you’re craving Italian food, you’ll find good lasagnas and other pasta dishes here. Some dishes come up a little short, especially considering the price, and you’ll find better regional cuisine, ceviches, and steaks elsewhere in Tarapoto, but the service and ambiance provide a good all-round experience (especially if you’re trying to woo someone). Alegría Arias de Morey 298

Blue Elephant — I’m no expert when it comes to Thai food, but one of the newest additions to the list of Tarapoto restaurants seems pretty good (I’ve only eaten here a couple of times). If you’re craving Thai food then give it a go —  as far as I know it’s the only Thai option in town. Also does delivery. Av. Circunvalación cdra 16. Facebook

Cevicherias in Tarapoto

Pescados & Ajíes Fusión — This is my favorite cevicheria in Tarapoto (also my hangover cure of choice). Located on Plaza Suchiche not far from Tarapoto’s main square, it has great individual dishes as well as combos. Also has reliable delivery. Jr. Alegría Arias de Morey 459. facebook.com/pescadosyajies

Primer Puerto — One of the most popular cevicherias in town. Jr. Cahuide 600

Los Diamantes — This place gets absolutely rammed with locals, so get there early if you want lunch without waiting for a table. Jr. Ricardo Palma 396. facebook.com/LosDiamantesTarapoto

Chifas in Tarapoto

Chifa Canton — This is my go-to chifa in Tarapoto, with tasty set menus (soup or fried wonton plus main meal) and epic à la carte options. Try the tai-pa especial on the lunchtime menú, or the sizzling tai-pa a la plancha on the standard menu. Jr. Ramon Castilla #140.

Pollerías in Tarapoto

Tropipollo — This place is located on La Banda’s main square. Since discovering this place, I’ve never ordered pollo a la brasa from any other pollería in Tarapoto. Jr. Amazonas, Plaza de Armas, La Banda de Shilcayo

Pollitos Park — I used to go to Pollitos Park occasionally before I moved down to La Banda and discovered Tropipollo. Pollitos Park isn’t as good as Tropipollo, but it’s a decent alternative (especially if you have young kids, as there’s a big climbing-jumping-screaming-playing-structure-thing for los niños). Jr. Moyobamba 257

Worth a Mention…

Here are some places that people who know Tarapoto might expect to see on this list. They are also places featured on TripAdvisor, which I guess we can’t ignore these days. They aren’t among my top choices for varying reasons, but they do deserve a mention.

La Patarashca — Located in one of the prettiest buildings in town, this place has decent food, good service, and pulls in a large amount of tourists from Lima and beyond. It specializes in regional cuisine, but the touristy nature of the restaurant has made many dishes completely overpriced. If you want cecina, chorizo, tacacho etc., go to one of the numerous street grills in Tarapoto, where you’ll pay S/.10 (maximum) for something that might cost S/.35 at La Patarashca. Some friends of mine have particular dishes that they highly recommend at La Patarashca (I forget which, sorry), but I’ve yet to be overly impressed with anything, including the patarashca de camarones, which was thoroughly disappointing. Jr: Lamas 261

La Collpa — A great location, this time with excellent views across the valley behind Tarapoto, but overpriced. It’s a well-known and touristy restaurant, but I haven’t eaten at La Collpa for a few years after too many lackluster experiences. Perhaps it’s better now? Av. Circunvalación 164

What Are Your Favorite Restaurants in Tarapoto?

I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few places that should be listed here, and I’ll be adding more restaurants to this list as I slowly eat my way through Tarapoto.

But what I really want to hear are your opinions about the restaurants mentioned above — positive, negative, or in-between — as well as, and more importantly, your own restaurant recommendations. Cheers!