It might take time to acclimatise to elevated La Paz, Bolivia, the highest capital city in the world, located 3,625 metres above sea level but once you’ve adapted, the food scene is bursting with Andean highland, valley and Amazonian flavours. From vegan fine dining to tasty street food treats and market stands, Bolivian chef Marsia Taha, who leads the team at Gustu, ranked 45 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022, shares some of the places she loves to eat at in her home city.

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Marsia Taha’s guide to La Paz
“As you can fly across La Paz – by cable car – on Sundays it’s fun to take several teleférico routes. I love observing people’s daily lives from the air; there’s always a corner with something interesting happening or I spy some hidden-away garden that I haven't seen before. You can reach the picturesque cemetery by cable car and see the interaction people have with their muertos (deceased relatives), and when you leave the cemetery, go for one of the famous handmade cinnamon ice creams. There are dozens of vibrant stands and the caseras fight to be able to offer you “the real”, “the original” or “the best” ice cream in the city.
“From the cemetery, you can easily visit the Mercado de los pescados street (fish market), whose wares arrive every dawn from the interior of the country. Listen to the caseras gossiping away while eating tasty fried fish caught in Lake Titicaca with its chuño freeze-dried potato and llajua sauce. Accompany with boiled mocochinchi, a dehydrated peach juice.”