Wondering What are the best restaurants in Medellin? The restaurant scene is forever upgraded in Medellin. This is in no small part thanks to the many tourists that come down and end up staying.
These tourists discovered opportunities all over the city. They ended up bringing with them recipes from their country of origin. Something unheard of 10 years ago, as the paisa culture was hard to try something other than its culinary traditions.
Walking the streets of Provenza, you’ll stumble across Italian, Indian, Japanese, and Peruvian. You’ll also walk by street food carts, and all this adds to the always-growing food scene.
Every group we have will always be looking for the best restaurants in Medellin. For that reason, we asked ourselves, “What are the Best Restaurants in Medellin?” So sit back and let us go through our favorites.
What are the best restaurants in Medellin for Colombian cuisine?
Colombian food is exotic, starchy, filling, and as varied as they come.
So when in Medellin, you’ll discover plates such as the Bandeja Paisa (white rice, pinto beans, fried pork fat, ground beef, Colombian sausage, fried plantains, and blood sausage). This is a dish you must try before you leave.
Mondongo (beef tripe stew)—trust me, it’s good. Sancocho (Colombian stew with potatoes, yuca, plantains, ribs, chicken, carrots, and cilantro) And as an app, you have to try the chicharron (fried pork fat).
Medellin’s best Colombian restaurants are
Hatoviejo
Known for its eclectic menu and traditional Colombian decor, Hatoviejo serves up some tasty Colombian dishes. With three restaurants in the city, tasting the best local food the city has to offer is fast and easy.
Hatoviejo is the restaurant that feeds the city’s creme de la creme, along with many tourists who wish to see what Colombian cuisine is all about.
For some, restaurants like this don’t have an authentic feel. But since its grand opening in Las Palmas more than 30 years ago, Hatoviejo has continued to be the most visited restaurant serving ‘paisa’ food.
Locations:
Las Palmas (across the street from the Intercontinental Hotel): Calle 16 # 28 – 60
Oviedo Shopping Center, Calle 6 Sur #43A, 227, 4th floor
Center of the city: Carrera 47, # 52-17
Cost: An appetizer, entree, and soft drink will cost you $25 USD.
Mondongo’s
Known for their public cafeteria-like ambiance, gargantuan-sized portions, and Miami restaurant Mondongo’s is a great place to try all Colombian plates in a much more informal establishment.
Mondongo’s is named after a beef tripe stew that is quite common around these parts. Although it might not sound like something you’re interested in (beef tripe is cow stomach), When in Medellín, be sure you try this restaurant, and if you do manage to visit, try the stew; you won’t regret it.
There are two Mondongo’s in Medellin. The first opened more than two decades ago in Laureles (an upscale Medellin neighborhood). The second is the conspicuous Mondongo’s on 10th Street. Across the street from the entrance to Parque Lleras The third is their acclaimed Miami spot.
They serve larger-than-average plates, copious amounts of cilantro, and enough avocado to please even the most avid avocado eater. This is our preferred Colombian restaurant when looking for a big meal before or after a trip to the massage parlor.
Locations:
Poblado la 10 (across the street from the entrance to Parque Lleras): Calle 10 # 38
Laureles, Carrera 70, # C3-43
Miami: 3500 NW 87th Ave., Doral, Fl 33172; (305) 718-4977
Cost: An appetizer, an entree, and a drink will cost you roughly $15 USD.
La Hacienda
Last on our list of restaurants that serve up Colombian cuisine is La Hacienda. Serving up traditional Colombian plates in locales with traditional decor. La Hacienda has two restaurants, the first of which opened 25 years ago in the center of the city. The second is in the heart of the financial district, in La Strada shopping center.
Upon entering, the locales depict houses that existed more than 50 years ago in Antioquia. Staff use uniforms, which are the clothes Medellin grandparents used in their youth. This gives the whole restaurant more of an authentic feel. Go for the Bandeja paisa, and you’ll have before you a dish that looks big enough to satisfy a family of dinosaurs.
