Tarija eats well. The city's Argentine-influenced food culture, the warm valley climate that produces excellent fruit and vegetables, and the local wine make this one of the better places to sit down for a meal in Bolivia.
The signature dish is saice — a slow-cooked beef stew with cumin, chilli, and onions, served with rice, potatoes, and sometimes a fried egg. It appears on virtually every local menu and is particularly good at the market stalls around the Mercado Campesino at midday. Ranga is another local speciality: a tripe stew with vegetables that's considered fortifying and is sold mainly at breakfast and lunch.
Empanadas chapacas — fried or baked pastries filled with cheese, meat, or corn — are the street snack of choice. For dessert, look for chirimoya mousse or tumbo ice cream made from local fruits.
For wine, ask for Casa Real, Aranjuez, or Kohlberg — all local labels. The local Singani (a grape spirit) is also excellent, and forms the base of Bolivia's national cocktail, the Chuflay (Singani with ginger ale). Restaurants around the main plaza and along Calle Colón are the best bet for a sit-down meal.