Where to Eat in Bogotá, Colombia
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Bogotá is a huge Latin American city. Not only is it the capital of Colombia, but it is also the country’s biggest city with around 11 million people. Needless to say, there are a lot of things to do in Bogotá. Check out my Colombia itinerary (coming soon) for a full run down of everything you need to know to visit, including how to get around and where to stay.
Today we are focusing on where to eat in Bogotá. At over 600 sq miles, how do you even decide where to eat in Bogotá? This guide breaks down the best places to eat in Bogotá by neighborhood. These are the neighborhoods that you will most likely find yourself in as a tourist, digital nomad, or expat.
Where to Eat in Bogotá by Neighborhood
La Candelaria
La Candelaria is Bogotá’s historic downtown. Many of the city’s museums and tourist sights are located here amongst the colonial architecture. The majority of the restaurants are only open for lunch or close in the early evening.
La Puerta Falsa
If you’re looking for a leisurely comfortable lunch, this is not where you should choose. If you want to be crammed into a tiny restaurant, then head here! Doesn’t sound appealing? You may be wondering why I am recommending it.
There are three reasons that keep the crowds lining up outside the door. One of the reasons is that Anthony Bourdain dined here and gave it his seal of approval. That of course makes the tourists arrive in droves.
Another is that it is the oldest restaurant in Bogotá. It has been around since 1816 during the early revolutionary days of Colombia when the country was seeking independence. That is pretty cool, right?
The final reason is that the restaurant has and continues to serve really good typical and traditional Colombian food. Ajiaco and tamal are two Colombian dishes that they serve. The former is a hearty chicken and potato soup. It is served with rice and avocado. I ordered a tamal which is corn dough with chicken, potatoes, vegetables, and spices all wrapped in a banana leaf (don’t eat the leaf).
Although it was cramped and I had a view into the kitchen my entire meal, at a mini counter squeezed next to two other people, it is a unique restaurant. It’s definitely worth the experience.
El Mejor Ajiaco del Mundo
Do you want to try the traditional dishes, but want a little more space with less of a wait? Head a few feet down the block from La Puerta Falsa to El Mejor Ajiaco del Mundo, a restaurant with a kitchen that actually makes the ajiaco for both restaurants! While dining at both restaurants, on separate days obviously, I saw the same man carrying ajiaco between the two restaurants.
El Mejor Ajiaco del Mundo is also small, but has a little more room. There are a few tables upstairs and downstairs. Watch your head when heading upstairs. I felt like a giant ducking into the bathroom.
With a restaurant named “El Mejor Ajiaco del Mundo” what else can you expect other than the best ajiaco in the world? That is literally what the name means! I won’t pretend to be an ajiaco expert, but the hearty soup was very good. Be warned, it is a huge portion. It’s a giant bowl of soup full of chicken, potatoes, and veggies. Plus the rice and avocado on the side.
There are a variety of fruit juices in water or milk. I ordered a mora juice in water and thought I would be healthy and have it sin azucar (without sugar), but it was too tart for me. Considering it was served at room temperature with no ice, it also didn’t seem as refreshing as other fruit drinks I have had in Colombia.
Santa Fe
Santa Fe is the district surrounding La Candelaria. The south part has some rough areas. La Macarena to the north is a nice, artsy area with several restaurants.
Chibchombia
The word Chibchombia is a slang word to refer to Colombia. The restaurant of the same name is one of the best places to eat in Bogotá if you’re looking to eat traditional Colombian dishes. The menu is divided into different regions of Colombia, with typical dishes from each region.
I had some hit or miss experiences with meat at restaurants in Bogotá. Many times it was rather tough. I ordered Sobrebarriga (flank steak) at Chibchombia and it was the best meat I had in Bogotá! Definitely order it with salsa if you like your food flavorful. It comes with a choice of two sides. The white rice looked pretty basic, but surprisingly it tasted better than basic.
I ordered a strawberry juice without sugar and this one was very good. I think the mora that I wrote above is too tart on its own, at least for my tastes. I have learned that most fruit juices in Colombia don’t need extra sugar though. Juices can be ordered in water or milk. I always go with water.
Service was very nice. It feels like a place that a lot of tourists would come and probably do, but it has a higher quality in both service and food than your average tourist restaurant. Located in La Macarena It’s a convenient place to eat after the graffiti tour and/or when visiting the national museum. Both are described in my things to do in Bogotá post.
Teusaquillo
Teusaquillo is a large, central district to the northwest of Santa Fe. It includes many different neighborhoods.
Restaurante Doña Elvira
If you’re looking for other places to eat in Bogotá with really good meat, don’t miss Restaurante Doña Elvira. It’s located within Galerias, a neighborhood in Bogotá that you probably wouldn’t be going to otherwise, but it’s worth the trip for the restaurant.
The restaurant is currently only open for lunch Thursdays to Mondays. Although the restaurant is much bigger than it appears from the outside there are usually lines. I had the perfect table in an indoor courtyard area with beautiful tile and colorful murals.
