In one day in Bogotá, you can eat in some of the best restaurants in Latin America and try the typical food. Regardless of your budget and preferences, it is a great place to come and enjoy diverse options. So, I hope this article helps you out!
Below are two plans for the perfect day of food in Bogotá. The first is a low budget option for around 50.000 pesos (~15 dollars) total. The second is a medium/high budget option for about 150.000 pesos (~45 dollars) in total.
Food Day – Low Budget Option
The low budget for a day in Bogota is around 50.000 pesos (~15 dollars) in total. If you are a big food fan like me, this plan will be perfect.
- 8:00 a.m to 9:00 a.m: You can start your day with a typical breakfast. A place that I recommend is La Romana, which has a few locations in Chapinero and Bogota’s center. Here you can find different breakfast options like arepa de huevo, changua (it’s a kind of broth with milk and egg), different egg options (for example perico eggs with tomato and onion, fried eggs, and omelets), and of course chocolate with cheese (it sounds weird but it tastes good!) The price is around 12,000 pesos (~3 dollars)
- 9:00 a.m- 9:20 a.m: After your breakfast, take a taxi or Uber to the district market of Paloquemao.
- 9:20 a.m to 10:20 a.m: Here in Paloquemao, you can find lots of different fruits for a really good price. It’s a great way to see and try different kinds of Colombian fruits and also buy amazing juices (I recommend the guanábana juice with milk or the gulupa juice).
- 10:30 a.m to 10:50 a.m: After walking and being surprised by the huge amount of fruits and vegetables you just saw, return to the center (La Candelaria).
- 10:50 to 11:30 a.m: Now it’s time to go drink a Colombian coffee. In La Candelaria you will find many coffee shops. One of my favorites is Azahar, located at Carrera 3 #12B-60. The price for coffee is around 6,000 COP (~2 dollars) and there are also pastries for the same price. The place is calm and its location is in an old beautiful house, so it has a mix between antique and modern decoration.
- 11:00 a.m- 1:00 p.m: Afterwards, you can walk around La Candelaria and see some street art, and if you want you can buy some handcrafts near Museo del Oro (The Gold Museum) (Cra. 6 #15-88).
- 1:00 p.m to 1:55 p.m: Head to Museo del Oro. You can buy a little snack like buñelos, pan de bono, or empanadas. I don’t recommend you have lunch because you are about to take the free Bogotá Food Tour, which will fill you up.
- 1:55 p.m to 2:00 p.m: Go to the front of Museo del Oro to start the Food Tour. I recommend you book it in advance here. Note: while you have to pay for your own food, the tour itself is free although you can always tip your guide at the end.
- 2:00 p.m to 5:30 p.m: Enjoy the food tour, where you can try different Colombian food like chigüiro (capybara), chocolate with cheese, etc., while learning about it and the different culinary regions of Colombia.
- 5:30 p.m to 7:00 p.m: After the food tour, you can take a well-deserved rest.
- 7:00 pm to 9:00 p.m: Now, it’s dinner time and near La Candelaria, you will find many different restaurants. I’m going to show you 2 restaurants where you can find Colombian food for a really good price. The first is called Coma Parrilla (Cl. 15 #4-86). Here you can find typical dishes like ajiaco. The prices for a meal and beverage are around 15.000 pesos (~5 dollars). The other place is Arepa Gourmet; in Bogotá, people aren’t used to having a big dinner, so this place is for those who want a lighter option. Here you can find arepas stuffed with different things like a Mexican-style arepa, chicken, BBQ chicken, mushrooms, etc. They even have one called “Burger Arepa”. The most amazing thing about this place is the price. The price for the arepas is around 2,500-3,000 pesos (Less than 1 dollar!)
Food Day – Medium/High Budget Option
A day in Bogota with a medium-high budget would be around 150.000 pesos (~45 dollars)
- 8:00 a.m to 9:30 a.m: You can have breakfast at Canasto Picnic Bistró. The menu offers both breakfast and lunch options; the prices for a main plate and beverage are around 35.000 pesos (~10 Dollars). Another option to have a really good breakfast is Mistral. This french bakery offers fresh bread, granola, fruit, and different types of egg preparations (cocotte, fermier, etc). Find the menu here. The prices are around 5,000 to 16,000 pesos (~2 to ~5 dollars)
*BRUNCH ALTERNATIVE* 10:30 a.m to 2:00 p.m
If you are not a morning person, you can wait until brunch time. In Bogotá, you will find different restaurants that offer brunch. Click here to see different options for brunch (only on Sundays though).
- 9:30 a.m to 1:00 p.m: After a nice breakfast, you can walk around the Zona Rosa area, Virrey park, and then to Parque del Chicó where you will find a museum. This park is beautiful and calm, so if you want to read or relax this is the perfect spot.
- 1:00 p.m to 3:00 p.m Next you can have lunch in zona G or zona T. Zona G is the gastronomic zone, so here you will find really good restaurants and different kinds of food. If you do the Chicó museum and then want to go to the Chapinero area, I recommend taking a taxi or uber.
ZONA G
I have two favorite restaurants in Zona G. The first is Cafe Bar Universal. For me, it has some of the best food I have tried in my life! Each dish is created with fresh local food, and for me, when I ate it, it was like an explosion of flavor and left me waiting eagerly for the next course. The prices are around 35.000 pesos (~10 dollars).
My other favorite is El Chato. This one is #7 of The 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America in 2019. I had the opportunity to go with my boyfriend’s family so we shared different appetizers; the octopus was fantastic and also the corn with butter and a little bit of chilli. I also had the crunchy pork and OMG that was exquisite. The prices are around 35.000 pesos (~10 dollars).
Note: These restaurants change their menus regularly.
- 3:00 pm – 5:30 p.m: You can walk around the area and find excellent coffee shops like Amor Perfecto, or maybe you can go to a bookstore and drink a nice cup of coffee.
- 5:30 pm-7:30 p.m: It’s time to go back to your place and rest a little bit.
- 7:30 p.m- 8:30 p.m: Now it’s dinner time! An easy option that I like and recommend is Wok. This Asian restaurant has an amazing menu that is like a magazine where you can find sushi, different types of rice, ramen, noodles, etc. I recommend Tempura Ko (my favorite!) If you are vegetarian, here you’ll find many options. The price per person with a main course and something to drink is around 40.000 pesos (~12 dollars).
TIPS
- In some restaurants, if you pay with Mastercard, you will receive a 30% discount. Here you can find participating restaurants who have this discount and also the terms and conditions.
- Almost all of the big restaurants include a 10% tip, and usually the waiter will ask you if you want to pay it or not before bringing you the check. Therefore, it’s not necessary to give an extra tip (unless you want to).
Now you can enjoy a day in Bogotá in gastronomic style! So next time you come, you’ll eat like a king or queen!
To know more about some of the best vegetarian restaurants in Bogotá, click here.
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