Marco Belmonte / La Paz
Twenty recognized brands with their stores already give life to El Bosque, one of the main gastronomic and entertainment complexes in the South of La Paz. The opening of a theater and the Hard Rock Café is expected in February or March.
It is a boulevard in Bolivia that unites quality, gastronomy, entertainment and fun in more than 6,000 meters fused by gardens and open spaces. The place is located on 15th street in Calacoto.
The president of the DYA SRL group, Alejandro Yaffar, reported that in the first phase, restaurants, ice cream parlors, chocolate shops and cafes, among others, were inaugurated.
People who visit the boulevard can already visit La Casa del Camba, Acaí, Vanilla, Typica, Rosmarino, Sacha, Botánica, Manq’a, TacoBar Town, La Gaia, Takumi, Vacafría, Concept Placer, Oh My Dog & Fries, Las Pikas Chocolatería, The Nutty Bavarian, Juice & Punch, 3600 and Ophelia.
Yaffar explained that the second phase is scheduled to be delivered in February or March, when the Hard Rock Café will open, which has a different concept as it includes a nightclub.
music is part of the attractions
from El Bosque.
Likewise, a theater with a capacity of 250 to 260 people will begin to operate, which has versatile characteristics, where concerts and theatrical presentations can be held. It has a large stage, graves, mezzanine and a box.
Another nightclub for an adult audience and a choperie with a beer patio from the Prost company will also open its doors.
Yaffar reported that the concept of El Bosque was inspired by visits to European boulevards with outdoor cafes, ice cream parlors and other traditional entertainment from old world countries.
Also in the great hotels of the world that offer gastronomic diversity and entertainment in one place.
All this in a single space with more than 6,000 meters in the heart of the South area, with an air-conditioned environment, roofed islands, vegetation, music and warm attention.
eat some snacks
fresh air.
Dream come true
Yaffar reported that he began to imagine and dream of El Bosque four years ago.
This, with the idea that La Paz and the South zone deserved a first class restaurant.
As the company DYA SRL had the Casa del Camba franchise and extensive experience in food courts, initially it was thought with the idea of opening a new location in Calacoto and began to look for a place to build the work.
After finding the land on 15th street in Calacoto, it was found that it was too large to house a single restaurant, as it was a privileged site due to its location and large space.
As a result of that, the idea of a cafe, an ice cream parlor like Vacafría, a nightclub and other places was born, and turn the place into a great boulevard.
“We contacted the architect Michael Palza, we told him that we had this project and that we wanted to do it under the inspiration of the European boulevards. We contacted a group of investors, with the construction company Constec and that is how the project began to become a reality ”, highlighted Yaffar.
The task was not easy and the road was strewn with difficulties. First, the political conflicts of 2019, which forced the work to be halted due to a lack of iron and cement.
The work continued in January 2020 and in March the pandemic and the rigid declaration of quarantine came, so everything had to stop.
“It was very hard, but we are very committed to the city and La Paz deserved such a place. We believe that the pandemic must be an opportunity, the world must continue working and we have managed to inaugurate El Bosque with a lot of effort “, remarked the businessman.
Jobs and investment
During the construction phase of El Bosque, 420 people worked and among all the companies and premises that have a presence in El Bosque, 500 direct jobs and 1,200 indirect jobs were generated, Yaffar said.
All are legally registered commercial activities, they generate taxes and income for the State and the Autonomous Municipal Government of La Paz.
To make the project a reality, strong investments were made from DYA SRL, as well as from the different brands that have a presence on the boulevard.
“These are important investments both from the company that owns the project and from the brands that are the ones that complete the design of their premises with their own capital. For example, Hard Rock is an investment that exceeds one million dollars, ”Yaffar stressed.
Today El Bosque is a reality, it is the new meeting point and destination with unique characteristics and oriented to demanding clients. It was planned to provide a unique experience and quality services to the visiting public.
Read the newspaper and shine your shoes
Something that visitors will enjoy is the experience of sitting in comfortable chairs, reading the newspaper or having a coffee, while they get their shoes polished.
“As the boulevard is European type, we have installed shoe racks similar to the ones I saw in the London Underground and where you can have the experience of having your shoes polished while having a coffee or wine,” said Yaffar.
The best shoeshineers in Plaza Murillo will be invited, who have a lot of history, since they polished personalities at some point, such as former president Víctor Paz Estenssoro or Carlos Palenque.
Camba House
One of the largest venues in El Bosque is Casa del Camba, which has a capacity to serve 160 to 200 people.
The host Rita Martínez explained that the offer of this new space is fusion and gourmet cuisine with traditional dishes from the East and the incorporation of elements and ingredients from La Paz.
“It is signature cuisine with prawns, trout and pejerrey and in addition to the traditional dishes with meat from Santa Cruz, additions have been made, for example the typical majadito is served with duck meat, but it is also served with llama meat in a East and West fusion ”, he highlighted.
The restaurant also has an indoor and outdoor bar, where you can have an aperitif before lunch or dinner or simply enjoy small plates to snack on with a drink. “We have small pacumutos, ceviche or charque empanadas that have been in very good demand. Lunch will be open until 11 at night, while the restaurant closes from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ”, stated Martínez.
The experience of walking along the boulevard with a wine
Essential products such as wine were sold in these places. “Palatino is the official residence of Roman emperors and nobles and each palace had a small vault and stone space called Palati and where the cult of wine was carried out,” reported Jorge Rubin de Celis, owner manager of Concept Placer.
In the place, visitors can enjoy high-end wines and the most representative brands of countries and regions, as well as national wines.
In addition to being a point of sale, in the place you can enjoy a private tasting space called Palati. Family, business and board meetings can be held on the site.
The visitor can also walk with a glass of wine through the Forest.
Concept Placer offers recognized wines from internationally recognized brands, such as Padrillos, which are in great demand, Protos from Spain, Altas Cumbres from Argentina, Hidden Garden of the Cinti Valley and Kohlberg wines.
Vanilla with innovation
Another of the places present in El Bosque is Vanilla. Its manager Rodrigo Astorga informed that it offers a varied menu with meat, chicken, pork and seafood that was not had before. It will have more elaborate breakfasts, lunch, dinner and it has a bar where you can serve a drink.
“The concept on the ground floor is more for a cafeteria with smaller tables and dinner upstairs, where there are larger tables next to a tree integrated into the premises,” he highlighted.
He added that he is betting on reactivation and employment, since the gastronomic sector has been one of the hardest hit by the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the quarantines decreed.
