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Exterior of the bar La Piel Roja in Bogota, Colombia
La Piel Roja
La Piel Roja/Facebook

Where to Drink — and Salsa Dance — in Bogotá

Classic salsa bars, eccentric cocktails made with local ingredients, and a hidden gem wine bar

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La Piel Roja
| La Piel Roja/Facebook

Visitors to Bogotá looking for a quiet wine bar — not to mention the type of hip, minimalist natural wine bar popping up in dining capitals around the world — should manage their expectations. Wine is expensive here and not a big part of the drinking culture. Those who want to dance, catch live music, or experience a growing cocktail and craft-beer scene are in luck, though, as a night out in Bogotá will inevitably start at a local beer bar and end at a nightclub.

While Bogotanos have historically stuck to industrial beer and traditional spirits, the options have diversified over the last few years. A new generation of craft-beer bars highlights artisanal brewers from here and abroad, while bartenders across the city are experimenting with exotic fruits, local products, and concoctions that play upon Colombia’s traditional flavors.

But still, what really sets Bogotá’s nightlife scene apart is its mix of eclectic dance clubs and live music venues that offer variety, affordability, and spontaneity. The places listed here — like the centrally located sites in La Candelaria, Chapinero, Teusaquillo, and San Diego — range from the super-chill to the more traditional Caribbean vibe to the experimental, showcasing the lively variety on offer on any given night in Bogotá.

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Chelarte

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Co-owner Camilo Rojas has helped pioneer craft beer in Bogotá for the past six years. The independently owned craft-beer bar, located in a trendy area of town near Parque de la 93, offers nine beers on tap (eight of which come from its own brewery). It’s also a cozy spot with a great indie playlist.

Galería Café Libro

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This nightclub has been around for more than 35 years and attracts a crowd of salsa loyalists. With a terrace and a spacious dance floor, Galería features legendary live salsa bands, as well as performers of other Colombian beats, including Pacific and folkloric music. Start with a Cuba libre and if you’re with a large group, go straight to the rum bottle service.

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Quien? ‍♂️

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Armando

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Live bands and high-profile indie DJs are only part of the draw: Armando also has some of the city’s most fantastic outdoor spaces, including a rooftop with an impressive skyline view. The second floor, where you can often catch local bands, packs in raucous crowds. Go for a neat whiskey, rum, or local beer. This is one of a few places in Bogotá that is open almost every day, and regularly books great lineups of international and avant-garde bands.

Local and international DJs perform here Wednesday through Friday nights, spinning house, disco, new wave, indie, and some ’80s hip-hop. There are comfy sofas and a patio for when you need some fresh air and a break from the beats.

This ’90s classic in the Zona T offers a wide variety of martinis with generous pours of gin. Both the outside terrace and the intimate indoor bar might transport you back a couple of decades with the black leather sofas, big mirrors, and waiters in old-school outfits.

Gringo Cantina

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Los Angeles inspired this taco joint/cocktail bar with a California chef and various kinds of tequilas, mezcal cocktails, and micheladas. The small Zona Rosa space features lively and colorful graffiti and blasts West Coast hip-hop. Try cocktails like the Flor de Oaxaca (refreshing and aromatic) or the Chile Rosa (spicy and strong), along with the tacos.

Cocktails at Gringo Cantina
Gringo Cantina/Facebook

Liberatrix

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This new cocktail bar and restaurant is named in honor of Simón Bolívar’s lover, Manuelita Sáenz, an active supporter of the independence cause. Located in the El Nogal neighborhood inside a house with a cozy atmosphere, here you can enjoy a wide variety of eccentric cocktails made with local ingredients like pitaya (dragon fruit), mangostino (mangosteen), and tomate de árbol (tree tomato).

El Bembé

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Located inside a historic building in the La Macarena neighborhood, next to the Santamaría bullring, El Bembé is a colorful and retro Cuban salsa bar and restaurant with live bands, yellow walls studded with photographs of salsa legends, and indoor palm trees that evoke the Caribbean. Go for one of the many mojitos (especially the one mixed with tamarind). And always make a reservation in advance — the place is very small, and the music draws a crowd. $20,000 COP cover.