Locations:
Center of the city: Carrera 49, # 52-98, Balcon de Flores de Junin
Carrera 43A, #1 Sur, 150 Milla de Oro, La Strada
What are the best restaurants in Medellin for fine dining?
We may not have the recognition Bogota has as far as food. But Medellin is growing, and growing quickly.
Our neighbor to the south and capital, Bogota, is the business capital of Colombia. Meaning they have more people, more variety, and, of course, more restaurants. The term more might not mean better, but that topic is up for debate.
Medellin will replace Cartagena as Colombia’s most visited city. This is a prediction we do not carry lightly. We want to have great restaurants that will meet the needs of someone looking for traditional Colombian and fine dining.
Here are our top contestants.
Carmen
Coming in at #1, we have Carmen, a restaurant that is always praised by critics and often named Medellin’s best and one of Colombia’s best restaurants.
Responsible for helping Medellín take a leap forward and opening its doors to the world. Carmen has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
Carmen has seen the likes of Andrew Zimmern, Anderson Cooper, and Steve Wozniak, among others.
Owned and operated by California and New Mexico native chefs Robert Pevitts and Carmen Angel. Carmen is a few blocks over from Parque Lleras and is labeled as contemporary cuisine with Colombian and international influences.
With dishes such as Pork Bahn Mi (best pork I’ve ever had). Korean tacos on flour and cilantro tortillas and amberjack fish with a plantain crust on coconut risotto are a few of their options. You know you’ll have an amazing experience here in the city of eternal spring, and in no small part thanks to Carmen.
Looking for great cocktails? Carmen also has a wide array of cocktails that are sure to amaze even the pickiest of cocktail connoisseurs.
Location:
Carrera 36, # 10a – 27
Telephone number: 311-9625
Oci
Next on our list, we have Oci. A restaurant that, since its opening back in 2013, has garnered praise from the city’s creme de la creme
Oci might not have the recognition Carmen has but this Afghani/Asian/Contemporary cuisine restaurant provides an experience like no other. From their decor to the music they play, for the duration of your experience, you’ll most likely forget you’re still in Medellín.
Oci has been serving up delicious plates and cocktails for only 3 years. But with dishes such as leg of lamb (slow-roasted for 6 hours) accompanied by fresh local grown vegetables and a roasted pepper sauce with almonds. As well as pork fat (cooked for 6 hours) over mashed ripe bananas and brown sure along with stir-fried cassava beans sauteed with beans and onions.
Also, be sure and try their desserts. You’re not going to want to miss out on homemade ice-cream sandwiches. Crumbled caramel and macadamia ice cream.
Location
Carrera 33 # 7-21 Poblado, Medellín (4 blocks north of Parque Lleras).
Herbario
Last on our list of fine-dining eateries in Medellin, you’re going to want to hit up Herbario.
Known for their use of fresh herbs and spices. Herbario is a typical restaurant you would find in New York or LA but with local flavors. The perfect place to bring a date or share a reasonably priced meal and a glass of wine or scotch.
With plates such as suckling pig slow-roasted with oranges served with baby vegetables and corn puree. Or crunchy prawns with chopped vegetables, sauteed in a tamarind sauce. Food like this will cost you $50 per plate out in NYC but expect to pay half the price for the same plate plus an appetizer.
Location:
Carrera 43D 10-30
Now, there are tons of restaurants in Medellin that are the best in the category so here is a shortlist of places that have exceeded our expectations.
So next time you’re out here and the question what are the best restaurants in Medellin? comes to mind, be sure to hit up any of the places that made our list.
Naan
Indian Cuisine with a great setting and location owned and operated by local chef, Maria Teresa Velez.
Location – Carrera 35 # 7-75
La Pampa
An Argentinian steakhouse with a wide selection of great wines and live music Thursdays and Fridays.
Location:
Mall Interplaza, Provenza, and Las Palmas Mall.
Looking to more of the best restaurants Medellin? Be sure to contact our VIP host service to learn more.
