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You'll find the city's most iconic dinner experience about 40 minutes outside of Bogotá. This multisensory, multilevel restaurant is part Burning Man, part roadside barbecue joint---think vibrant colors, music, people, energy, and great food. The menu, which reads more like a book, focuses on beef and all things grilled, with plenty of local dishes from arepas to ceviches. Try La Trapa, a salted, muslin-wrapped tenderloin grilled directly on the fire.The entire complex encompasses 2½ miles, with 11 seating areas that fit about 2,000 diners served by hundreds of staff. Every inch is decorated with found objects and memorabilia, like gloriously gaudy neon lighting and stylized bric-a-brac. Any empty floor space usually becomes a dance floor with the party extending well into the night. Arrive before 6 pm on Friday and Saturday to avoid the cover charge (10,000 pesos Friday; 15,000 pesos Saturday). If you can, spend the night in one of Chia's B&Bs; it's much more pleasant than ending the night with a long taxi ride (a taxi costs around $80).
Calle 3 No. 11A–56, Cundinamarca, 250001, Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.--Wed.
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Chefs José Barbosa and Álvaro Clavijo are the driving forces behind one of Bogotá's standout restaurants that seamlessly blends Colombian products and creole flavors with avant-garde techniques. You may be welcomed with chicharron---the much-loved thick-cut fried bacon that's served with dehydrated cilantro, candied lime, and charcoaled chili---which sets the tone for a menu that features both meat-based and vegetarian dishes. Be sure to save space for the delicate and masterfully presented desserts. The space is comfortably cool, with plenty of exposed brick and greenery creating a decor that's balanced between retro and modern.
Diagonal 68 No. 11a - 29, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
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Unobtrusively tucked away in a typical Chapinero home, the quietly cool Nueve has floor-to-ceiling wine racks that reflect more than 14 countries, a passionate and knowledgeable waitstaff, and strikingly modern tapas that reinvent traditional Spanish bites with local flavors and ingredients. Try as many little dishes as possible, like the local creole potatoes tuned into patatas bravas (stuffed with spicy Basque sausage) or the fried burrata with a guava-and-black-olive paste. Come early to try one of the spot-on classic cocktails, like a fine old-fashioned, at the adjoining Prohibition-era-style bar. Reservations are recommended.
Calle 70A #10a--18, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
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This newest branch of the hugely popular Osaka franchise offers a perfect rendition of the refined flavors born more than a decade ago in Lima. The beautifully designed space is a modern play of wood, stone, and greenery in several salons, with prominence given to a long sushi bar and a brightly lit bar where bartenders whip up innovative cocktails. The menu is a mix of Peruvian and Japanese flavors, with traditional dishes from both nations and plenty of novel in-house inventions. For quality and freshness, the fish is arguably the best in the city, but don’t miss out on the flavorful and creative hot dishes—and save space for dessert.
Carrera 13 # 85 – 25, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Arguably one of Bogotá’s best fine-dining experiences, chef Leonora Espinosa's eatery was among the first to explore the potential of Colombia’s vast range of products, from the caiman pâté in an Amazonian pepper broth to giant ant bottoms (yes, ant bottoms) from Santander crusting a rare tuna steak. Espinosa forged bonds with isolated communities to incorporate flavors and ingredients previously relegated to obscurity, and combines them here using modern techniques. The 12-course tasting menu offers a glimpse of these far corners and really shines with its drink pairings, which range from well-chosen wines to cocktails with locally brewed liqueurs. The service is five star, and the space quietly impressive. For a more budget-friendly option, serving smart but traditional creole dishes, check out her second restaurant, Misia, just across the road.
Calle 27 Bis # 6 - 75, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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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.
Calle 54 A No. 4 -13, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
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This audacious concept restaurant was conceived by three young chefs---Francisco del Valle, Julian Hoyos, and Nicholas Lopez---who take turns manning the kitchen. Chef Francisco does all the lunches, while chefs Hoyos and Lopez split dinner duty. Lunches are a set menu of fresh and tasty comfort food at a bargain price, usually with a noticeable Argentine twist thanks to chef del Valle. Dinners are modern, beautifully plated tasting menus of five or nine courses with strong local roots. Diners sit at a shared 14-seat table amidst contemporary art and can expect to interact with the chefs as they explain their dishes.
