This place’s fame surpasses borders, and for good reason. It specializes in grilled meats and typical Colombian dishes: Plan to share so that you can sample the arepas de choclo (sweet corn cakes), papas criolla (Colombian potatoes), chicharrones, lomo al trapo (cloth-wrapped grilled beef), and plátano maduro relleno de queso y bocadillo (baked plantains stuffed with cheese and guava). The rest is pure fun: live music, over-the-top decor, and improv actors. If you want to party, Saturday is the best night (and the toughest reservation). It’s well worth the 45-minute drive to Chía for the true experience in one of Colombia’s most unique restaurants, though the Bogotá location will give you a good approximation of the original. 

The hills of Bogotá frame the view from this restaurant, located on the 10th floor of an office building in the Cedritos neighborhood, far from the usual dining destinations. Almost every dish turns out to be a surprise, with sophisticated plating and complex flavors. There are interesting combinations of Colombian products, such as the chipirones (baby squid) with sweet chile, chontaduro (peach palm), Andean chicharrón, turnip, and rocoto or the hearts of palm with avocado, peas, and tamarillo leche de tigre. Bartenders make use of ingredients from the two poles of Colombia, Guajira and Amazonas, to create exciting drinks.

On weekends, Bogotanos like to head out to the countryside for a bit of fresh air and a long lunch. Thirty minutes outside central Bogotá, El Tambor is sort of an upscale piqueteadero, casual roadside restaurants specializing in grilled meats served by the platter. Al fresco seating consists of large wooden stumps and acres of grass for reclining while you nibble on a feast of morcilla, chorizo, grilled beef and pork, smoky grilled corn, guacamole, sweet plantains, yuca, potatoes, arepas, chicharrones, chunchullo (fried beef small intestine), longaniza, and lots of beer to help plow through it all. There are three locations, but the La Calera branch is by far the most popular.

Arepas are a staple of the Colombian diet and they’re found throughout the city. Either of Abasto’s locations — one in friendly Usaquén and the other in Quinta Camacho — are ideal breakfast spots to sample different types of arepas made with ingredients from local farmers markets. Also be sure to try their granadilla juice (it’s not easy to find), as well as the palm hearts from Putumayo and the Santa Rosa de Cabal chorizos.

For a breakfast meeting, mid-day treat, or leisurely afternoon of coffee and pastries, Masa is the place to be. Owners and sisters Silvana and Mariana Villegas both worked in restaurants throughout New York City before returning home to open Masa; their morning buns and doughnuts attest to that time abroad. At lunch, go for the turkey sandwich on raisin-nut bread with bacon, avocado, cheese, and romesco, or a customizable salad. The chocolate chip cookies, arguably Bogotá’s best, pair well with a good Colombian coffee. The amazing location on Calle 105 has won architecture awards and has been featured in many design magazines.

They say a shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot. For decades, Colombia’s coffeehouse culture has been somewhat sparse. Over the last few years, however, a spate of new third-wave coffee houses has emerged, including Azahar. At the spacious cafe in the Parque de la 93 area, baristas execute an array of brewing methods with Colombian beans sourced from small and medium-sized farms.

Born in the early 1980s, this fast-casual chain now has more than 50 locations in Bogotá alone, and has become integral to Colombian food culture thanks to its quality, consistency, and fair prices. The salads are generous and tasty, and the variety of crepes, both savory and sweet, is extensive. The ice cream menu is especially popular, and some locations have ice cream parlors — either next door or built into the restaurant — that offer seasonal flavors.  The company also makes an effort to hire women who support their households financially.

Les Amis Bizcochería feels more like a friend’s home than a bakery. The smell of fresh medialunas (Argentinian sweet croissants) wafts down the stairway before you even enter. Inside, a large table displays pastries, cakes, and breads on cute vintage plates. The place is ideal for breakfast, dessert, or sipping afternoon tea with whatever just came out of the oven.

This restaurant’s name is an homage to the building it occupies, a 1950s home by the famous Colombian architect Guillermo Bermúdez. Classified as an architectural heritage site, its interiors have a sophisticated mid-century style, while the back terrace has a luxe jungle feel, perfect for enjoying a sunny afternoon. The menu is vaguely Mediterranean; try the fried rice with oxtail, the mussels, and the tuna tartare. Conveniently located on a prime dining street, it’s a perfect stop after perusing the nearby boutiques or Andino Shopping Center.

