Entertainment in Bogotá
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A
Antifaz
This rough-around-the-edges salsoteca draws a student crowd that can tolerate its abhorrent sound system. It's the only place in La Candelaria with a reasonably sized dance floor.
reviewed
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B
Andrés DC
reviewed
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C
Armando Records
This 4th-floor retro rooftop bar is all the rage in Bogotá and rightfully so. It's the kind of place where the tunes guide your evening – think LCD Soundsystem and Empire of the Sun. Alterna-hipsters pack the leafy, lowlit space, mulling the next spin over fabulous lulo (fruit) mojitos (COP$18,000) and wondering how they will cope when this hip spot falls out of favor.
reviewed
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D
Bardot
Bardot is Bogotá's hot spot of the moment, where celebs and A-listers gather to show off their wealth and beauty in a space that one local described as 'dark and Elton John–style.' It's true. Velvet-lined Louis XV violet and black chairs and Rococo-style lamps dominate the decor; house, techno, reggae and reggaeton dominate the soundtrack. We're warning you: there's no chance in hell you are getting in if your name is not on that list. Prepare for a fight at the door.
reviewed
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E
Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango
This huge La Candelaria library hosts a selection of instrumental and vocal concerts per month; Wednesday events are more expensive (from COP$21,000) than other days (COP$3000 to COP$6000).
reviewed
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Bogotá Beer Company
reviewed
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Cachao
This excellent salsa bar is inspired by the artistic life of Cuban mambo musician Israel 'Cachao' López. Crowds pile onto bar stools fashioned from congos or congregate on the breezy outdoor patio – either way, they have the city's best mojitos in hand (COP$18,000 to COP$29,700), rhythm serum to accompany the outstanding nightly salsa.
reviewed
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El Bembe
Head up the Cuban-colored stairs to this little piece of tropacalia on a magical cobbled street in the Macarena, where an actual living and breathing Cuban co-runs the show (and the kitchen). It's what Havana would be like if there were no US embargo: bright colors; breezy, beautiful balconies; and outstanding salsa. On Fridays, the bolero lunch morphs into an all-out salsa revolución that carries into the wee hours.
reviewed
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El Candelario
Open for six years – an eternity in Bogotá – this quintessential Latin hotspot hovers in delicate nightlife purgatory between bar and disco. It's all exposed brick, large antique mirrors and upside-down restored rocking chairs hanging from the ceiling, all of which help defer the vibrations of all that cumbia (a popular musical rhythm and corresponding dance of the Caribbean coast; African in origin), reggaeton, tropicalia and electronica. It draws a fun, mixed crowd not looking for trouble, and is walkable from La Candelaria lodgings.
reviewed
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F
El Coq
Battling head-to-head with Armando Records for hipper-than-thou rights in the city, this see-and-be-seen spot evokes a French countryhouse/greenhouse, complete with farmhouse basketball goals and Spanish moss strewn across the retractable ceilings. The electro/indie soundtrack skips happily between Phoenix and Friendly Fires, then throws you for a loop with '80s hip-hop. Andrés Juan, a Colombian actor who isn't afraid to throw down with the cool kids, runs the show.
reviewed
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G
Invitro
This gritty 2nd-floor Chapinero Tuesday-night staple got its start showing independent films (still going at 8pm Tuesday and Wednesday) but morphed into streetwise urban club drawing an eclectic mix of artsy cool kids, most from upper-class families dressing down to shake the stigma. Funk, house, electrocumbia and drum 'n' bass rule the decks, giving the space a bit of an underground London feel.
reviewed
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H
La Puerta Grande
This Spanish-run spot is a doozy: wander through six Spain-themed environments (Gaudí-evoking Barcelona is our favorite), split between the restaurant areas and the DJ/live music areas. There's an open jam session on Monday, live flamenco on Wednesday and live rock on Thursday, with DJs spinning house, pop and electrocumbia in between. The food excels: traditional tapas like the jamón serrano croquettes (Serrano ham; COP$18,999) and the tortilla de patatas (Spanish potato omelette; COP$7999) will transport you, as if you weren't already there.
reviewed
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I
Millonarios
reviewed
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J
Multiplex Cine Colombia
A six-screen multiplex in the city center.
reviewed
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K
Pub
reviewed
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L
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Romeo* Disco Club
reviewed
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M
Santa Fe
reviewed
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N
Taller de Té
Run by a lovely defected Colombia tourism official turned tea hippie (compliment), this is one of the only places to buy and drink serious tea in Bogotá. Owner Laura sources her teas from plantations around the world and blends with Colombian teas. There's a small garden to sip the day away.
reviewed
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O
Teatro Nacional
Stand-up comedy and similar program to Teatro Colón.
reviewed
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P
Theatron
reviewed
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Q
The End
After Bogotá shuts down, a kaleidoscopic cross-section of bogotano life turns up at this 30th-floor hot spot guarded by the military – so the police can't enforce the city's standard last-call laws! There are insane 360-degree views and the diverse crowd (who would have never hung out together otherwise) keep the good times rollin' past sunrise.
reviewed
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Tu Boleta
reviewed