Calle 71 #10--81
, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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The menu at this trendy ceviche spot reads like a fantasy list of ceviche creations, with everything from bacon to ketchup added to the Peruvian classic; the simpler creations are tasty and affordable. Also look out for the tiradito (thinly sliced fish served with mango, soy, and ginger) and octopus, which is plentiful and well prepared. Don't miss the blackboard list of cocktails, made by the excellent bar.
Calle 118 No. 6 A -- 05, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
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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.
Carrera 6 No. 119b--52, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
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One of the pioneers in Bogotá's burgeoning coffee-shop movement, Amor Perfecto has continued to source some of the best beans around. With plenty of comfy sofas surrounded by warm brick walls and wood floors, it's a pleasure to hang out here and soak up the coffee-spiced atmosphere. Every brew method is on hand, but don't miss the espresso---it's arguably the best in town.
Carrera 4 No. 66 - 46, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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A shipping container turned coffee shop, this Parque de la 93 café has a small, inviting wooden deck with scattered tables. It's the brainchild of two Americans who, when backpacking through South America some 10 years ago, fell hopelessly in love with Colombian coffee and threw themselves into the market. Now they source and roast some of the best local beans, with plenty of modern brewing methods offered up by knowledgeable and passionate baristas.
Carrera 14 No. 93A -- 48, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
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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.
Av. Jiménez No. 6–65, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., 111711, Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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Specializing in masterfully prepared seafood and white-glove service, Casa San Isidro would be worth the trip for the location alone. Perched 2,000 feet over Bogotá on top of the Cerro de Monserrate and accessible only by cable car, you'll dine fireside as a pianist provides the soundtrack. The French-influenced menu includes plenty of local dishes---a wide range of ceviches, Amazonian yellow catfish, and tropical blue crabs---to keep things interesting. Be sure to leave by midnight, Cinderella, before the last cable car returns to the streets below.
Bogotá, Bogota D.C., 111711, Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Credit cards accepted
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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.
Av. Jiménez No. 3–57, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., 110111, Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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This long, narrow shop, with a coffee lab and roastery in the back, feels equal parts café and coffee school. The walls are lined with tables and decorated with informative posters that show off Colombia's coffee regions and the flavor profiles of their beans. The long counter at the entrance is packed with the available coffees, each in a glass jar, inviting visitors to examine and smell before making a choice. As with all Bogotá's best coffee shops, every modern method imaginable is available to prepare your coffee, and the talented baristas will be sure to recommend the best method for each bean or region.
Calle 120 A No. 3A - 47, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
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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.
Carrera 5 No. 70A - 08, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., 110311, Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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Perfectly located in the heart of the Zona T, this beloved Italian restaurant serves up pitch-perfect pastas and pizzas, stellar seafood dishes, and daily blackboard specials. The outside terrace is a lovely spot to dine. Reservations are essential.
Carrera 13 No. 85--32, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
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Charming and plant filled, this quaint little coffee shop makes a great escape from the rush of the Sunday-market streets. Visit on a quiet day to relax, sip a coffee, and have a go at some of the dangerously tasty cakes. The Spanish hot chocolate is thick enough to stand a spoon up in, and is beastly good.
Calle 119b No. 5 -- 48, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
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None of the cutlery matches, the plates are a hodgepodge of styles, and the small dining room is crammed with tables, but all this simply adds to the restaurant's eccentric charm. It's in a great location a couple of blocks from the Plaza de Toros Santamaría in the bohemian neighborhood of La Macarena. Try one of the masterful salads or the delicious veal parmigiana.
Carrera 4A No. 27–80, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., 110311, Colombia
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Credit cards accepted
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Marked by it’s faded green door and small flag, this tiny kiosk brings a slice of Argentina to the streets of Usaquen, complete with a faded Quilmes beer sign on the wall. Great empanadas grace the menu, as well as a few other treats like a sandwich de milanesa (an Argentinean beef schnitzel sandwich) or alfajores de maizena (a layered corn-flour cookie with a dulce de leche filling and coconut sprinkles).
Calle 119B No. 5--26, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia
