3 Best Restaurants in Caracas, Venezuela

For a romantic evening in Las Mercedes, head to this antique-strewn restaurant that defines itself as a "gastronimic boutique." The Mediterranean-influenced risottos, pizzas, and pastas are consistently good, and the wine list is fabulous. Skip the eggplant carpaccio and cocao-filled raviolis in favor of simpler menu items. While you nibble, you may spend even more time staring at the incredible collection of colorful antique plates, chandeliers, furniture, and bric-a-brac here, but stay focused, because the dessert is well worth it: try crème brûlée tinted with ponche crema (a creamy holiday booze) and milhojas de dulce de leche (millefeuille with caramel).

Serene white spaces define this simple but delicious eatery just outside of the main Las Mercedes thoroughfares, in El Rosal. Just a short walk from the Marriott and THE Hotel, Gourmet Market invites diners to feast alfresco on well-prepared risottos, pastas, brusquetas, and sandwiches (including such favorites as caprese, New York–style tuna, and smoked turkey). A well-edited wine list and helpful waiters attract loads of couples and businesspeople here for lunch, but come dinnertime the scene is more romantic, with lighted bamboo and shrubs protecting the patio from street noise.

Grab a seat on the open-air second-floor balcony for a more elegant meal or head downstairs to get your fill of wood-oven, thin-crust pizza. An impeccable wine list complements such dishes as pasta con hongos (wild-mushroom pasta) and mouth-watering roasted rabbit. Valet parking, friendly service, and a nice long bar keep the customers coming.