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A guide on where to eat in Medellín. This Colombian city has some fantastic places to eat. Most of them are concentrated in the upscale touristy areas, but there are also a few places to try in the city center.
Where to Eat in Provenza, Medellín
My favorite restaurants are in the Provenza neighborhood, which is located in the El Poblado district. It’s the upscale entertainment district of Medellín and some of the best restaurants in the city are found there. New places are always opening and I try to enjoy a new one each time I visit.
Bonhomía
Bonhomía, located on Carrera 37, specializes in meats and cheeses and has a nice atmosphere. The food is excellent and the prices are reasonable.
We usually order a tabla of meats and cheeses to share, but the sandwiches and pork chops are also worth trying. So is the pizza, which is cooked in a wood-fired oven.
Brije
A few steps from Bonhomía is Brije, a Mexican fusion restaurant with some mouthwatering choices on the menu. I stopped in for dinner one night and left more than satisfied.
After chowing down on a complimentary starter of plantain chips and guacamole, I ordered the shrimp fajitas. They were excellent. Usually, I’m not happy with Mexican food outside Mexico or the USA, but this was great. I’ll definitely be back.
Animal Cocina
Animal Cocina on Carrera 36 is a lively burger joint with a good selection of gourmet burgers. Since I wasn’t eating meat that weekend, I ordered a veggie burger. It was actually delicious, and I can’t wait to get back to try one of the beef burgers.
Lezzet Cocina Turca
A couple blocks up on Calle 34 is Lezzet Cocina Turca. It’s a Turkish restaurant owned by a friendly Turkish man from Izmir.
The restaurant specializes in Turkish breakfast but offers a wide variety of other Turkish, Greek, and Mediterranean dishes. There are also desserts, coffees, teas, and fresh juices on the menu. The Turkish breakfast is meant to be shared by two.
On my first visit, I had the beyti kebab, which was excellent. I washed it down with an authentic Turkish tea.
On my second visit with Marisol, we shared a carrot and beet soup, chicken skewers, and köfte with Greek yogurt. Again, everything was delicious and we were very happy with our choices.
We also shared a baklava for dessert as well as Turkish coffee. The coffee is served with a glass of water and a few pieces of lokum (Turkish delight).
Overall, the food and service is excellent and not far off the quality I would expect in Turkey. It’s a nice find and a place I have enjoyed on just about every trip to Medellín since.
La Causa
La Causa, on Carrera 33, serves amazing sushi and Peruvian cuisine at very good prices. We chose a few of the sushi specialties and were blown away at the quality.
La Causa had by far the best sushi I’d had in Colombia to that point. We’ve also had the ceviche and the octopus carpaccio and enjoyed both very much.
El Tabún
El Tabún is a Middle Eastern and Indian restaurant a block from La Causa. It was highly recommended by our hotel, Patio del Mundo, so we decided to check it out.
We sat outside and ordered our starters, which included an order of hummus and baba ganoush as well as lentil kibbe, raw kibbe, and an Indian salad. They also brought out naan and pita bread with an assortment of dips. We were all very happy with our choices.
There were six of us and everyone ordered a different dish. I had the lamb vindaloo which was excellent. Others had the moussaka, biryani, chicken tikka masala, and Lebanese shawarma. Everyone in our group shared with the others and each dish I tried was full of delicious flavors.
Our drinks were also excellent. I had a mango lassi and was able to try zitnni (kiwi, strawberry, banana, and cherry) as well.
If you decide to eat at El Tabún, be aware that the portion sizes are huge. We overdid it with starters and nobody could finish their meal. Also, the interior dining room was extremely hot and didn’t seem there was air conditioning in there, so it was much more comfortable to sit outside. Overall, I would definitely eat there again but won’t order nearly as much!
La Chagra
La Chagra is a restaurant that’s unique in Colombia. It offers cuisine from the Amazon region prepared with exotic ingredients flown in fresh to Medellín. It’s located across the street from El Tabún.