Eat’s Gastro Market

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Wine bars aren’t all that common in Bogotá, but Eat’s Gastro Market is a hidden gem for those aiming to try a variety of wines, tequilas, beers, and gins. Located in Rosales, one of the toniest neighborhoods in the city, the bar sits inside a stone castle, which feels almost like real wine cave — one with more than 680 drinking options.

Dish at Eats Gastro Market in Bogota
Paella at Eat’s
Eats Gastro Market/Facebook

El Mono Bandido

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The craft-beer scene is gaining steam in Bogotá, and El Mono Bandido, in the Quinta Camacho neighborhood, attracts both newcomers and aficionados. With its red-brick walls, industrial lighting, and a few outdoor tables among the trees, it’s a lively space for trying a variety of artisanal beers. Some of the selections are brewed in-house, while others hail from outside craft breweries. There are additional locations now in Parque de la 93 and Chapinero.

Outside at El Mono Bandido bar in Bogota
The patio at El Mono Bandido
El Mono Bandido/Facebook

Matik Matik

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This avant-garde venue is where many independent bands have gotten their start over the last 10 years. The small bar offers local beer, house-infused rums, and traditional liquors such as aguardiente, whiskey, tequila, and vodka. It’s a prime place to experience everything from a psychedelic tropical party to a neo-punk concert or a free jazz jam.

Smoking Molly

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This bohemian blues, rock, and jazz bar and burger joint is located inside of a colonial two-story house in the arty La Macarena area. A good spot for a more relaxing night with classic bourbon or tequila cocktails. Try the Foxy Lady — rum, gin, kiwi, mint, and lemon — or if you want something strong and bourbon-based, the namesake Smoking Molly. Hungry? The burger is a fine bet. The bar hosts local bands regularly, and the occasional standup comedy open mic.

La Piel Roja

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La Piel Roja, a restaurant on weekdays, turns into a throwback disco bar late at night, and on the weekends features DJs from all over Colombia. They will play everything from salsa to merengue to tropical to ’80s plancha (Latin American romantic ballads). Get some local beers or traditional spirits like aguardiente or rum, along with some picada (grilled beef, potato, and chorizo). There’s usually a $15,000 COP cover.

Casa Quiebra-Canto

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This is a classic salsa bar that has been around for almost four decades in historic La Candelaria. The two-story house is a great place for dancing, not just to salsa beats but also reggae, fusion, and more experimental Caribbean rhythms. The place gets packed with an eclectic crowd that includes college students and young professionals. Loosen up with some Havana Club or Bacardi, or with Colombia’s local spirit, aguardiente. The cocktail menu is a new attraction, featuring classics and some modern inventions. On the weekends, the cover is around $10,000 COP.

Chelarte

Co-owner Camilo Rojas has helped pioneer craft beer in Bogotá for the past six years. The independently owned craft-beer bar, located in a trendy area of town near Parque de la 93, offers nine beers on tap (eight of which come from its own brewery). It’s also a cozy spot with a great indie playlist.

Galería Café Libro

This nightclub has been around for more than 35 years and attracts a crowd of salsa loyalists. With a terrace and a spacious dance floor, Galería features legendary live salsa bands, as well as performers of other Colombian beats, including Pacific and folkloric music. Start with a Cuba libre and if you’re with a large group, go straight to the rum bottle service.

View this post on Instagram

Quien? ‍♂️

A post shared by JPB (@juan_pb508) on

Armando

Live bands and high-profile indie DJs are only part of the draw: Armando also has some of the city’s most fantastic outdoor spaces, including a rooftop with an impressive skyline view. The second floor, where you can often catch local bands, packs in raucous crowds. Go for a neat whiskey, rum, or local beer. This is one of a few places in Bogotá that is open almost every day, and regularly books great lineups of international and avant-garde bands.

El Coq

Local and international DJs perform here Wednesday through Friday nights, spinning house, disco, new wave, indie, and some ’80s hip-hop. There are comfy sofas and a patio for when you need some fresh air and a break from the beats.

