where to eat, drink & find the best coffee in bogota
As foodies, we were super excited when we arrived in Bogota. Our eyes greedily jumped from coffee shop, to cafe to restaurant; there was just so much choice. After spending a lot of our time in Colombia's smaller colonial towns, it felt good to be in a cosmopolitan city and our tastebuds were excited to be there too.
We couldn't wait to explore Bogota's bustling food scene, with everything from street stalls selling fried empanadas, to some of the best fine dining restaurants in the country.
We ate and drank a lot of coffee in Bogota (purely as research for this blog post of course...). We were also on a mission to find the best coffee in Bogota, and I think its safe to say we completed that task. We've pulled together this foodie guide to Bogota which includes the best places to eat, the coolest bars to grab a drink and where to find the best coffee in the city!
where to eat in bogota
When it comes to where to eat in Bogota, there are a couple of main areas which are literally brimming with eateries. You can get everything in this city from traditional Colombian to Vietnamese, Thai, Italian and pretty much any other cuisine you can think of.
The best areas for food are Zona Rosa and Chapinero, and we especially loved the feel of Chapinero. It felt like a cute, country village within the city of Bogota. Usaquen was also full of restaurants but we didn't eat here, however lots of locals told us the restaurants there are renowned for being great. You will be spoilt for choice in any of these areas, however below are a list of places we ate in and would highly recommend.
Masa
Brunch is our favourite meal of the day, and no where does brunch like Masa. With queues out the door this place is an absolute must and definitely worth the wait! They offer a trendy, hipster-esq menu and have weekend specials too. And no matter what you order off the menu, you need to order something from their cake cabinet for dessert! We had the best cakes we had in all of South America in this cafe, so you must order one with a coffee after you meal.
Address: Masa, Calle 70 #4-83
Brot Cafe
Brot Cafe is another good lunch choice, despite being a chain, the food is actually pretty good! They offer a wide range of sandwiches and salads as well as quiches and egg dishes. We visited the branch in Chapinero which had a lovely garden area so we had our lunch outside. We ordered a couple of sandwiches and smoothies, but the highlight of Brot is their cinnamon rolls! They are simply devine and had me and David fighting over them!
Address: Brot, Calle 81 #7-93
Central Cevicheria
This place was recommended to us by a local and it was amazing! Open for both lunch and dinner, it offers an extensive ceviche menu like you've never seen before. They have the traditional ceviche as well countless other varieties. The restaurant is in the bustling area of Zona Rosa and is huge, yet they manage to completely fill the place daily. I opted for the traditional Ceviche Al Tigre but David ordered the Ceviche Caribe, which is Caribbean ceviche and it was delicious!
Address: Central Cevicheria, Carrera 13 #14
Andres Carne de Res
We included this restaurant in our 9 Must Do Things in Bogota, as it really is a dining experience like no other. This legendary place combines theatre with food and has a mouth-watering 75 page menu! There are two Carne de Res', the original one about a 1 hour drive from the centre of Bogota, and a newer one in the centre of the city. We've been told the original is better than the city one, however we still went to the one in the city. Booking in advance is a must!
Address: Andres DC, Calle 82 #12-21
Tet Taberna Vietnamita
This was another recommendation by a local, and one we thoroughly enjoyed! We were lucky to get a table in Tet, as within about 10 minutes of arriving the place was full and there was a queue. The food was tasty and authentically Vietnamese, it was a refreshing change from the typical South American food we had been eating over the previous 10 weeks. If you are craving some Asian food then give this place a go!
Address: Tet Taberna Vietnamita, Calle 70a, #10a-34
La Brasserie
If you fancy some red meat, then look no further than La Brasserie. We ended up in this steak house on a whim but we're so glad we did as the food and wine were delicious. In the heart of Zona Rosa, this upmarket restaurant is perfect for a special night out and the outdoor eating area lit by candlelight is super romantic.
Address: La Brasserie, Carrera 13 #85-35
where to drink in bogota
We didn't drink very much whilst in Bogota, but that doesn't mean there aren't some great bars. If you are looking for a cool place to grab a few drinks then here are the best bars in Bogota.
Centrico
Centrico is an upmarket cocktail bar in Downtown Bogota with a unique location on the 41st floor of one of the tallest buildings in the city. Offering breathtaking views over Bogota, this is the perfect bar to visit for a drink or two.
Address: Centrico, Carrer 7, #32-16
Yumi Yumi
Yumi Yumi is a really popular cocktail bar in Zona T, their cocktails are divine, however that's not the best thing about this bar. The best thing is that the cocktails are 2 for 1 ALL THE TIME! It's always happy hour at Yumi Yumi!
Address: Yumi Yumi, Carrer 13, #83-83
where to find the best coffee in bogota
Bogota has some great coffee shops, but we can't take all the glory for finding the best coffee in Bogota as we did do a speciality coffee tour with Flavours of Bogota which involved visiting 3 different coffee shops and those guys certainly know their coffee. We also found a couple of places on our own which offered some amazing Colombian produced coffee and tasty treats to match!
Amor Perfecto
Amor Perfecto is a coffee shop which roasts its own beans and works with coffee farmers all over Colombia to ensure they are paid fairly. In fact, when you scan the QR code on any of their packs of beans you can see the exact farmer who produced those beans! At Amor Perfecto, its about more than just the coffee. They care about where the beans come from, supporting local communities and roasting the beans to perfection! They've won several international awards for the quality of their coffee so a visit to this coffee shop is a must.
Address: Amor Perfecto, Carrera 4 #66-46
Bourbon Coffee Roasters
We stumbled up on this little coffee shop and we're so glad we did! We loved the decor and atmosphere of this place, all natural woods with a bronze colour scheme and industrial styled lighting. The coffee was also great, as was their cake cabinet! This was the perfect place to grab a quick coffee.
Address: Bourbon Coffee Roasters, Calle 70a #13-83
Cultor Cafe
This quirky cafe is similar to Amor Perfecto in that they put great emphasis on the quality and sustainability of coffee. They also work directly with Colombian farmers to ensure they are paid appropriately and help them to better their lives. They have a large range of different beans and their coffee is really, really good plus David thouroughly enjoyed their cinnamon roll!
Address: Bourbon Coffee Roasters, Calle 70a #9-44
Devocion Cafe
Devocion cafe was the first stop on our speciality coffee tour with Flavours of Bogota, and we got to try a delicious cup of coffee from here. This was a bustling coffee shop, popular with workers in Bogota who might have a meeting there or grab a quick coffee on their way to the office. The cafe was busy and the decor felt quite 1950s-esq which was cool! This would be a good place to take the laptop to and do some work in, or to simply do a bit of people watching whilst you enjoy your coffee.
So, if you are heading to Bogota and whether you want good food, good coffee or both, you won't be stuck for places!