A little piece of Galapagos on the mainland: the Nativo restaurant celebrates the culture, art and cuisine of the islands in Guayaquil

A bit of the charm of the Galapagos Islands wants to emerge in Guayaquil in the form of the Nativo restaurant, which opened in Urdesa earlier this year.

In an area of ​​approximately 240 square meters, on Víctor Emilio Estrada Avenue, stands this proposal developed by the economist Sebastián Ramírez, who has lived in the archipelago for almost all of his 30 years.

Nativo welcomes its diners and curious attendees with a large graphic mural just as they pass through its glass door, created by Hans Knopf. Next, the carefree spirit of the island is perceived in its setting. Rustic walls and bare finishes that incorporate wood, hand-drawn artwork, and decorative edison bulbs.

The place has a capacity for around 200 people. At the moment there are a little more than ten tables for his attendees (Ramírez promises more in the short term), as well as three bars of high and low chairs; one of them extends its bar, where the offer not only includes alcoholic beverages, but also the traditional Galapagos coffee, a variety whose consumption is growing.

The old North Market will become a cultural and recreational space, but there are still no release dates

In one of the corners of the site a stage has been set up that to this day has been the stage for emerging artists in the musical field, performance and more.

The intention of its owner is for Nativo to become a benchmark in the region on the continent, through the three activities promoted by his business, which, in fact, was born in Galapagos four years ago. His main activity, of course, is gastronomy.

Galapagos cuisine

Sebastián was not born in Galapagos, he confesses. But yes, his parents, in San Cristóbal, his grandparents and theirs. “I opened Nativo as a coffee bar when he was 26 years old, in San Cristóbal, with capacity for four tables, for approximately twelve people. It was born with the concept of combining local food with foreign cuisine”, recalls the owner, who is also a professional diving guide. With his experiences in the tourism industry and in business, he consolidated this idea until he arrived in Guayaquil.

“In Galapagos we do not have a marked gastronomic culture. You can find cebiches, you can ask for onions, but there is no regional reference. Galapagos food cannot be explained as such, but we can highlight that it is a cuisine with fresh and natural products, which have a single point of origin”, explains Sebastián Ramírez. For example, he refers to coffee, cocoa, lobster, native fish, and shellfish such as canchalagua, “very well known, but they are not culinary references here on the continent, nor internationally.”

The final result is a menu of Galapagos products and spirit, with popular techniques. In this regard, the Nativo card is divided into four sections. Appetizers (‘for starters’), where there are different presentations of crispy seafood, such as coconut breaded shrimp, tempura squid and crab cakes. Then there are the traditional ceviches, with the Nativo seasoning, fish, lobster and the famous canchalagua, a mollusk with a heart-shaped shell, which only lives in the Galapagos Sea. Those who have tried it assure that its texture is like that of octopus and its flavor is similar to shell. In this restaurant in Urdesa, it is prepared tanned with a chili and cucumber sauce and accompanied by shrimp.

There is a section of classic Ecuadorian dishes cooked in the island style, such as fish of origin and the catch of the day, with rice and patacones; dry galapagueño goat, seafood arrisotado; creamy canchalagua and more. Finally, the international touch of the menu comes with its recipes on bread, such as hamburgers and sandwiches, in the usual versions with meat, there are also vegan and seafood options.

Casa del Barrio, the new cultural space that seeks to be a meeting point on Panama Street

A new cultural and tourist scene

Nativo’s second driving force is its art and culture activities, which take over the space on weekends. This is an initiative that emerged alongside the small café-bar that Ramírez had in Galapagos.

The intention is to promote local artists whose proposal can be linked with nature. “We are quite interested in the issue of conservation and that goes hand in hand with art and culture. “Art, in any manifestation, can help a little to environmental education, to the understanding of the attachment of the human being with nature, that is our life”. In this way, any independent artist who aligns with this concept, both in his production and in his philosophy, is invited.

Last weekend, Nativo prepared a couple of shows of impro free-style Y stand-up comedy. For the remainder of June, Nativo has scheduled the following events:

• Thursday June 16: special The Killers and others hits of the timewith Smoking Monkey.
• Saturday June 18: Show Rock Dark/Indie, with the Guayaquil bands Colmena, Dojo, Padaky, Cappernaum & Link Bloody. The Boss Fest entrepreneur fair will also take place on this day, from 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday June 25: Divas Nighta tribute to Shakira, Julieta Venegas and The Fifth Season.

Tickets available for shows via the Wide Mixer platform.

The third element is the sale of non-perishable products from Galapagos, such as t-shirts, and packaging, among which is coffee.

In the future, Ramírez anticipates, he wishes to launch a fourth pillar for his business, focused on tourist services. Since Guayaquil is the gateway for trips to Galapagos from other cities and countries. Sebastián wants Nativo to be the meeting point for tourists who are passing through the city to travel to the islands. “The idea is to have national and international groups that can have a learning experience here before visiting Galapagos.”

Native is located on Av. Victor Emilio Estrada and The Nuns. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; on weekends it is open until 02:00. More information: 098-844-4272 (WhatsApp).