16 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.

Lulo Cafe Bar

$$ Fodor's Choice

One of the best places to hang out in town, Lulo gets it right with fresh juices, light healthy food, and a warm, easygoing vibe. The smoothies are outstanding, the wraps and gourmet arepas never disappoint, and breakfast is delicious. There are plenty of vegetarian options too, and they serve good local coffee from the Sierra Nevada.

Mercado Municipal Restaurant

$$$ Fodor's Choice

Bursting with plant life, Mercado's colonial-era courtyard is filled with colorfully mismatched tables and a sunken cement oven where many of the meats---order the suckling pig or lamb---are slow cooked for hours. Chefs Laura Jaramillo and Mario Martinez serve superbly realized modern bistro dishes like crispy duck salad with peas, corn, and bok choy or suckling pig in a black Filipino marinade with wok-cooked vegetables. Just off the patio lie a small bakery that offers treats to go, and Bolívar Social Club, the restaurant's standalone bar that serves excellent cocktails in stylish interior that's worth a visit on its own. A smooth jazz soundtrack rounds out the experience. For a romantic evening meal, reserve one of the tables under the trees in the heart of the courtyard.

Abasto

One of the leaders of Usaquen’s gastronomic boom, Abasto is all about using local farm-to-table ingredients in its well-prepared, modern-bistro-style dishes. Much loved for its breakfasts, the restaurant tends to get packed, particularly for Sunday brunch, when the crowds hit Usaquen's street market, but the in-house baked goods make the wait worth it. If you can't get to a table, you can always grab a coffee and a pastry to go. The deli-grocery ambience tones down in the evenings, making it a cozy dinner choice with a constantly changing menu that keeps things interesting. When in season, look for the fantastically fresh trout or try the risotto-style rice dishes with shrimp or roasted veggies.

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Beiyú

A tiny café that is easy to miss on one of Getsemaní's main streets, Beiyú provides a welcome respite from all things fried and heavy (which dominate local cuisine) with a selection of healthy wraps and juices. There is a small but good breakfast menu at bargain prices, but it's the juice and smoothie menu that will bring you back time and again. A huge variety of fruit is available, and more exotic jungle superfruit like acaí and copuacú offer a cool, energizing kick to keep the tropical heat at bay.

Cafetería Romana

Reminiscent of a 1960s-era diner, this unpretentious neighborhood favorite in La Candelaria serves a good selection of sandwiches. Stop here for a typical Colombian breakfast—hot chocolate with cheese and bread.

Caffé Lunático

$$$

Set on a lovely and generally calm Getsemaní street, this funky café dominated by a graffitti mural serves the tastiest breakfast in town. Try the arepita lunática for one of the best examples of the local breakfast classic. It's also an excellent choice for tapas in the evening. Ingredients are of notably good quality, and the Spanish owner-chef reliably impresses with a short menu that shows off some inventive and remarkably well-executed dishes ranging from a watermelon gazpacho with avocado and a shrimp brochette, to a corvina tiradito with banana and lemongrass, to a more traditional grilled octopus. All around, Lunático offers great value for the quality of the food.

Crêpes & Waffles Arte-Sano

This unique chain of Latin American–Spanish restaurants serves—surprise!—crepes and waffles, as well as a delicious selection of ice-cream desserts. There are locations all over the city, but this trendy new branch in Zona G has taken the concept to a more refined, healthier level, without losing the guilty-pleasure angle. It's great for breakfasts, when you can get a pumpkin pancake with artisanal granola and Greek yogurt accompanied by a freshly squeezed juice. Later in the day, plunge into the ever-changing range of savory crepes that are stuffed with everything from portobellos and asparagus to chicken curry or beetroot marmalade, goat cheese, and sprouts.

D'Andre Gourmet

This cheap and cheerful spot is a Poblado breakfast institution that offers American and local classics---anything arepa and egg based---with a decent cup of coffee. Spend a lengthy breakfast or brunch at a table on the raised wooden deck; the daily set-lunch menu is one of the neighborhood's best bargains, with a selection of mains, soup of the day, and a side salad for around 20,000 pesos.

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).

La Niña Juani

This colorful restaurant is an ode to owner Anna María Morillo's grandmother and the cuisine of the northern coast around Barranquilla and Cartagena. Stop here for your morning arepa con huevo (egg) made from freshly ground corn and served with homemade suero costeño (a local crème fraîche). There are a handful of tables on the sidewalk; inside there's a lively mural of a Cartagena street, and brightly colored bar stools are tucked up to the counter where you can stop for a freshly squeezed juice. Try posta negra, the Cartagena classic of slow-cooked beef in a local cola sauce or some spot-on renditions of Caribbean fish dishes, like red snapper in coconut milk.

La Puerta Falsa

Celebrating its bicentennial in 2016, this traditional Bogotá restaurant in the heart of La Candelaria serves what locals would call "a taste of their grandmother’s kitchen." For breakfast, order the tamal (a classic jungle dish of spiced rice and chicken cooked in a banana leaf) or a hot chocolate Santafereño (chocolate from Santa Fe) with bread and cheese for dipping. At lunch, the traditional ajiaco stew is a sure bet. If you're dining in, grab a seat at the counter opposite the kitchen or head upstairs to one of the tiny wooden tables for a little more elbow room.

Makao Restaurant

Owned by two young Spaniards, the food here is a step above a majority of the town's options. The tapas choices are inevitably good, and the mains on the short menu are all hearty and well prepared; the trout al ajillo (with a creamy garlic sauce) is one of the best in town. A funky soundtrack and solid, rustic, wooden tables make this a comfortable choice any time of day.

Masa

An artisanal bakery and coffee shop, this spot is the perfect place to feed your midafternoon snack attack. The bread is top-notch, and there are plenty of sandwich options for the savory minded. This is also a haven for sweet tooths; try the decidedly Parisian almond croissant or monstrous ice-cream sandwich.

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.

Pasteleria Francesa Restaurant

Under the watchful gaze of the myriad black-and-white photos of Parisian life, the display cases of the village's favorite breakfast spot are heaped with sweet and savory delights like flaky almond croissants, chocolate éclairs, blackberry pasties, and savory quiches---the mustard-and-tomato quiche is a winner. Pair a treat with a cappuccino that comes topped with a mountain of frothed milk. Get in early for breakfast—doors open at 8 am—as the place fills up fast.

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.

Colombia

Colombia

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