Colombia’s climate allows it to grow pretty much every fruit and vegetable you can possibly imagine! This advantage creates the best scenario for chefs around the world to explore as many styles of cuisine as possible and Bogotá has become the melting pot for chefs around the world eager to innovate and create amazing food with fresh and high-quality ingredients all year long. Keep reading discover the best restaurants in Usaquén’s neighborhood
The city is divided into food districts and Usaquén is not only the biggest, but one of the best in Bogotá. Located in a beautiful colonial style neighbourhood between Carrera 7 and 3 and Calle 116 to 121, Usaquén offers some of the best food, coffee and drinks in the city! Here are my top picks.
The best pizza: Julia
Sometimes it’s nice to go back to what you know and try a local take on a worldwide classic. That’s the case of Julia, a cozy pizza joint where the centre of attention is the thin crust pizza cooked with fresh and high-quality ingredients in a big wooden oven. All pizzas in Julia come in one size and can serve around one or two people max. I recommend the “Stracciatella,” a veggie pizza with cherry tomatoes, pesto and Stracciatella (an Italian cheese made with buffalo milk).
Address: Calle 119B # 6-31
Phone: +57 (1) 6196478/82
Hours: Every day from noon to 10pm
Website: https://juliapizzeria.com/
Average price per main dish: USD $10/$28.000 COP (Cocktails around USD $8/$22.000 COP)
Colombian Fusion: El Arca
This restaurant is the best option if you are looking for a reasonably priced meal. El Arca is one of the neighbourhood’s classics and focuses on using plantain as the main part of every dish. If you get the chance to go to El Arca, you should order as a starter the “Aborrajados” (Deep fried plantain donuts filled with cheese).
Address: Calle 118 #5-03
Phone: +57 (1) 2133272
Hours: Every day from noon to 11pm
Average price per main dish: USD $8/$22.000 COP (Starters are around USD $5/ $14.000 COP)
Heavenly Ribs: Santa Costilla
These ribs are cooked to such perfection that the meat falls off the bone just by looking at it! In Santa Costilla you can choose to marinate your ribs in the traditional BBQ sauce, smoked pineapple, honey and chilli sauce or if you like your ribs spicy you can ask for the smoked red chilli rub. I recommend you have them with the coconut lemonade.
Address: Carrera 6A # 119B-68
Phone: +57 315 3090708
Hours: Mondays to Saturdays from noon to 11pm and Sundays from noon to 5pm
Website: http://santacostilla.co/
Average price per main dish: USD $14/$40.000 COP (Coconut lemonade USD $3.50/ $10.000 COP)
Fresh fish: La Mar
This Peruvian restaurant is known for its amazing ceviche and seafood rice. Having a meal in La Mar can be a bit pricey, but if you can afford it, you won’t regret it. Order the Tacu Tacu, a traditional dish with rice and beans, or get the ceviche platter so you can try different versions of this popular dish.
Address: Calle 119b # 6-01
Phone: +57 (1) 6291300
Hours: Every day from noon to midnight
Website: http://www.cebicherialamar.com.co/
Average price per the main dish: USD $15/ $40.000 COP
Colombian Coffee: Amor Perfecto
If you are looking for a good cup of coffee, look no further than Amor Perfecto. This award-winning coffee has won several international recognitions and is the perfect place to sit down and enjoy a nicely done cup of coffee with a piece of cake.
Address: Calle 119B # 5–37
Phone: +57 (1) 4929557
Hours: Every day from 10am to 7pm
Website: http://cafeamorperfecto.com/
Average price per cup of coffee: USD $1.80/$5.000 COP
Great burgers: Bícono
Voted in 2017 as the best burger in Bogotá, this place focuses on cooking massive and flavorful burgers with local ingredients that change every 4 months. If you are not a huge fan of eating burgers and chips, this place has a lot of great alternatives like squid or calamari cooked using Mediterranean flavours. Bícono tends to get very crowded so don’t be surprised if you are asked to wait a little bit for a table, but trust me it is worth the wait!
Address: Calle 118 # 6A-61
Phone: +57 (1) 4570148
Hours: Every day from noon to 3pm and from 6pm to 9pm
Website: www.bicono.co
Average price per main dish: USD $10/ $28.000 COP
Perfect for brunch: Abasto
Abasto in Usaquén recreates the atmosphere of a traditional Colombian country-side kitchen with a mix of international flavours and dishes. The place is in a beautiful colonial house transformed to accommodate small groups of people, so I recommend you arrive early to secure a table. Abasto focuses on using locally grown ingredients to recreate traditional dishes with a contemporary twist. Make sure you try the “huevos estrellados,” cooked with local chorizo and roasted potatoes and the bread basket, served with homemade jam.
Address: Carrera 6 # 119b-52
Phone: +57 (1) 2151286
Hours: Mondays to Fridays from 7am to 10pm, Saturdays from 9am to 10pm and Sundays from 9am to 5pm
Website: http://www.abasto.com.co/
Average price per eggs, coffee and bread: USD $12/ $35.000 COP
A drink of Local Rum: Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar
With all the Caribbean-Colonial style vibes and the salsa music vinyls played constantly, this place sets the best atmosphere to sit down and enjoy a cocktail made with locally produced rums. This bar hosts different events like rum tasting nights, live music sessions and even dominoes tournaments. For a different take on a local drink, try the “Lulada Mai Tai”.
Address: Calle 117 # 6A-05
Phone: +57 (1) 457836
Hours: Mondays to Thursdays from 4pm to 2am and Fridays to Sundays from 2pm to 2am
Website: http://pedromandinga.com/en/home/
Average price per cocktail: USD $10/ $28.000 COP
Healthy Option: Poke
This restaurant is hidden in a beautiful corner and is the perfect choice for people looking for a healthier and different option. Poke focuses on offering Hawaiian bowls full of flavour and protein mixed with local and fresh ingredients. I recommend the Mahalo Bowl (with green vegetables, white fish, avocado, corn, orange and coriander) or the Maikai Bowl (a mix of quinoa, chicken, cabbage, avocado, orange, peanuts and fried onion).
Address: Calle 120a # 5-61
Phone: +57 (1) 7392278
Hours: Mondays to Saturdays from noon to 9pm and Sundays from noon to 5pm
Website: http://www.pokecolombia.co/
Average price per main dish: USD $10/$28.000 COP
Traditional Colombian Food: Santo Pecado
Santo Pecado is the best choice in the area for those who are looking to try real Colombian food. I particularly recommend you order as a starter the empanadas and carimañolas (a Colombian patty made out of a local root called “Yuca”) and for the main I recommend you get the Posta Negra, a Caribbean steak served with a slightly sweet sauce and coconut rice. If possible, avoid going on a Sunday as it is the most popular day for locals and getting a table can be quite a bit hard.
Address: Carrera 5 # 119-47
Phone: +57 (1) 6295700
Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays from noon to 10 pm
Website:https://www.facebook.com/pg/Santo-Pecado-118981921495882/about/?ref=page_internal
Average price per main dish: USD $10/COP $28.000 (Starters are around USD $3.50/COP $10.000)
From coffee shops to pubs, traditional dining and more contemporary restaurants, Usaquén is a place that has it all! No matter what your eating preferences are or if you are on a limited budget, this beautiful neighbourhood has a lot to offer and there is even a chance you can try a different restaurant every time you visit!
For other cool info about Usaquen read our article Exceptional hidden places in Usaquen that you should visit.
And, for other cool plans, read Things to do in Bogotá: meeting people with Houspoon.com.
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