43 Best Restaurants in Colombia

We've compiled the best of the best in Colombia - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Horacio Barbato

$$$

The sister restaurant to 80 Sillas, Horacio is equally well designed, with a great staff and a menu that focuses on simple ingredients. You can't go wrong with anything porcine or slow cooked---the crispy pork belly and homemade pâté are spot-on---and the wine list is filled with quality choices. Upstairs, overlooking a tree-filled patio, is the best place to dine.

Julia

$$$

Home to some of Bogotás best thin-crust pizza, this Zona G locale is unbeatable for its cozy, low-lit atmosphere and light and crispy pizzas with generous, quality toppings. Tables are tucked between exposed-brick walls and wine displays, with the bar and pizza oven in the back. There are branches in Usaquen and Zona Rosa.

La Canoa Cafe Cultural

$$$

A funky little café with checkered floors and tearoom-style salons, La Canoa's air-conditioned, brightly lit interior makes for a welcome respite any time of the day. The highlight is the selection of pastries and desserts for a snack with coffee. At lunchtime, the daily set menu is delicious and comes at a comfortable price; the homemade panini sandwiches are great, and the seafood salads are always a winner---try the Mediterráneo (shrimp and capers).

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La Fama Barbecue

$$$

For a taste of the American South, or just a good night out, head out to the hugely popular La Fama for Colombian-Texan-style barbecue. Here you'll find traditional barbecue staples like slow-smoked ribs or brisket as well as more local fare like the hump, a traditional cut of local beef that's marinated for two days and then smoked for 15 hours. The pecan pie is an excellent way to end the meal.

La Perla

$$$ | Centro

While Cartagena has a number of excellent ceviche restaurants, La Perla is a standout for it's variety of traditional Perivuan dishes, some novo-Andino styling, and inventive uses of local ingredients. The decor is simple yet elegant and creates an intimate dinner experience in the narrow restaurant, although the dining room can feel a little crowded when full. Peruvian chef Carlos Achinelli offers a short, frequently renewed but always interesting menu, which rewards exploring and reliably impresses with punchy flavors. Favorites are the stuffed squid and the tiradito (paper-thin slices of raw fish) in lime and yellow chili leche de tigre sauce. But don't pass up on the tasty cocktail menu.

La Regatta

$$$

Close to the seafront and all the downtown attractions, La Regatta offers some of the island's best seafood on a deck set right over the water. Head here in the early evening to enjoy a sundowner before diving in to dinner. Reservations are advisable.

Mi Cocina Restaurant

$$$

An outlet for the Academia Verde Oliva---a cooking school with locations in Bogotá and Villa de Leyva---Mi Cocina serves traditional Colombian fare on wrought-iron tables; the red-and-yellow-tiled exterior patio has the best seats, and you can watch the wood-fired oven in action. The daily lunch special is a bargain, but look out for dishes with longaniza (a local sausage considered a regional delicacy) from neighboring Sutamarchán, or the ajiaco, a traditional Bogotá soup that is prepared superbly here.

Mila Pastelería

$$$ | Centro

This upscale bakery and coffee shop offers touches of quaint, country-style decor and friendly service. Particularly popular for a midmorning coffee break or afternoon tea, the temple of pastry, cake, and silken mousse delivers a welcome respite, and you'll likely end up spending more time than you have planned. The pour-over filter coffee is good, and the lemon-coconut drink—a Cartagena classic—may be at it's best.

Mini-mal

$$$

The inventive, contemporary Colombian menu at this casual eatery features products and flavors from far-flung corners of the country. Look out for giant ants, puffer-fish tails, plantain sushi rolls, and excellent fruit juices. Eclectic decor, colorful mismatched furniture, and a friendly staff make for a lighthearted dining experience that begs repeating.

Pajares Salinas

$$$

Although the starched-white tablecloths make this popular spot rather formal, the classic Spanish dishes are superb. There's a range of excellent tapas as well as daily specials, and the elegant dining room is decorated with works of art from around the world.

Tabula

$$$

Drenched in light from the towering glass ceiling, this warm space invites long shared lunches (with plenty of wine) in front of the giant wood-burning oven. The mains, mostly cooked in said oven, are large plates meant to be shared---osso buco, beef shank, ham hock---and are flavorful and tender. But the stars of the show are the starters, equal parts modern and creole, that range from grilled beef tongue with sun-dried-tomato vinaigrette to a tiger-prawn-and-chorizo casserole in a bijao (banana leaf).

Tienda de Café

$$$

Right on the Usaquen Park, this lively café serves straightforward Colombian fare. It's a great spot for breakfast, especially on market Sunday—grab an arepa with everything and settle back to people-watch. Service can be sluggish at times, so don’t come if you're in a hurry.

Tomadachi

$$$

This seven-table ramen restaurant is easy to miss, but the hunt is worth it---look for the white noren (traditional Japanese curtains) covering the doorway. The soups and rice dishes on the short menu are so perfectly executed you might forget that you're not in Tokyo. Arrive early to avoid a long wait.

Colombia

Colombia

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