The menu consisted of three different “experiences” that take diners on a culinary trip through the Amazon. We all chose the first experience, which has six different small courses. To drink, we had a delicious camu camu juice, which is made with an acidic fruit purported to be an aphrodisiac.
The first two courses consist of an aperitif and soup. While we enjoyed these courses, a shaman from the indigenous Ticuna community walked around sharing his culture with us.
The heartiest courses contained pirarucú, the largest freshwater fish in the world, as a base. It’s a delicious meaty fish also known as arapaima in some countries.
Each course tells a story, and the waiter enthusiastically explains the story along with the ingredients. Some stories are about the respect for elders in the indigenous Amazonian tribes while others are about the rapid deforestation and destruction of nature occurring throughout the region.
While definitely not among the more affordable meals in Medellín, La Chagra is worth the experience. You will taste unique flavors that you may never come across again, and come away with a greater appreciation for the culture and cuisine of the Amazon region.
Panka
Panka is at the end of the block at Carrera 33 and Calle 7. It also offers sushi and ceviche along with a few Japanese-style dishes. I went with my friend Wes and split a ceviche and a couple rolls of sushi. Everything was delicious but we felt the service could have been better.
Subula
A restaurant that claims to offer authentic Greek food, Subula is a Greek sandwich shop on Carrera 35 specializing in gyros.
We ordered a chicken gyros and a beef gyros. It’s delicious, but it’s not true gyros. The chicken was regular pieces of chicken while the beef was meatballs. Each sandwich was wrapped in pita and stuffed with fries, hummus, onions, tomato, and lettuce.
Los Souvlakis (Permanently Closed)
In yet another attempt at Greek food, I stopped into Los Souvlakis on Carrera 36 to grab something on the run. The flavor is there but the tzatziki was very watery and the pita wasn’t pita. It was more like an overcooked tortilla that broke apart while I was eating.
Arte Dolce
To satisfy your sweet tooth, head to Arte Dolce at the corner of Carrera 33 and Calle 8. They have a great variety of gelato for all tastes. I haven’t had a flavor I didn’t like!
London Frozen Yogurt
Another great place for an after dinner treat is London Frozen Yogurt. It’s right next to Brije on Carrera 37. You get to choose the flavor of yogurt and pick as many toppings as you’d like.
Where to Eat around Parque Lleras in Medellín
The area around Parque Lleras, about a block downhill from Provenza, has plenty of restaurants to choose from. Some are good, but unfortunately it’s been hit or miss in my experience. As you’ll notice below, most haven’t lasted very long.
The Greek Connection
After an older Greek restaurant, Mykonos, closed down, The Greek Connection took its place. Mykonos was excellent. The Greek Connection, not so much. It’s just off Parque Lleras on Carrera 38.
The owner is an enthusiastic guy who goes out of his way to make you feel at home, but the food definitely lacks authenticity. The best thing about the restaurant is the decor, which makes you feel like you’ve stepped onto a Greek island.
I shared a few plates with a friend, including spanakopita, calamari, and octopus. The calamari was overcooked and the octopus was too chewy. For dessert, I had galaktoboureko, which was also not what I was used to eating. I really hope things improve because Medellín deserves a better representation of Greek food.
Ay Caramba (Permanently Closed)
Ay Caramba dishes out decent Tex-Mex. It’s a huge place located right on Parque Lleras. I shared a plate of nachos with Marisol and tried the fajitas.
Patria Mía (Permanently Closed)
Across the street from Ay Caramba is Patria Mía, which specializes in traditional Colombian food. It also has a lively atmosphere.
The food doesn’t match up to the atmosphere, however. I tried an ajiaco and it wasn’t nearly as good as I expected. The dessert, a plantain smothered in cheese, was much better.
Royal Thai (Permanently Closed)
Royal Thai is a good Thai restaurant with reasonable prices. It’s located just a bit off Parque Lleras. My only complaint is that it could be spicier! I asked for my phad thai to be as spicy as they could make it and it was mild at best.