As one of Peru’s most renowned chefs, Rafael Osterling has always had one foot in Bogotá. Located above Oficial, Romeo overlooks treetops, creating a sense of warmth when combined with the contemporary interior design. Highlights of Osterling’s take on Italian cuisine include pizza baked in the wood-burning oven — from the classic margherita to the Splendida topped with mortadella, stracciatella, tomato confit pesto, pistachio, and jalapeno. For antipasti, try the burrata with grilled grapes, romesco, and almonds; for  primi, go with the Bolognese and forest mushroom lasagnetta; and among the mains, choose the pork tomahawk Milanese with mashed potatoes and sprouts salad.

Located in the pedestrian Zona T area, this lively bar specializes in produce-driven craft cocktails. The team uses nearly 100 different vegetables, herbs, and Colombian fruits cultivated in the bar’s own garden to create a rotating slate of unique drinks. Try the Naturaleza made out of viche (a Colombian spirit from the Pacific Coast), passion fruit, rice horchata, and honey, or go for the Daiquireando con Lulo with rum, lulo, ginger, and lemon.

Harry Sasson is perhaps Colombia’s most famous chef. His namesake restaurant, now in its third decade, is known for its service, consistency, ambiance, and quality ingredients. Expect simple, well-prepared food utilizing traditional, Colombian cooking elements, including a wood-burning stove and a charcoal grill. Start with the blue cheese pan de yuca and arepa de huevo, before moving on to the main event: large cuts of meat, like the wood-fired sobrebarriga, which is flank steak served with arracacha (an Andean root vegetable). Share side dishes like the patacones with avocado cream (fried plantain), sauteed green beans with ginger and garlic, or the spicy corn kernels in smoked butter. Then try a few desserts with one of the many coffee offerings.

Situated in a beautiful converted home from the 1920s, Chichería Demente is an unusual star in La Concepción, a neighborhood known more for its auto parts shops than gastronomy. The concept is inspired by piqueteaderos, roadside restaurants focused on grilled meats. The large, open kitchen is dominated by a cavalcade of grills, which turn out various cuts of dry-aged beef, pork tomahawks, and organic chicken with aguardiente and herbs. Vegetarians can feast on salads, empanadas, and stuffed zucchini flowers, making this place perfect for big groups of all kinds of diners.

The atmosphere of this plant-based restaurant is hardly what you would expect. There are no ferns, plants, or light wood, but rather street art, posters of punk bands, black cushions, and neon lights, with The Clash and Violent Femmes on the soundtrack. Although chef Denise Monroy does not like to call her menu vegan, nothing at the restaurant is sourced from animals. Start with the empanadas, made with house-ground corn dough, filled with mashed potatoes and hogao (tomato-onion sauce), followed by the pickled papaya ceviche with cashew crunch. For mains, go for the mushroom risotto or the pear salad with micro-sprouts and nut-based feta. Ciders and kombuchas are all made in house as well.

This was one of the first places in Bogotá to serve specialty coffees prepared with a variety of brewing methods. But Amor Perfecto is more than a coffee shop. The company has trained many of Colombia’s best baristas, and its micro lots are roasted in-house. At all five locations, the expert staff will craft your drink while explaining the story behind every bean. The Chapinero location is the original and most charming.

Café Bar Universal sports a sophisticated Caribbean feel thanks to the sunlight that pours in and the potted palm trees that decorate this Chapinero restaurant beloved by locals. The menu is a combination of Mediterranean and Latin food, with especially strong crudo (raw fish dishes) and ceviche, as well as powerfully flavored vegetables and salads. Main courses include pastas, risottos, and dishes designed for sharing, such as a suckling lamb shoulder with hummus. Don’t miss the fried criolla potatoes (a Colombian variety) with parsley. Although there is a fixed menu, weekly specials are written up on a board, according to what’s available at the market.

The dishes at this contemporary bistro get buzz for being as innovative as they are delicious. On the first floor, guests can dine on a la carte options, while the second floor is reserved for the tasting menu. Chef Álvaro Clavijo smokes, ferments, pickles, and dehydrates local ingredients before working them into an array of unique dishes: granadilla with orejero seeds, cashew cream, and tiger milk; crispy tapioca pate with wild blackberry; and a dessert of pickled, grilled eggplant with ice cream. Look out for Clavijo’s special collaborative dinners, which have previously featured chefs like Ana Ros from Hisa Franko in Slovenia and Elena Reygadas from Mexico City’s Rosetta.

