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I’ve heard the same from many Colombian friends: eating in San Andrés is expensive and the food isn’t that great. It IS expensive by Colombian standards, and in our experience, the food WASN’T that great. Of course, we only tried three different restaurants on this trip, so we hope next time the results will be different (and our choices will be better).

 

Tamara

The first restaurant we tried, Tamara, was recommended by our hotel. It’s located at Rocky Cay Bay just a short walk from the beach.

Tamara in San Andrés, Colombia
Tamara

They have a simple menu with soup as a starter and a choice of chicken or fish. I had the chicken and Marisol had the fish. For both of us, the meal was so-so, although neither of us was happy with the coconut rice. The biggest positive was the price, which was reasonable for San Andrés.

Soup at Tamara in San Andrés, Colombia
Soup
Chicken at Tamara in San Andrés, Colombia
Chicken

 

Margherita e Carbonara

For dinner, we ate at Margherita e Carbonara, an Italian restaurant located just steps from the pedestrian promenade in the main town.

Margherita e Carbonara in San Andrés, Colombia
Margherita e Carbonara

For our group of seven, not one was satisfied with the quality of the food. The meats were too greasy and the pastas were overcooked. To top it off, the sauces were a bit watery and the seafood wasn’t fresh. For the prices we paid, it was a complete disappointment.

Shrimp linguine at Margherita e Carbonara in San Andrés, Colombia
Shrimp linguine
Linguine frutti di mare at Margherita e Carbonara in San Andrés, Colombia
Linguine frutti di mare

 

Bibi’s Place

On our tour to Acuario, we walked over to Haynes Cay and had lunch at Bibi’s Place. The setting may have been magical, but it was another terribly overpriced disappointment.

Bibi's Place on Haynes Cay in San Andrés, Colombia
Bibi’s Place
Bibi's Place on Haynes Cay in San Andrés, Colombia
Bibi’s Place

I had lobster, which was actually decent, but was shocked when they brought the bill. Their market price was ridiculous considering the small size of the lobster and that I have never paid anywhere near as much for a lobster in Colombia. It’s wouldn’t have been a bad price if you’re coming from abroad, but if you live in Colombia it’s a total ripoff.

Lobster at Bibi's Place on Haynes Cay in San Andrés, Colombia
Lobster

The rest of our group had either chicken or fish. The chicken was dry and flavorless, while Marisol received just the head of a large fish. It cost COP$30,000 for the head and she was told it would cost another COP$30,000 for the rest of the body. Drinks were priced reasonably.

Fish at Bibi's Place on Haynes Cay in San Andrés, Colombia
Fish

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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