Our list of the best restaurants and bars to eat and drink in Bogotá

In this post, we give you our best addresses in Bogotá: our list of the best restaurants and bars in Bogotá, in the Candelaria, Usaquen, Chapinero and Zona rosa districts. Places we liked, places you liked, places our friends recommend..

When we set out to discover a new destination, we like to scout out places to eat, have a coffee or a beer, and so on. It’s always a great way to soak up the atmosphere, discover the gastronomy, how people party, the local habits and customs in terms of the art of living, so to speak!

Here’s a non-exhaustive list, but it should give you a few ideas!

Contents

1. The best restaurants in Bogota

2. Best places to have a cofee in Bogotá

3. The best bars in Bogota

4. Where to party in Bogotá

5. Guided tours of Bogota in English

6. Bogota practical info

Related posts

• Guided tours of Bogotá in english
• Historical tours of Bogotá
• What to do in Bogota
• What to do around Bogota

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The best restaurants in Bogota

Best places to eat IN BOGOTA

La Castaña

Small, friendly restaurant in the Chapinero district. Their specialty? Baked empanadas! (They also have other international dishes on their menu) Good and inexpensive. Their desserts are also very good. You can also go there for a coffee and an afternoon gourmet break.

• Address : Calle 57 # 5 – 17 – Chapinero
• Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 8am – 10pm and Sun: 9am – 4pm

Bruto

One of Bogotá’s top restaurants, according to many people and the media. It was recommended to us by our friend Andrea, who recently moved back to the capital after a long stay in France. She’s always on the lookout for good deals, which is why we put our trust in her. This restaurant’s specialty? Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine. A certain budget is required.

• Address: Carrera 10A # 70-50 – Zona Rosa
• Opening hours: Mon – Fri : 12pm – 1am and Sat : 12pm – midnight

Al agua patos 4

Another of Andrea’s favorites, this restaurant makes original tartines with good ingredients. There are options for vegetarians. Nice setting and located in the heart of the Zona Rosa, in the famous Parc de la 93

• Address: Calle 93 # 11A-11 – Zona Rosa
• Opening hours: Mon: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. / Tue – Fri: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. / Sat: 8 a.m.-9 p.m

La Escuela Restaurante

This is the restaurant of a gastronomy school for underprivileged young people. We discovered this initiative in Bordeaux, during one of the events of the France-Colombia year, where we met one of the school’s teachers, who told us about this wonderful project while we enjoyed a good “almojabana” (a typical bread roll from the Andes region) and Colombian coffee. We really liked the idea, and when I looked it up I noticed that La escuela was famous for its ajiaco! The typical soup you have to try in Bogotá! The restaurant specializes in Colombian cuisine.

• Address: Calle 9 # 8-71 – La Candelaria
• Opening hours: Mon – Fri : 12h-15 h

Capital Cocina y café

Nice little restaurant, very good. We discovered it thanks to tripAdvisor (I know, not very original) and we weren’t disappointed. Inevitably, there are a lot of tourists, but the food is good and good value for money. We liked the setting, the service and the thoughtful presentation of the dishes. A sort of gourmet brasserie that we’d recommend.

• Address: Calle 10 # 2 – 99 – La Candelaria
• Opening hours: Lunchtime service Monday to Friday until 3pm and evening service from 7pm to 10pm – Saturday: 5.30pm-10pm

La Puerta Falsa

This tiny local is one of the oldest restaurants in town. Everyone will advise you to go there to try the typical hot chocolate with cheese (yes, we drink chocolate with melting cheese in Colombia, hehe), a tamal, or an ajiaco. If you’re looking for a place to sample the traditional dishes of Bogotá and the surrounding region, go there. Go early to get a seat quickly, as it’s often packed. Some will say it’s too touristy, but it’s almost an institution in the city.

• Address: Calle 11 # 6-50 – La Candelaria
• Opening hours : Mon – Fri : 7am-10pm / Weekend : 8am-8pm

A 6 manos

Samuel discovered this charming place with its english-Latino fusion cuisine and liked it. The atmosphere and decor are great, and concerts are also organized. Good value for money

• Address : Calle 22 # 8-60 – La Candelaria
• Opening hours : Mon : 11h30-22 h / Tue-Sat : 11h30 – 23h30

Madre

This Italian restaurant is also one of Andrea’s suggestions, I’ve heard of it too, the setting is nice and I hear it’s very good. However, it does require a certain budget.