Menu items at the popular Mesa Franca may appear simple, but they’re loaded with flavor, color, and Colombian ingredients. Sample the watermelon ceviche with crunchy kale or the succulent pork belly accompanied by peanut chile sauce, caramelized pears, and arugula. Don’t miss the cocktails, and look out for evenings featuring DJs, which make for the perfect Bogotano night out.

Although Río has been open since 2017, a new location in 2022 inspired the owners to redesign. A beautiful garden with generous vegetation surrounds a large terrace, while the interiors are decorated with contemporary Colombian art.  It’s a cozy atmosphere for a dinner or lunch with family.  Starters include raw dishes, such as passion fruit tiradito with crunchy tomato or crab with corn, avocado, and carantanta (super crispy toasted corn dough traditionally prepared in the Cauca region), while many of the entrees come off the grill. Try the pork ribs with guava barbecue sauce and side dishes, such as grilled ripe plantain, leeks with miso vinaigrette, or creamy corn rice.

On a curvy street in the Chapinero neighborhood, this welcoming restaurant is one of the pioneers of the new Colombian food movement, with dishes inspired by the diverse regions of the country, from the Amazonas to the Pacific coast. Chefs Eduardo Martínez and Antonuela Ariza are passionate about rediscovering and promoting national ingredients, and showcasing them in creative dishes like plantain balls filled with crab meat simmered in house-made red curry or braised beef with Amazonian tucupí (a traditional sauce of cassava and chile), lemon ants, fried cassava, and starchy flatbread.

After working in Europe and as sous chef at El Chato in Bogotá, chef Jaime Torregrosa flies solo at Humo Negro. At his moodily designed restaurant (as the name suggests), Torregrosa combines endemic Colombian ingredients with techniques learned while traveling, especially to Japan. Dishes are designed for sharing, such as the mini taiyaki — potato croquettes with seaweed, mambe (toasted coca leaves) buttermilk, and Amazonian chile. Or try the grilled leeks with chontaduro (peach palm), amaranth, and cashew, and pirarucu belly filet with camu camu and tucupi. Don’t leave without ordering one of the cleverly crafted savory cocktails.

For a deep dive into traditional Colombian cuisine, hit up lunch at Doña Elvira. Founded in 1934, the restaurant has a humble facade and a simple cafeteria-style interior. The menu is likewise simple, but it represents the best of everyday Colombian eating. Try the stuffed chicken necks, chopped pork ribs, or the braised flank steak. The original location is in the neighborhood of Galerías, but there’s a second in the city center.

San Alberto produces one of the country’s most awarded coffees at a single estate farm in the Quindio department. At the brand’s cafes, you can taste that specialty coffee in various preparations, but you can also take part in a coffee baptism — a tasting lesson where coffees are paired with rum or honey — or a molecular coffee cupping, which is a deeper exploration of taste and texture (book experiences ahead). The location next to the Gold Museum is spacious and bright, a very pleasant space to spend a morning or afternoon sipping coffee. 

This 200-year-old restaurant is located just a block away from La Plaza de Bolívar, Bogotá’s central public square, and is a beloved emblem of the capital’s cuisine. Tamales, almojábanas (cheese bread), and chocolate with cheese are essentials for either breakfast or onces, the Colombian equivalent of a morning snack or afternoon tea. If you stop by for lunch, try the ajiaco — the city’s signature soup — and one of the desserts from the vast spread. 

When visiting the historic central neighborhood of La Candelaria, don’t leave without having lunch at Prudencia. The colonial, French-style home was renovated by star architect Simón Vélez, known for his flair with bamboo. Chef Mario Rosero — who was raised in Los Angeles and is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America — utilizes grills and ovens he designed himself to deliver dishes with powerful doses of umami. The seven-course tasting menu changes regularly, but it always features a vegetarian option, and everything from the bread to the butter is made from scratch with local ingredients. Expect dishes like turkey breast smothered with chocolate and roasted in the wood-fired oven or watermelon tarama garnished with house-made bacon (or dehydrated eggplant).