Nino e Pastino (Permanently Closed)
Nino e Pastino, near Parque Lleras, serves pasta, soups, and other Italian food. Everything I’ve eaten there is very fresh and tasty. Definitely try the delicious desserts.
Where to Eat Along Calle 10 in El Poblado, Medellín
Calle 10 is one of the main streets running through the El Poblado district of Medellín. You’ll find a lot of fast food places along with one of the city’s classics.
Mondongo’s
For delicious traditional Colombian food, head to Mondongo’s. It’s a staple of El Poblado and is located on Calle 10 in Edificio Ovni, which was once owned by you know who.
I tried the ajiaco while my friend Katy had the bandeja paisa. Both were excellent and more than enough to share! Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, and it’s a must if you’re interested in sampling traditional Colombian cuisine. Go with a big appetite!
[t]ürban
For good döner kebabs, try [t]ürban. I ate there with a group of friends on a quick weekend trip to Medellín and it was across the street from our hotel. Avoid the taboule – it’s terrible.
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![Döner kebab at [t]ürban in El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxNjAwIDkyMCIgd2lkdGg9IjE2MDAiIGhlaWdodD0iOTIwIiBkYXRhLXU9Imh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGbm9tYWRpY25pa28uY29tJTJGd3AtY29udGVudCUyRnVwbG9hZHMlMkYyMDE0JTJGMDglMkZkZjQyOS1pbWdfNTAyOS1lMTcyMTQ0MzI3NDMzNy5qcGciIGRhdGEtdz0iMTYwMCIgZGF0YS1oPSI5MjAiIGRhdGEtYmlwPSIiPjwvc3ZnPg==)
Empanadisima
Empanadisima is an amazing empanada stand a bit away from the action on Calle 10. It’s located in a row of several other empanada stands, but this was the only one that had a line when we walked by. We decided to wait to see what all the fuss was about. They turned out to be some of the best empanadas I’ve ever had, with two different sauces to choose from.
If the empanadas are fresh, they’re definitely worth a try. We went back another time when they were sitting for a while and were disappointed. So the key is, if there’s a line, wait! If not, keep walking.
Where to Eat in Misc El Poblado, Medellín
Heading north towards the city center in the industrial part of El Poblado is the Medellín Museum of Modern Art. If you’re feeling hungry after visiting the museum, there are a few options. I’ve tried one of them.
Ganso & Castor
Just outside the museum is Ganso & Castor. It’s a French bistro style restaurant that opened its first location in Provenza on September 3, 2012. They now have a few locations throughout Medellín, serving French and international dishes. I stopped in and had a tomato soup, but I’ll definitely be back to try some of the other dishes at this or another location.
Where to Eat in the City Center of Medellín
My experience with restaurants outside of El Poblado is limited. I’ve only tried two places and street food in the city center, but have had generally good experiences.
Los Arrieros
If you’re looking for reasonably priced traditional Colombian food that’s also delicious, head to Los Arrieros. It’s located right off Plaza Botero and even has a good view of the plaza from the restaurant.
Marisol and I shared a sancocho de gallina on our first visit. On another visit, we had a bandeja paisa, which is probably the most authentic we’ve encountered. Portions are massive so definitely think of sharing! We could barely finish.
Fellini (Permanently Closed)
We’ve eaten twice at Fellini near Plaza Mayor. They make about 20 different gourmet burgers along with pastas, steaks, salads, and more. On my first visit I went with a group of five. Each of us had a different burger and they were all excellent. There are also several other restaurants located next to Fellini in the same building, but we haven’t tried any of them.
Street Food
In addition to the restaurants, you will be able to find lots of good street food in and around Parque Berrío. There are fruit stands serving fresh watermelon, mango, and other fruits; popcorn; empanadas; arepas; and street meat. Medellín does a good job with street food so it’s definitely worth trying.