• Address: Calle 12 # 5 – 83 – La Candelaria
• Opening hours: Sun-Mon : 12h – 17h / Tue-Sat : 12h-23h

Leo Restaurante

Not really in La Candelaria, but relatively close by (15 minutes by cab). Considered one of the best restaurants in town. If you like your food a little more sophisticated, you’ll find Colombian haute cuisine at Leo. This restaurant is owned by one of Latin America’s top chefs, who seeks to recover the culinary traditions and indigenous ingredients of each of the country’s regions. We haven’t tried it yet, but it’s very tempting!

• Address: Calle 27bis # 6-75 – International Center
• Opening hours : Mon-Sat : 12h – 15h30 / 19h – 23h

Abasto

This restaurant offers Colombian cuisine revisited with good products. It was recommended to us by a english friend who has lived in Bogotá for a long time. The setting is pleasant and it offers good value for money. You can also go there for breakfast.

• Address: Cra. 6 # 119b-52 – Usaquen
• Opening hours : Mon-Thu : 7am-10pm / Fri : 7am-11pm / Sat : 9am-10.30pm / Sun : 9am-5pm

They also have a second restaurant in the Quinta Camacho area: Calle 69 A # 9-09

Wok

Wok is a chain of Asian cuisine restaurants, which are good value for money. We ate at the one in Usaquen, but you’ll find them all over town. It’s always a good option.

• Address: Lots of addresses in and around Bogotá (see their website)
• Opening hours: Mon-Wed: noon – 10 pm / Thu-Sat: noon – 10 pm3 / Sun and holidays: noon – 8 pm

Crepes & Waffles

Another restaurant chain I’d recommend. As the name suggests, this restaurant serves great sweet and savoury crepes (not english crepes) and waffles, but not only. Salads and other dishes are also on the menu. Their ice creams made with fresh fruit are a delight! Give them a try! It’s a good option to eat well for not too much money. Sam’s not a big fan, but I really like it!

• Address: Lots of addresses in Bogotá and other cities in the country (see their website)

Best places to have a cofee in Bogotá

Nice cafés in Bogota

Templo Te

My cousin Maria, who lives in Bogotá and loves tea, recommended this address to us for its atmosphere and its wide selection of teas from around the world. According to her, the desserts are very good. Ideal for a gourmet break.

• Two addresses: Avenida Cra. 24 # 37-60 – Parkway / Cra 5 #26c-29 – La Macarena
• Opening hours: Mon. – Sat. 11am to 8.30pm

Cafe Cultor

This one was recommended by our friend Andréa and we went to try it out. It’s a superb place to enjoy great coffee, with good desserts too. We love the indoor terrace, the coworking space and the neighborhood’s beautiful Dutch-style houses!

• Address : Calle 70A # 9 – 44 – Quinta Camacho
• Opening hours: daily 8am – 7.30pm

Tienda Cafe Quindio

Café Quindio is Sam’s and my favorite brand of coffee, and we always bring our stock home with us. The “tienda” is a fairly new store where you can enjoy a sensory experience by tasting a very good coffee with the baristas’ explanation of the bean and the chosen method of preparation, the pastries to accompany it are also good. I had the pleasure of testing this coffee with my cousin, and the barista was really nice. We really enjoyed our time here.

• Address: Calle 76 # 11-35 | Bâtiment Torre los Nogales – Chapinero
• Opening hours : Mon – Fri from 7am to 8pm and Sat. from 8:30am to 5pm

Beale

This café is another of Andréa’s tips. A english couple run this place in an old English-style house in the Quinta Camacho area. She liked the modern decor and the english patisserie on offer.

• Address: Carrera 12 # 70A-20 – Quinta Camacho
• Opening hours: Mon.-Fri. 7.30am-8pm / Sat. 9am-5pm

Azahar Cafe

We spotted this place in several press posts, so we thought it must be nice. Apparently it’s a great address for coffee lovers, perfect for enjoying good Colombian coffee, discovering different preparation techniques and different types of coffee beans. They also take a fair trade approach to the producers of their coffee.
This café is located north of the city in Parc de la 93. If you try it, let us know if it’s as nice as they say it is.

• Address: Calle 93B 13-91 Bogota – Parc de la 93
• Opening hours: Mon. – Fri. 7am to 8pm / Sat. and Sun. 9am to 7pm

Cafe Usaquen

We discovered this little café while strolling through the Usaquen district and trying to find another one. We liked the decor, the friendliness of the owner, the pastries and I particularly liked the fresh fruit herbal tea (typical in Colombia and which I love!). This place is also a wine bar and I think they do small dishes too. While we were there, the owner was doing a wine tasting to integrate new references into her menu, so we chatted with her for a while and she let us taste the wines, which was really nice. We had a great time while escaping the rain.

