34 Best Restaurants in Colombia

Although you can dine inside, try to snag one of the tables across the street on the bank of the Río Cali. Here, a tiny restaurant serves up the best empanadas in the city, some say, in the entire country. Get your empanadas with a lulada, a classic caleño drink made of crushed lulo fruit.

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.

Considered one of El Poblado's most stylish joints, Ocio's high-end kitchen whips up refined, bistro-style comfort food with a meat-loving paisa heart. Tall, vertical gardens, stenciled walls, and plenty of low-hanging Edison bulbs suit the young and trendy crowd that regularly fills the place. Chef Laura Londoño delivers a short but serious menu that focuses on slow-cooked meats. Star dishes like short ribs and ham hock are cooked for over 12 hours before being crisped under the broiler. The starters are creative and modern, using plenty of local rarities and often have an Asian touch---think a ceviche with avocado, local gooseberries, and cured jalapeños, or a green mango salad with thinly sliced beef and a tamarind vinaigrette. Reservations are advised.

The frequently changing, local-produce-inspired menu at this Chapinero home turned restaurant hits all the right spots, with starters like grilled octopus with corn and chorizo or smoked trout with cassava and a berry compote, and comforting mains that include slow-cooked roasts and the famous chicken curry with roast carrots. There's also a great wine and cocktail list, as well as expertly made coffee. The weekday lunch special is a bargain, offering a starter and main of the day. It's popular, so come early.

If you're in Salento, head out to the Cocora Valley, where restored fincas now serve as country-style restaurants and guesthouses. The Bosques de Cocora is the pick of the bunch, offering sumptuous dishes of the local delicacy, trout, and set against a cloud-forest backdrop. At the restaurant, inquire about accommodation in their guesthouse, Finca San José.

Offering typical Colombian dishes, Casa Vieja is known for the quality of its ajiaco, a hearty Andean potato stew with chicken, corn, cilantro and a local herb called guasca. Dinner in this Belle Époque–style restaurant is accompanied by antiques and artwork from Colombia's colonial past. Beyond this location in the Candelaria, there is spot in the Centro Internacional, and another in Usaquen.

Time slips gently by at this 18th-century fortress-turned-restaurant by a marina in the Manga neighborhood, not far from the walled town. Fish is a focus, and the restaurant prides itself on its wine list. It's easy to linger on the waterfront terrace in the shade of a giant fig tree, and the refreshingly calm ambience has played a large part in making Club de Pesca a local favorite. The food, though fresh, doesn't stand up to other high-end offerings around town.

This tiny restaurant on a quiet, flower-filled street of one-story houses in the San Diego section of the historic town serves up impeccably fresh, creative ceviche and other seafood dishes. With six or seven basic tables—and the kitchen just behind them all—space is at a premium, but the food is worth the squeeze. Empanadas are stuffed with crab, coconut milk, lemongrass, and chimichurri; the cebiche coco comes with squid, shrimp, and conch, along with coconut milk, cilantro, and sweet peppers. Fried plantain chips are a perfect accompaniment, and cocktails are available. You have to love a place where, during a late lunch, the owner's child may be playing underfoot. Reservations are recommended for dinner.

Generous portions draw locals to this second-story restaurant where waiters in Panama hats serve you on a balcony overflowing with plants or in the large dining room with terra-cotta floors. This is a great place to try a range of traditional Antoiquian dishes, especially the monstrous bandeja paisa, a dish heaped with beans, finely ground beef, fried pork chicharron, sausages, egg, and arepas. Come in a group so you can sample various local hits, like the sopa de guineo (plantain soup) or the cazuela (stew) before sinking your teeth into lomito (tenderloin). Finish your feast with brevas con queso (figs with white cheese). There's also a branch in Las Palmas, near the Intercontinental Hotel, which is more rustic and has fabulous views of the valley.

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.

This friendly restaurant on a quiet corner in the walled city is the result of a New Yorker's love affair with the Caribbean. You can begin with ceviche catalina (fish and octopus marinated in lime juice); then try a zarzuela de mariscos (seafood casserole) or perhaps corvina con salsa de cebollin y jenibre (sea bass with scallion-ginger sauce). Ceiling fans, historic photos, and live Cuban music complete the mood. Be aware of their no-shorts dress code.