Vista Hermosa sits on the roof of one of the taller buildings in Quito's colonial Old Town, at Mejia and Garcia Moreno, and trades on the single best view in the historic center. The open terrace wraps a full 360 degrees over the tiled roofs, church domes and the green shoulder of Pichincha beyond.
Who would love it: travellers who want one drink with the whole Old Town laid out below, and anyone chasing the sunset. Who would hate it: people after a quiet, intimate room, since the terrace fills fast and the altitude carries the noise.
The setting does the heavy lifting. Quito's center stands at about 2,850 metres, and the rooftop reads like a balcony over the entire UNESCO quarter. Inside there is a covered bar and a small dining room, but the point is the open-air ledge, where heat lamps and blankets handle the cool Andean evenings. The kitchen runs Ecuadorian and Latin plates that work as something to share over a long sit, and the staff are used to first-time visitors finding their feet at altitude.
Order a canelazo, the warm Andean cocktail of aguardiente, naranjilla and cinnamon that suits the cold nights here, or stick to a cold Pilsener and a plate of patacones while the light goes. The drinks list leans simple rather than technical, which fits the room. According to Tripadvisor reviews, the rooftop is widely flagged as a sunset spot rather than a late-night destination, and the venue posts daily hours from noon until midnight on its own site.
Best time to go is the hour before sunset on a clear afternoon, when the light turns the domes gold and the terrace has not yet filled. Live music lands on Friday and Saturday from about 10pm, so come earlier in the week if you want the view without the volume. Weekend rain can close the open deck, so check before you climb.
It is the easiest first stop on any Quito night out, and a natural pairing with the best rooftop bars we track worldwide. See where it sits among the best bars in Quito, then move down the hill toward La Floresta for the next round.