• Address: Calle 118 # 5-09 – Usaquen
• Opening hours: Mon – Sat 11am to 10pm

El Altillo Cafe

It was while looking for this one that we discovered Café Usaquen. This little café, located inside a patio, is an immediate invitation to settle in. I discovered it while walking with my father a few years ago. Beautiful setting, good coffee and pastries.

• Address: Cl 119b # 5 – 57 – Usaquen
• Opening hours: Every day from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m

Cafe Libertario

Here’s another good address for coffee lovers! Here, as at Café Cultor, you’ll find passionate coffee lovers offering a selection of coffees from Bogotá’s surrounding areas and from coffee growers united around the La Palma y El Tucan project.

• Address: Calle 70A # 5-37
• Opening hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m

The best bars in Bogota

WHERE TO HAVE A DRINK IN BOGOTA

The best places to go for a drink are often in Zone T and around Parc de la 93. In La Candelaria you’ll also find several options.

El mono bandido

This craft beer bar was also recommended to us by my friend Andréa. The decor is cool and modern. Concerts and events are regularly organized here too. There are two addresses in Bogotá.

• In Chapinero alto: Cra 4 # 54-85
• Opening hours: Sun – Wed: 4 pm to 11 pm / Thu – Sat: 4 pm to midnight

• In Quinta Camacho: Cra. 10A #69-38
• Hours: Sun – Wed: 4pm – Midnight / Thu – Sat: 4pm – 1am

Bogota Beer Company

This is also a craft beer bar with lots of different choices. The atmosphere is friendly and there’s always a good crowd, and it’s possible to eat here too. There are several bars all over the city, and I’ve been to the one in Zona T and the one in Usaquen. Both are pleasant, and those who like craft beers will find a good choice.

Here are the addresses in the most touristy areas:

• BBC Zone T: Cll. 85 No. 13 – 06
• BBC Parque de la 93 : Cra. 11A No. 93A – 94
• BBC Usaquen: Cra. 6 No. 119 – 24
• BBC La Candelaria: Calle 12D No. 4-02

Apache

Even if it’s more of a burger bar, it’s perfectly possible to go there for a drink and enjoy the splendid view over the city. A friend introduced me to this place, which took me by surprise. It’s the bar of the Click-Clack hotel, built onto its terrace. I haven’t eaten there, but I hear their burgers are pretty good.

• Address: Carrera 11 # 93-77 – Zona Rosa

Where to party in Bogotá

The best night spots IN BOGOTA

Andres Carne de Res

If you’re going to Bogotá and you’re looking to party, you’ll probably hear about Andres Carne de Res, a rather atypical venue located north of Bogotá and more exactly in Chia (my little hometown ;)). It’s a restaurant, but it’s better known for its festive atmosphere. The decor is a mix of vintage, recycled objects made in their on-site workshops, and clowns and characters wander around throughout the evening to create the surreal atmosphere so characteristic of Andrés Carne de Res.

There’s also a restaurant in Bogotá that I don’t know about, but it’s also an option if you don’t have time to go all the way to Chia. The party is also guaranteed. It’s a bit expensive, but definitely worth the detour at least once! It’s all very well thought-out, so you’ll have a great time.

• Address Chia: Calle 3 #11A-56
• Address Bogota: Calle 82 No 12-21 – Zona Rosa

Theatron

This huge club is one of Bogotá’s best-known and most famous. Gay-friendly disco. It’s a 5-storey building divided into 14 rooms with different atmospheres and music. There’s something for every partygoer! It’s my friend Christian’s favorite club, and a must for him every time he visits Bogotá. Admission charge. Be careful with your belongings and yourself, as it’s a gigantic, crowded place!

• Address: Calle 58 # 10-18 – Chapinero
• Opening hours: Thu: 9 p.m. – 3 a.m. / Fri-Sat: 9 p.m. – 5 a.m

Galeria Café libro

The ideal place for lovers of salsa and Caribbean music. Great artists such as Toto la Momposina (a well-known Colombian singer and our own Diva of traditional Caribbean music) perform here regularly. Admission charged. Online booking available.

To find out what’s on, check out their Facebook page.
For reservations: galeriacafelibro.com

• Address: Carrera 11A # 93-42 – Zona Rosa

Casa Quiebra Canto

Another option for salsa lovers in the Candelaria district. This is one of Bogotá’s best-known venues. They also organize concerts of traditional Colombian music. Electro night on Wednesdays. Admission charged.

• Address: Cra. 5 # 17-76 – La Candelaria
• Opening hours : Wed-Thu : 18h – 3h / Fri-Sat : 16h – 3h
• For program details: quiebracanto.com