28 Best Restaurants in Bogotá, Colombia
Sorry! We don't have any recommendations for Bogotá right now.
The most traditional recipes aim to fill the belly and ward off the cold. Soups, such as ajiaco and puchero (with chicken, pork, beef, potato, yucca, cabbage, corn, and plantain and accompanied by rice and avocado) are common on local menus. Bogotanos like to start the day off with santafereño, a steaming cup of chocolate accompanied by a slab of cheese—you melt the cheese in the chocolate. Lunch is generally served between noon and 2. Restaurants open for dinner around 7, and the more upscale ones stay open until after midnight.
Nueve
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.
Osaka
Recommended Fodor's Video
Restaurante Leo
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.
Salvo Patria
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.
Tres Bastardos
80 Sillas
Abasto
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.
Casa San Isidro
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.
Casa Vieja
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.
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.
Di Lucca
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.
El Patio
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.
Home Burgers
Sometimes you just need a good burger, and that is the simple premise behind Home Burgers, a modern diner-style salon with a fast-food counter. The burgers are quality beef, perfectly grilled to your liking, and the fries superb. There’s also an excellent veggie-burger option.
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.
Julia
La Condesa Irina Lazaar Restaurant
La Fama Barbecue
La Fragata
With its slowly revolving dining room, this is one of the capital's more unusual restaurants. Somehow the dimly lit, dark-oak interior successfully conveys the sensibility of a 19th-century frigate. The lobster, crab, red snapper, and locally caught rainbow trout are satisfying, but the real draw here is the view.
La Puerta Falsa
Masa
Mini-mal
Ocio
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
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.
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.