Most of the dishes come in pequeña (small) or regular. Order the pequeña unless you’re ravenous. It seems a lot of Colombian restaurants have smaller portions, by US standards at least. I was really hungry so I went with the regular portion of the Sobrebarriga la criolla (flank steak with creole sauce) and I couldn’t finish it. I’m a pretty hardy eater, but it is a lot of meat!
Like most restaurants in Bogotá, they offer a variety of fruit juices. My server recommended the lulo, which if you haven’t tried you definitely should. It’s an orange like fruit that is from Colombia and made into juice. I was happy with my choice of maracuya (passion fruit) though.
Hornitos Ciudad Empresarial
The sights and smells of fresh baked bread lining the windows will draw you into Hornitos. This bakery is the perfect place to try Colombian breads such as pandebono, a bread with cheese in it.
In addition to breads and pastries, they have a full cafe menu. The menu has a little bit of everything. Breakfast includes egg dishes, pancakes, and skillet type dishes. Some are traditional American breakfasts and others are uniquely Colombian. My entree included pasta, meat, an egg, and potatoes. It was an interesting combination, but a nice hearty dish for my first day in Bogotá.
Soups, salads, and sandwiches fill out most of the remaining menu. They also have really good juices and a large hot drink selection.
With almost 30 locations I didn’t mark them all on the map. This location is in the Ciudad Empresarial Sarmiento Angulo commercial district, a large business center. The Grand Hyatt and the US embassy are nearby.
Chapinero
Chapinero is one of the most popular districts for foreigners. As the G in Zona G means gourmet, you know you’ll find a lot of the best places to eat in Bogotá within this Chapinero neighborhood. Restaurants of many different cuisines are located here as well as fine dining restaurants.
Parque de la 93 is another neighborhood within Chapinero that is full of restaurants and lively in the evenings.
Snack Fit Me
There are two locations within Bogotá. One in Usaquén and the other in Zona G. I dined at the latter. Snack Fit Me is a casual restaurant that serves a wide variety of foods from pizza, to pasta, to brunch foods. The smoothies sounded great and the desserts in the case looked very tempting.
They have a large selection of healthy food too. I always love a good create your own salad or bowl. Bogotá has several places with this option. Look for “arma tu bowl”. At Snack Fit Me ask for a paper to fill out what you want included in your bowl. It is priced based on every item you add. My bowl arrived with a beautiful presentation and everything was very fresh.
The restaurant has a nice, relaxing vibe. As there are outlets under each table it could be a good place to work.
Crepes & Waffles La Noventa
Crepes and Waffles is a Colombian chain with locations all around the country. As there are so many locations, I didn’t mark them all on the map above. I went to the La Noventa location, a nice mixed-use complex with several other restaurants. It works well to dine here when in Parque de la 93 and visiting el Museo del Chico, described in my things to do in Bogotá post.
Their claim to fame is of course crepes and waffles. There’s a large menu of different savory and sweet varieties. My savory crepe was very good. I’m bummed I didn’t get to go back for a sweet crepe.
There is also a large drink menu with juices, smoothies, and other beverages. The Algeria smoothie was very refreshing.
Long lines are very common to get a table at many of the locations. I waited at least 10 – 15 minutes.
Usaquén
Within the northern part of the city Usaquén is one of the safest and quietest parts of the city. While there are not a lot of tourist attractions here, it is a walkable area with a plethora of restaurant options of different cuisines.
Café Amarti
Located along the park in Usaquén, Café Amarti is an upscale casual Italian restaurant. There is a nice vibe whether you’re inside or on the outside patio. It’s a good choice for a date night or dinner with friends.
My favorite part was the complimentary bread. The puffy mound of bread has an intriguing appearance, but it is quite delicious. I was dining with new acquaintances and had to control myself from eating it all myself.
The main dishes on the menu consist primarily of pastas, pizzas, meat entrees, and seafood entrees. I ordered the salmon with zucchini and tomato. It came with my choice of side. I wouldn’t go out of my way for the meal again, but I did enjoy it.
Overall Café Amarti is a good choice if you’re in the neighborhood, craving Italian, and/or want a nice ambience for your meal.
The Food Court at Hacienda Santa Barbara
Usaquén has a lot of places to eat, but many of them are on the pricier side, especially by Colombian standards. For a more casual and cheaper meal consider eating at the food court at Hacienda Santa Barbara.
Hacienda Santa Barbara is a unique mall with twisting passageways of shops and some places to eat. There is a two story food court with a variety of cuisines on offer and communal tables.
I ordered tacos from the Mexican place, el Carnal. Another time I ordered a create my own salad from Nido Green. Both places were good meals at reasonable prices.
Note that there are free restrooms in zona F of the mall.
I hope this post gave you a few ideas of the best places to eat in Bogotá. If I helped you discover where to eat in Bogotá, please consider supporting me by Buying Me a Coffee.
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