Popayán
A cute little Catalan-run cafe in a less busy part of the historic center, serving a fantastic spread of mostly Mediterranean dishes. Expect Spanish…
Must-see restaurants in Colombia
Salento
We love Lucy for her gut-busting, best-value-in-town meals: fish, beef or chicken served with rice, beans, plantain and soup, consumed at busy communal…
Guatapé
A friendly Italian-run place near the sports field serving up the best pizzas in Guatapé, nay – the region! Freshly baked, fluffy crusts, high-quality…
Cauca & Huila
This grill restaurant on the road to the Parque Arqueológico serves some of the best food in town, with the beguiling scent of roasting meat and the…
Cartagena
Interno is a restaurant inside Cartagena's women's prison that raises money for the rehabilitation of its inmates, who cook for and wait on you. Trained…
Minca
Handily situated in the middle of town overlooking the river, this hotel-restaurant serves authentic Málagan food – something of an apparition in these…
Palomino
Set in a lovely garden, Suá is a collectively run project with impeccable environmental and sustainability credentials, including a great vegetarian…
Popayán
This upstairs cafe is always busy with chatting locals and prepares excellent fresh juices and traditional snacks, including salpicón payanese, champus,…
Leticia
With one of the most varied and interesting menus in town, Santo Angel is a popular place for an evening meal. Diners spill out all over the street, and…
Cali & Southwest Colombia
Well worth a walk from central Pasto, this ambitious restaurant is one of several responsible for pushing Pasto's culinary boundaries beyond empanadas and…
Guatapé
Perch at one of the communal tables and tuck into steaming hot crepes with a variety of sweet and savory fillings. It's a great spot for a coffee and pain…
Bogotá
Bogotano foodies and chefs are nearly unanimous in calling Peruvian Chef Rafael Osterling's creative homegrown cuisine some of city's most consistently…
Bogotá
From Michelin-starred Mexican chef Roberto Ruíz (of Punto MX fame), this high-end destination for comida mexicana is not to be missed: dig into fiery and…
Bogotá
You'll feel like your sweet nighttime dreams have extended into breakfast at this all-natural bakery and pastry shop that pumps out an array of just-baked…
Santa Marta
A fusion spot with French pretensions that doesn’t come across as at all pretentious, La Canoa is a Franco-Colombian marriage made in heaven that’s ideal…
Santa Marta
Santa Marta’s charismatic Callejón del Correo (Carrera 3) sucks you in, especially in the evening, and there’s no better doorway to the melee than LamArt,…
Barichara
This fairly elegant one-man Italian show is run out of the home of an amicable Roman chef. Though the menu is limited (some raviolis, cannelloni, gnocchi,…
Santa Marta
Ouzo offers a stripped-back, classic Greek and Italian menu that includes superb pizza from a wood-fired oven and a good wine list. The octopus is slow…
Salento
Tuck into delicious international cuisine out on the deck or in front of the open fireplace at this fantastic modern bistro. On the diverse menu you'll…
Boyacá, Santander & Norte de Santander
Who knows how an actual Italian ended up here, but he did, and now there is good Italian food to show for it. Oddly, though, the classics are missing …
Villa de Leyva
The delightful Savia specializes in inventive vegetarian, vegan and organic fare and local eco-artisanal products of the same ilk. Carnivores aren't left…
Barichara
Barichara's finest dining option is an elegant open-air affair with phenomenal views over the canyon of Río Suárez. The gregarious Spanish owner prepares…
Medellín
One of Medellín's long-standing romantic restaurants, La Provincia is an essay on the finer points of seafood prep. Most dishes are made to share, from…
Around Medellín
Right on Parque de la Chinca, this top place serves authentic Spanish food – including excellent paella and fideuà – in a large courtyard and patio. The…
Medellín
You might have to wait for a table at this tiny place run by a Filipino chef and his Colombian wife, but it's worth it. Dishes are an eclectic Chinese…
Villa de Leyva
You can smell the sweet scent of baked goodness a block away from this authentic French bakery with croissants (oh, those almond ones!), baguettes, tarts,…
Around Medellín
You might have to wait for a table at this great-value corner cafe serving a small menu of delicious pizzas and pasta dishes at bargain prices. It's a…
Salento
Get your gringo on at this hugely popular little diner serving big portions of American classics to homesick travelers. Take your pick from excellent…
San Gil
Located in the village of Valle de San José on the way to the Juan Curi falls, this place is famous for its chorizo sausage cooked in guarapo (fermented…
Manizales
A bright little Mexican spot on the edge of the Milan dining strip serving tacos, quesadillas and elotes (Mexican grilled corn) with brilliance, flourish…
Villa de Leyva
A couple of blocks from the plaza you'll find this appealing outdoor cafe serving up some of the best sandwiches in Colombia. Take your pick from French…
Cali
Excellent typical seafood dishes, such as a lightly grilled tilapia with crisp patacones (fried plantains) and a dollop of punchy, spicy salsa, are…
Barichara
Colombians love their crispy thin-crust 'pita' pizzas, and the pies at this semi-alfresco place with its open kitchen and exclamation marks of artsy decor…
Barichara
An extremely popular and consciously retro cafe doing made-to-order, mostly vegetarian dishes. Choose from wraps, rice and pasta in Mediterranean, Indian…
Medellín
Located all alone in a converted house on an average street between the center and Boston, this place serves some of the best thin-crust pizza in Medellín…
Chocó
In a wooden house in front of the children's park a block back from the bay, this unsigned restaurant is hugely popular with locals for its tasty seafood…
Boyacá
Break sweet bread among nuns, housewives, politicians, and movers and shakers at this classic coffee and snack stop. Go for the galletas de arequipe (milk…
Chocó
On the street in front of the church, Doña Rosalia cooks up the best meals in town. Sit down and enjoy fresh seafood in her converted living room in front…
Bogotá
The restaurant formerly known as Trattoria Nuraghe isn't as well located as its past incarnation, but its new digs are a step up in ambiance and interior…
