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A guide of where to eat in Pereira. There are a lot of good restaurants to choose from and a good variety of cuisine. Most can be found in the entertainment district along Avenida Circunvalar while the city center has a few decent choices as well.
Note: I realize this is a very long post. I’ve included just about every single restaurant I’ve visited in Pereira here and it’s only going to get longer. Restaurants are listed by their location in the city. Please use the “jump to” menu to make it easier to navigate and find what you’re looking for. Also, if there’s a restaurant you’ve tried that you want to recommend, give me a shout and I’ll check it out.
Where to Eat along Circunvalar
Since the best restaurants are in the Circunvalar area, I’ll start there. This is where you’ll find most of the upscale restaurants and the best variety of international cuisine. Here’s a map of restaurants in the area:
Ébano
Let’s start with Ébano. It’s regarded as one of the top upscale restaurants in Pereira and is located at the Movich Hotel. Ébano has excellent gourmet Colombian food. It’s a bit expensive for Colombia, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying it.
On our visit to Ébano, we started with a pumpkin soup and a ceviche. The ceviche is Colombian style with a tomato-based sauce.
For dinner, I had beef medallions served over pureed peas and Marisol had a parmesan encrusted salmon. Both were excellent.
Finally, for dessert, we shared a flan. It was good but I’ve had better.
Salón Inglés
If you’re staying at Hotel Castilla Real, you don’t have to go far for good food. The chef whips up some fantastic dishes in the hotel’s Salón Inglés. The affordable menu has a wide variety of dishes to choose from. Try the steak in mushroom sauce with bacon or the steak with calamari. Our meal was surprisingly as good as any of the better restaurants in Pereira.
Matutina
A block east of the Movich is Matutina, which specializes in breakfasts and sandwiches. They have a nice menu full of egg and waffle dishes as well as a few sandwiches for lunch.
We stopped in for a late breakfast/early lunch one day and for lunch another. On the first trip, I had a waffle sandwich, which had scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Marisol tried the Matutina premium, which is a sandwich with egg, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Our little one had a waffle topped with strawberry, banana, and whipped cream.
For lunch, we both had sandwiches. I had the invico chicken while Marisol had the El Poblado. All was delicious and we’ll definitely be back again. In fact, when we stay at the Movich, we’ll probably head here for breakfast instead!
Cardinal
A couple blocks down on the top floor of Zi One Luxury Hotel is Cardinal. It’s a gourmet Peruvian restaurant with an appetizing menu full of traditional and creative dishes. We’ve stopped in a few times and have loved almost everything we’ve eaten there.
Starters at Cardinal
Among the starters, we enjoy the ceviche cardinal, which is a delicious combination of white fish, corn, and fried calamari rings topped with a yellow pepper mayonnaise.
The causa de pollo is another excellent choice. It’s potato and yellow pepper stuffed with shredded chicken and avocado, topped with egg and pepper mayo.
Our absolute favorite is the jamón nikkei. It’s pan-seared tuna topped with leche de tigre, citrus teriyaki, and avocado. The flavor is incredible and you’ll want to lick the plate to make sure you don’t leave one drop.
Main Courses at Cardinal
For your main course, try the tacu-tacu, which is brisket braised for 24 hours and sautéed with spiced purple corn. It sits atop a bed of rice and beans. It’s excellent but extremely filling. Marisol had the chaufa de mariscos, which is fried rice mixed with vegetables, shrimp, and calamari. She wasn’t too impressed.
The risotto pesto is another delicious option. It’s a mixture of shrimp and calamari rings bathed in huancaina and white wine sauce with parmesan cheese. It sits on a bed of creamy risotto al pesto.
The sanguche de asado is a sandwich consisting of slow-cooked beef in Peruvian barbecue sauce, avocado, and Colby cheese. It comes with fried potatoes and a delicious creole sauce. I really enjoyed it.
If you can’t decide on one plate, try the trilogia cardinal. It’s a sampler of three different traditional Peruvian specialties, including chaufa de mariscos (seafood fried rice), fish ceviche, and causa de pollo.
Finally, on one visit I tried the parihuela del diablo, which is a spicy stew of shrimp, mussels, scallops, yucca, cilantro, and parsley. To be honest, although it was good I was expecting more flavor.
La Ruana
Right next door is La Ruana, which serves great meat dishes and traditional Colombian food. The picada for two has a juicy combination of beef, pork, chicken, and chorizo.
Sumo
Across the street is Sumo. We walked past on a hot Saturday afternoon and decided to pop in. They serve Asian fusion food with a few sushi rolls.
We ordered Mongolian beef and a shrimp dish with walnuts and melon covered in a sweet sauce. All of the food was delicious, but the Mongolian beef is not what I’m used to.
We also ordered two sushi rolls from their limited menu. It was excellent, but the lack of variety in sushi is a reason not to visit Sumo strictly for eating sushi in Pereira.
Brujas Café (Permanently Closed)
On the next corner, hidden down Calle 12, is Brujas Café. It’s a lovely space with a patio opening onto Circunvalar. Service is excellent and we had probably the best coffee we’ve tasted in Pereira, and possibly Colombia. The upper level serves as an art gallery, and it’s a great place to read, study, or get some work done.
Kilaba (Permanently Closed)
Kilaba, at Circunvalar and Calle 11, is a very cozy little restaurant serving authentic Lebanese and Syrian food. What makes a meal at Kilaba even better is the owner, Samir. You won’t find a friendlier and more attentive host.
I recommend the bandeja paisa árabe, which is a combination plate of many of the dishes and is enough for two to share. The kibbe crudo (raw kibbe) and esfiha are also excellent. Try one of the fresh juices to wash down your meal.
