Scratch That Itch: A Guide To International Cuisine in Bogotá
By Ian Lane
Apart from family, friends, and Diet Coke, Mexican food is what I miss most about the U.S. I’m lucky to live in a comparatively upscale site outside Bogotá, and as a result, I have two Mexican restaurants in my town, one of which thinks nachos are best served cold and the other of which is best known for its Italian food. Neither hits the spot.
Finding international cuisine of any quality is hard enough. Yes, your site will have pizza, but it probably won’t have sauce. You will also find arroz chino, which is plentiful and satiating, but it’s about as close to Chinese food as Chinese food is to what they eat in China. If you want anything beyond this limited selection, you’ll have to go to a big city.
My big city is Bogotá, so here’s my guide to restaurants serving international food in Bogotá. I hope it’ll help you scratch that itch.
Neighborhoods
Bogotá is a big city. Here are the neighborhoods that offer a high rate of quality international cuisine. Most restaurants in this article are located in one of these neighborhoods, which speaks mostly to your critic’s limited exploration of the city:
Zona G - The “G” stands for “gourmet”. High-end restaurants in a cute neighborhood.
Zona T - The shopping and nightlife center of Bogotá. The restaurants here are big, showy, and expensive.
Quinta Camacho - Pound for peso, probably the best dining district in the city. Contains a variety of different cuisines for prices slightly lower than those of Zona T or G, all within eight square blocks.
Park Way - The cheapest of the four neighborhoods. Home to students and punks and great for people watching. This neighborhood hosts a number of low-key international dining options.
Mexican
I’m from Los Angeles; I take my Mexican food seriously. While I haven’t had good refried beans since I went home in August, there are a number of serviceable taco shops scattered around Bogotá:
Rogelio Redtacos - Solid street-style tacos. The fact you’ll be eating them on the street adds to the authenticity. It is located in a small Mexican district—with another taco shop next door, a salsa shop across the street, and several other Mexican restaurants nearby.
El Mexican - If you’re a PCV looking to do some damage, this chain offers all you can eat nachos and tacos for $42.900 COP.
Renata - This chain has horchata, pastor wheels, and Norteño covers of The Smiths.
Italian
Italian food is by far the easiest international cuisine to find in Colombia. You probably have an Italian restaurant in your site, but it’s unlikely that they’re going to scratch that itch. In Bogotá, however, good Italian restaurants are plentiful and, generally, more reliable. Here are three of my favorites:
Sorella - My mom said this was the best Italian meal she’s ever had, which confuses me since she’s been to Italy multiple times.
Santa Maria - A Neapolitan chemistry teacher told me this was the best Italian in Bogotá. The pizza is good, but the quality is inconsistent.
La Monferrina - An intimate and reasonably priced Italian restaurant in La Macarena that actually knows how to cook al dente. Best bang for your buck in this article, and maybe in the city.
East Asian
I’m bundling East Asian food into one category because I haven’t found enough restaurants to break them down by nationality; most serve a mix anyways. There is no sushi on this list, although there is plenty of sushi in Bogotá, because I’ve yet to find any that meet the mark:
Tottori Izakaya - Good ramen and fantastic gyoza.
Têt Taberna Vietnamita - I can’t speak to the menu as a whole because every time I come here I just get the bao buns and call it a day.
Wu Dumplings and Beer - Casual dumpling spot and relatively affordable.
Kumiko Tei - Great Japanese restaurant. The spicy miso wings and the takoyaki octopus balls are especially good.
Indian
I primarily rate my Indian food based on spiciness—something lacking from the Colombian palate. Here are three restaurants worth trying:
Tandoor - The first time I went here, all four tables were filled with Americans. It might be neocolonialist of me to take that as a sign of quality, but at the end of the meal, I was sweating.
Bombay Lounge - Recommended by a diplomat who did a tour in Mumbai. Allegedly the takeout is better than the restaurant.
Curry Masala - Solid Indian restaurant in Park Way. Not spicy enough, but we’ll take what we can get.
Greek
Fries, meats, veggies, and pita. It’s hard to mess up, but it’s also hard to find:
El Griego Chapinero - Conveniently located right next to the PCV-favorite Trip Monkey Chapinero Hostel.
Lorenzo El Griego - The fanciest and most expensive of the three Greek options on this list. They also have an extremely expansive menu.
Salonika - A nice spot for a sunny-day lunch at Park Way. They also have a Greek cafe next door which is pretty good.
American
Here are some miscellaneous American recommendations for some more foods you might be craving:
Sam & Dave’s Smokehouse - Make a day trip of it and visit me at my site in Tenjo! They’ve got a smoker outback, a commitment to authenticity, and a great peach cobbler.
Stromboli - I’ve had Chicago deep dish twice, so I don’t know if this is authentic or even good. But, it scratches an itch that I didn’t even know I had.
416 Wings - Hefty wings with a good selection of sauces, including some with genuine heat. You can find wings in every pueblo, but I’m including these on the list since they’re the best I’ve had in Colombia.
Papa John’s, Little Caesars, and Domino’s - If you’re craving greasy American pizza, these chains are in all major cities and taste more or less the same as they do back home.
Burgers
Burgers are standard fare in Colombia. It’s a bit of an insult to put them on this list; I’ll just say that the typical burger I find here is rarely the burger I crave. As a result, they hardly ever scratch that itch. Here are three places that do:
Ugly American - Only burger in Colombia that has really hit the spot. Priced like a high-end restaurant.
Longo’s - Upscale burger restaurant with lots of options. Multiple-time winner of Burgermaster.
Home Burgers - The Five Guys of Colombia, minus the peanuts.
Sweets
There are plenty of good desserts in Colombia. I love a fresh churro or tornillo at my preferred pueblo panadería. Still, there is a different kind of sweet treat that I often find myself craving–a yuppie cronut, a 15-dollar brownie, a Magnolia matcha cupcake. There are lots of great dessert spots in Bogotá; here are the ones I keep coming back to:
Árbol del Pan - Great sourdough bakery in Zone G. Nice casual brunch spot.
Crepes & Waffles - Self-explanatory. This chain is a Colombian institution.
Braun Cookies - Warm cookies and soft serve. The cookie of the month is usually worth trying.
Cooking 3rothers - Best Cinnabon-style cinnamon rolls I’ve found in Colombia. Much better than Cinnabon–which does exist, but which I don’t recommend.
Bagels
I’ve only found two bagel spots:
Sr. Bagels - Genuinely good bagels. Hosted out of Julia Pizzeria in Zona G daily and Julia Pizzeria in Usaquén from Friday to Sunday. The roasted garlic cream cheese is a standout.
Capital Bagels - On this list by default.
Wine
Wine might as well be an ethnic food given its scarcity in the pueblos. You’ll probably find a couple of bottles at your grocery store, but that wine’s only redeeming quality is its existence. I’m including wine in this list as it is an itch you might need to scratch:
Momentino - Nice wine bar in Chapinero. Good food and good wine. Live music some nights.
Cava - Cozy wine bar and shop in Zona G. The listening bar upstairs makes them an excellent one-two date spot.
Siga - Gastropub with a strong wine list.
Disclaimer: The content of this publication is generated by individual volunteers. The opinions and thoughts expressed here do not reflect any position of the United States government or the Peace Corps.