Why is it that when people speak of Colombia - Bogota always comes in a distant last? Medellin always pops up immediately as well as the beach filled city of Cartagena. Even lesser known places like Santa Marta and Cali come up before people bring up Bogota in regards to visiting and vacation.
Bogota at first glance is not the most appealing place in terms of fun, aesthetic, city feel, and honestly overall just optically. This being my third time in Bogota I keep finding more things to visit and check out (especially the food). In fact I truly believe Bogota holds a firm strong position in terms of one of the best places in the world for food. And not just Colombian food - food from around the world.
Yes, you can absolutely find great Italian food in Bogota, you can absolutely find great Japanese food in Bogota, even Mediterranean. I liken the diversity of food to the business atmosphere Bogota offers. It feels like Bogota is the New York City of Colombia in regards to business conduct. It feels like a very transient city where people come in for 2-3 days at time maybe even up to 5 days simply for business. But even when it feels like people come and go more for business than anything else - restaurants are as excellent as any I’ve visited in the states or around the world and honestly some of the restaurants are better. I’ll dive into that in a moment but let me take you on my journey this time around in Bogota.
I arrived in Bogota after a longgggg travel day having to stay overnight in a not-great-food-option Fort Lauderdale airport. After touching down in Bogota I went ahead and arrived at the hotel which was actually a beautiful boutique hotel.
(Side note: it always feels great when you choose a hotel that ends up being amazing - avid travelers know this can be a hit or miss at times)
That night I had tickets for Disclosure who I’ve been trying to see for a while now and was ecstatic to know they were playing the same time I’d be going to Bogota. So I went to go get some food next to the hotel at a spot called MASA - an admittedly semi-chain restaurant in Bogota but soooo good with everything being fresh especially the pastries. I got a sandwich, acai bowl, coffee to stay awake after a long day and a coco limonada. I headed back to the hotel to rest up and eventually got ready for the concert which ended up being everything and more. An energy filled concert and highly organized.
The next day I visited a local shop called Adelaide where I had a strawberry tres leches french toast, a New York Croissant, latte and a soursop drink to start the morning. As you go through Bogota you quickly realize the amount of amazing restaurants available at your convenience. Apart of the reason I’m so high on Bogota and it being an amazing food city is because I believe the competition to provide great food is so strong in Bogota.
I continued the day heading to the Botanical Gardens to simply walk around and take in Bogota’s nature. There was small little juice kiosk across the street where I stopped to get a fresh squeezed orange juice from a wife and husband ran shop. While I was waiting for my drink we managed to carry a conversation with each other exchanging little Spanish words and English words to finish our sentences all while we laughed together.
Real gringo stuff at its finest.
After grabbing the fresh squeezed orange juice I walked around the gardens which ended up being surprisingly completely spiritual. Things felt like it slowed down tremendously and for about 45 minutes to an hour I felt completely present. I took time to sit and meditate for a bit and proceeded to finish up my walk to head out and head to a restaurant I’ve been looking to visit for a while, Mini Mal.
One thing I should mention and something I’ve been telling people recently - when it comes to restaurants I believe the experience is just as equal if not more important than the actual food. That might be a controversial statement and its not that the experience didn’t matter before but I believe post-pandemic people are truly particular in where they put their dollars. Consumers want to ensure their experience is going as best as it can be even before entering the restaurant.
Hence, my experience at Mini Mal.
On the surface, Mini Mal is situated in what feels like an apartment building (which I think it actually is). A huge sign sits on top of the building, you enter up the stairs, and it actually does feel like you’re entering into someones home. I was lucky to get a seat for 1 as I didn’t have a reservation and they’re a very popular restaurant. I sat down and was greeted with a warm welcome in what felt like everyone who worked there checked on you in a familial sort of way. I felt like I was the cousin that hadn’t visited in a while and everyone wanted to make sure I was taken care of. I’ll write an article about Mini Mal but long story short I had rabbit for the first time, volcanic soup, and Almojabana cake. An amazing setting and beyond that one of the best meals I’ve had in life.
The next day I visited a coffee shop I was looking forward to visiting for a while now called Azahar. Two sisters came together after living in New York City working in coffee shop to open up their cafe which now boasts a few different locations in Bogota. I had some house patacones served with avocado, hogao, and chili jelly and and enjoyed the atmosphere. Later that day I visited a friends new restaurant called Tierra which is their second location. I got a chance to catch up a bit with Chef Jose and tried some of their food which was just as good as the first time I had it at their first location.
I left the busy streets of Chapinero in the hunt for a Jamaican club that I found on google but was a bit away from the city. I was excited as I try and hit a Jamaican spot whether restaurant or club when I get to different countries/states to see how things roll in a different atmosphere. I got there and I had a little trouble finding it so I stepped into the next door bar that was pretty small and was playing a medley of rock music and only had 2 people in the bar. The young lady who was the only person working in the bar directed me to the club but it turns out they were closed and was a small disappointment. Since I was already out I just ended up grabbing a beer at the bar and talking to the young lady who helped me out. Fast forward 5-6 hours and I had such a randomly amazing time listening to 70s, 80s, and 90s rock with people coming in and out of the bar and talking with the young lady the entire time (someone I still talk to this day).
On the final day I started the day off by going to an amazing vintage style cafe called El Altillo. They had an extensive menu where I ended up getting a club sandwhich, Argentinian mate, acai, and a latte. I had a conversation with the waitress who I found out came from Panama to work in Bogota and make more money.
I ended up going to the Usaquen Flea Market which was located nearby the cafe and is a market I heard a lot about that only takes place on Sundays. The market itself had different vendors selling everything from Coca Tea to homemade clothing items to souvenirs and food. I stopped by the W hotel to grab a few beers as it was close by and than headed to back to the market to grab some food which included a delicious a corn on the cob.
Check out the full recap Vlog of my trip to Bogota and as always if you have any questions or recommendations for my next time there please let me know as I always find something new in Bogota each time I go.
FULL EPISODE HERE: BOGOTA VLOG