Snake Shots and Salsa - The Perfect Night Out in La Paz
Jennifer Steil is the author of the forthcoming novel The Ambassador’s Wife (Doubleday, July 28, 2015) and the memoir The Woman Who Fell From the Sky. Yahoo Travel got an advance copy of The Ambassador’s Wife, and we promise it is going to be the must-read book for August.
An aerial view of La Paz, Bolivia. (Photo: David Almeida/Flickr)
Chances
are, you can’t get higher on a night out than you can in La Paz,
Bolivia. At close to 12,000 feet above sea level, La Paz is the world’s
highest de facto capital city. In this spot cradled by jagged Andean
peaks, there’s a lot less oxygen and alcohol goes a lot further.
Barhopping on your first night in the city is not recommended. Give your
body a few days to adjust to the lofty heights and accumulate red blood
cells before a night on the town. And at the risk of sounding like your
mother, make sure you drink plenty of water in between singani sours!
Start in the center, the city’s highest point, and work your way
downhill to the lively neighborhoods of Sopocachi and Calacoto.
3 p.m.
Bolivians fortify themselves against the altitude with regular consumption of coca tea. So start your afternoon at Café Restaurant Angelo Colonial —
near the touristy Sagarnaga Street in the center of town — with a pot
of tea brewed from fresh coca leaves. Packed with an eclectic assortment
of antique clocks, maps, oil paintings of the city, and rusting kitchen
implements glued to the wall, it’s homey and relaxed. The menu includes
vegetarian fare as well as Bolivian specialties such as quinoa and
llama. If you fancy a more modern ambience and homemade pastries with
your tea, go to the nearby Café Illampu. (It also has one of the best breakfasts in the city, with artisanal local yogurts.)
Stroll down the cobblestone streets to the entrance to the Coca Museum. (Photo: Mark Pearson / Alamy)
Both cafés are just a few doors down from the Coca Museum.
It’s cramped and slightly shabby, but if you take the time to read the
exhibits you’ll discover a trove of information about the plant’s
history, pharmaceutical benefits, and illicit uses.
Before you leave the street, pop into Artesania Sorata,
which sells some of the highest-quality alpaca sweaters, scarves, and
capes in the city. The nights in La Paz get quite chilly, so bundle up!
5 p.m.
You must grab a cocktail from Sol y Luna. (Photo: Sol y Luna / Facebook)
Have your first drink or a late lunch at Sol y Luna,
a candlelit restaurant with rough stone walls and a pool table in a
back room. Sample a Saya, a Bolivian microbrew; a glass of Tannat
produced by Campos de Solana in the wine-growing region of Tarija; or a
spicy shot of Supay, named for the Incan god of the underworld. The
wide-ranging menu includes a hearty goulash, roast lamb, black quinoa,
and coca crepes made with tarwi, an Andean species of lupin. Every Thursday there’s live salsa music.
Next door to Sol y Luna is the cheerful and popular Oliver’s English Tavern,
with worn wooden floors, comfortable leather benches, and slate
chalkboards scrawled with sayings like, “Alcohol: The cause of and
solution to all of life’s problems.” Food includes British favorites
such as bangers and mash, vegetable curries, and bread-and-butter
pudding.
6:30 p.m.
During happy hour at Layka,
6:30 to 8:30 p.m., customers get a free shot every hour. This
bar/restaurant is worth a visit for several reasons, not least for its
lurid murals of demons indulging in gluttony and greed. Specialties
include a singani — a Bolivian grape liquor — distilled with an actual
boa constrictor. Only after you’ve taken a sip of the mild, floral
singani will the bartender whip the cloth off of the bottle to show you
the coiled snake inside. Bolivian mythology holds that drinking this
will give you the “power of the snake.” The bar also offers a dark,
herby alcohol made of seven secret ingredients. Guess all seven and
drink for free. From 8:30 to 10 p.m. the bar becomes a traditional peña,
where musicians gather to play Bolivian folk music. Food includes
guinea pig, llama, and a buffet of 38 dishes. Don’t fill up here, though
— save your appetite for dinner.
8 p.m.
Find Etno
tucked among the city’s best museums on Calle Jaen. A cozy, cavelike
bar with arched brick ceilings and murals of dragons and llamas, Etno
specializes in Bolivian-crafted alcohols. Its extensive cocktail list
includes the “Tour of Bolivia,” five shots from five distilleries: a
fiery absinthe, herby whiskey, and sweet coca, maracuya, and dulce de
leche liqueurs. Also try a range of Bolivian wines, singanis, beers,
specialty daiquiris, and divine thin-crust pizzas. Live music and poetry
readings take place here, too.
Settle in next to an old engine at Diesel Nacional. (Photo: Diesel Nacional/Facebook)
Old train tracks lead to the door of nearby Diesel Nacional,
a bar/restaurant with the ambience of an auto mechanic’s workshop. Sip a
chuflay under an airplane engine and trumpets dangling from the ceiling
while warming up by the central fireplace.
9 p.m.
Gustu dish (Photo: Gustu/Facebook)
The elegant Gustu is
a half-hour taxi ride from the city center but absolutely worth the
trip. Founded by Claus Meyer, co-owner of Denmark’s Noma, often rated
the world’s best restaurant, Gustu prides itself on the creative use of
in-season Bolivian products. It also trains Bolivians in all aspects of
the business. Order the tasting menu, a five- or seven-course meal with
beverage pairing, to savor some of the most exceptional food in the
country. Don’t skip the specialty cocktails, especially the singani
laced with spicy llajua or the Api Old Fashioned.
Too lazy to get to Gustu? Try the French-inspired cuisine of La Guingette
on Plaza Avaroa in Sopocachi, one of La Paz’s hippest neighborhoods.
Sit on the balcony overlooking the square and watch the club kids stroll
by.
11 p.m.
Have a quiet post-dinner drink at Hallwright’s,
a friendly wine bar offering Bolivian vintages, cocktails, and gourmet
tapas. Specialties include llama salami and ham made in El Alto.
Get comfy at this former brothel. (Photo: Cafe Magic K)
For entertainment, try MagicK,
a new bar/restaurant in a former brothel that hosts a variety of
cultural events: live music, standup comedy, dance performances,
theater, poetry readings, independent film screenings, and food fairs.
Order an orange-and-thyme g&t made with locally crafted gin and a
plate of the best vegetarian nachos in town. All food is made from
in-season Bolivian produce.
12 p.m.
Those with stamina should head to Glam Restaurant and Jazzy Lounge,
a spot that is much-beloved by Bolivians. Get your groove on to garage,
techno, or Cuban music under a lazily spinning disco ball.
Don’t want to spend the night alone? Mingle dancing with cozy chats by the fire at Mongo’s Rock Bottom Café, renowned for being the best spot for Bolivians to pick up foreigners.
If you overdo it, stop at a 24-hour pharmacy on your way home and ask for chaky pills, which Paçeños swear cure hangovers.
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