Venezuela has a variety of traditional dishes which are found in nearly all local restaurants. Most are fried maize or wheatflour based pancakes or breads. The most common meat dishes in Venezuela are fried and grilled fish and meats usually served with rice. Generally, beef and chicken are most popular, though other meats such as goat are preferred in certain regions. Pork is eaten mostly at Christmas. The huge variety of fish includes trout, red snapper, dorado, parrot fish, catfish and the baby shark (cazon). Oysters, clams and other shellfish are also widely enjoyed.

There is an abundance of fruits in Venezuela. Mango, papaya (lechosa), avocado (aguacate) oranges (naranja), banana (cambur) coconut (coco), passionfruit (parchita), melon (melón), pineapple (piña), guava (guayaba) and soursap (guanábana) are just a few.

Besides all the traditional Venezuelan dishes, a wide variety of world cuisines are available in the country. Caracas has everything from Italian to Chinese. Generally, a 10% service charge is added to restaurant bills, and it is usual to give an additional tip of around 5%. Several fast-food chains are common in larger towns, and burger and hot-dog vendors are found on many street corners.

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