Pravda

This ’90s classic in the Zona T offers a wide variety of martinis with generous pours of gin. Both the outside terrace and the intimate indoor bar might transport you back a couple of decades with the black leather sofas, big mirrors, and waiters in old-school outfits.

Gringo Cantina

Los Angeles inspired this taco joint/cocktail bar with a California chef and various kinds of tequilas, mezcal cocktails, and micheladas. The small Zona Rosa space features lively and colorful graffiti and blasts West Coast hip-hop. Try cocktails like the Flor de Oaxaca (refreshing and aromatic) or the Chile Rosa (spicy and strong), along with the tacos.

Cocktails at Gringo Cantina
Gringo Cantina/Facebook

Liberatrix

This new cocktail bar and restaurant is named in honor of Simón Bolívar’s lover, Manuelita Sáenz, an active supporter of the independence cause. Located in the El Nogal neighborhood inside a house with a cozy atmosphere, here you can enjoy a wide variety of eccentric cocktails made with local ingredients like pitaya (dragon fruit), mangostino (mangosteen), and tomate de árbol (tree tomato).

El Bembé

Located inside a historic building in the La Macarena neighborhood, next to the Santamaría bullring, El Bembé is a colorful and retro Cuban salsa bar and restaurant with live bands, yellow walls studded with photographs of salsa legends, and indoor palm trees that evoke the Caribbean. Go for one of the many mojitos (especially the one mixed with tamarind). And always make a reservation in advance — the place is very small, and the music draws a crowd. $20,000 COP cover.

Eat’s Gastro Market

Wine bars aren’t all that common in Bogotá, but Eat’s Gastro Market is a hidden gem for those aiming to try a variety of wines, tequilas, beers, and gins. Located in Rosales, one of the toniest neighborhoods in the city, the bar sits inside a stone castle, which feels almost like real wine cave — one with more than 680 drinking options.

Dish at Eats Gastro Market in Bogota
Paella at Eat’s
Eats Gastro Market/Facebook

El Mono Bandido

The craft-beer scene is gaining steam in Bogotá, and El Mono Bandido, in the Quinta Camacho neighborhood, attracts both newcomers and aficionados. With its red-brick walls, industrial lighting, and a few outdoor tables among the trees, it’s a lively space for trying a variety of artisanal beers. Some of the selections are brewed in-house, while others hail from outside craft breweries. There are additional locations now in Parque de la 93 and Chapinero.

Outside at El Mono Bandido bar in Bogota
The patio at El Mono Bandido
El Mono Bandido/Facebook

Matik Matik

This avant-garde venue is where many independent bands have gotten their start over the last 10 years. The small bar offers local beer, house-infused rums, and traditional liquors such as aguardiente, whiskey, tequila, and vodka. It’s a prime place to experience everything from a psychedelic tropical party to a neo-punk concert or a free jazz jam.

Smoking Molly

This bohemian blues, rock, and jazz bar and burger joint is located inside of a colonial two-story house in the arty La Macarena area. A good spot for a more relaxing night with classic bourbon or tequila cocktails. Try the Foxy Lady — rum, gin, kiwi, mint, and lemon — or if you want something strong and bourbon-based, the namesake Smoking Molly. Hungry? The burger is a fine bet. The bar hosts local bands regularly, and the occasional standup comedy open mic.

La Piel Roja

La Piel Roja, a restaurant on weekdays, turns into a throwback disco bar late at night, and on the weekends features DJs from all over Colombia. They will play everything from salsa to merengue to tropical to ’80s plancha (Latin American romantic ballads). Get some local beers or traditional spirits like aguardiente or rum, along with some picada (grilled beef, potato, and chorizo). There’s usually a $15,000 COP cover.

Casa Quiebra-Canto

This is a classic salsa bar that has been around for almost four decades in historic La Candelaria. The two-story house is a great place for dancing, not just to salsa beats but also reggae, fusion, and more experimental Caribbean rhythms. The place gets packed with an eclectic crowd that includes college students and young professionals. Loosen up with some Havana Club or Bacardi, or with Colombia’s local spirit, aguardiente. The cocktail menu is a new attraction, featuring classics and some modern inventions. On the weekends, the cover is around $10,000 COP.

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