La Mexicana (Permanently Closed)
If you want Mexican comfort food like tacos, burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, and soups, you have to visit La Mexicana (formerly María la Mexicana). The food is incredible, and is easily the best Mexican food I’ve had in Pereira, and all of Colombia. (Note: The quality has dropped off a bit since María left)
The enchiladas are exactly how I would expect them to be, and the tacos, burritos, and flautas were also excellent.
The filling sopa azteca makes a very good meal or, as a half order, a nice complement to any meal. It’s perfectly spiced and full of flavor.
Other recommended dishes include molcajete albañil and a volcán. The molcajete comes served in a volcanic rock bowl with four corn tortillas.
El Secreto Español
El Secreto Español is located very near where La Mexicana used to be. We visited their former location about a block from Parque Arboleda. We happened to notice it as we walked by and decided to give it a try. Service was excellent and the owner was very friendly.
We started off with a pulpo a la gallega and patatas bravas. The patatas were good and so was the pulpo, but the pulpo was bathing in too much oil. We were also given a complimentary fish pâté with toast.
For our main courses, I had tuna encrusted in sesame seeds while Marisol had the merluza. My tuna was so-so. The merluza was cooked beautifully but it was also in too much oil.
On a second visit, I had the seafood paella and Marisol had salmon. This time, it was much better than before, although it still doesn’t compare with Hispania. It’s safe to say we probably won’t go back again.
Esto es Méxyco (Permanently Closed)
Esto es Méxyco offers a more modern twist to the Mexican cuisine you’re used to. I visited them at their old location near Parque Arboleda, but they’ve since moved to Avenida Circunvalar and later to a place in the Los Alpes neighborhood.
They have a taco bar but also serve dishes big enough for two, mostly a mix of meats and melted cheese, with tortillas. Service is great and so is the food, but I prefer La Mexicana by far. They’re creative with the cuisine but something didn’t feel right about this type of Mexican food.
Ankara
Also near Parque Arboleda is Ankara. It’s run by a Colombian man with Turkish ancestry. Although the menu is limited to mostly kebabs and döner, what’s available is pretty close to the authentic flavors of Turkish food.
We shared a sampler platter consisting of köfte, falafel, mercimek köftesi, chicken kebabs, hummus, haydari, and baba ganoush. We also got a lamb kebab and finished off our meal with a Turkish coffee.
Piccolo
If pizza is what you’re after, in the past I would tell you to check out Piccolo. You’ll see why below. Anyway, it’s located down the street from Parque Arboleda. They also have pasta and meat dishes on the menu.
On my first visit, I had a delicious thin crust pepperoni and mushroom pizza that I could easily say was one of the best pizzas in Pereira. It hit the spot.
Unfortunately, on my most recent visit, I noticed quality has gone way downhill. My meat and tomato pizza was below average and service wasn’t friendly at all. It was always a little more expensive than other places, but prices have also gone way up. I can’t justify paying an elevated price for a mediocre pie. Stay away.
Where to Eat at Parque Arboleda
Parque Arboleda is a shopping mall in Pereira. Aside from the food court with plenty of fast food available, there are a few other options worth checking out.
Crepes & Waffles
If you’re looking for a delicious lunch, dinner, or dessert, try this branch of Crepes & Waffles. As the name indicates, they serve up both sweet and savory crepes and waffles as well as soups, salads, and a good selection of ice creams. It’s located inside the entrance on the second level.
The menu is huge and there are plenty of meals to choose from. On one visit, I had a French onion soup and the Peruvian crepe filled with ají de gallina. I’ve also tried the cochinita pibil crepe.
I’ve enjoyed almost every dessert I’ve ordered, especially the waffles and profiteroles. I wasn’t too keen on the citrus dessert.
Coco Barril
Outside the main entrance on the second level, you’ll find Coco Barril. They serve excellent steaks and other meats. We’ve never had a bad meal there and service is great.
Kanka Perú
Facing the food court is Kanka Perú. This Peruvian restaurant serves authentic dishes in a comfortable setting. They have another branch at Cerritos del Mar (see below) that we haven’t tried yet.
For starters, they offer a good selection of ceviches as well as a causa limeña with or without chicken. The trilogía de ceviches consists of three ceviches on one dish, each bathed in a sauce with a different level of spiciness. The ceviche mixto includes fish, shrimp, and calamari. The causa limeña is excellent and always a big hit with our toddler.
The main courses are typical Peruvian dishes. Starting with the tallarín dishes, the tallarín saltado is noodles sautéed in soy sauce with onion, pepper, tomato, and cubes of beef. The tallarín rompeolas consists of seafood, mushrooms, and vegetables sautéed in a wok with noodles and topped with breaded fish fillets. Both are always excellent.
The saltado marinero, which is seafood and fish stir-fried in a wok with mushrooms, vegetables, and oyster sauce, is a good choice for seafood lovers. There’s also the classic ají de gallina, which is a chicken stew served atop boiled potatoes and a side of rice, as well as the chaufa, which is fried rice with your choice of chicken, pork, shrimp, or a combination of all three. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
For dessert, try the suspiro limeño. And finally, we always order a jug of chicha morada to wash down our meal. The pisco sours are also pretty decent.
Urbano
Urbano, which is located in the food court at Parque Arboleda, has good steaks and chicken dishes. Avoid the nachos. Service can be a little slow.
Keizaki at Parque Arboleda (Permanently Closed)
Keizaki, which I mentioned earlier, also has a branch in the food court. We weren’t happy with what we found there. We visited twice and our order had mistakes twice. On both occasions, two rolls we ordered were replaced with less expensive ones. The staff didn’t apologize either time, but replaced the rolls with the correct ones. You’re better off with one of the other restaurants at the mall.
Le Café de París
Finally, just a few steps from the food court, is Le Café de París. This French style café has a good variety of coffee drinks and snacks. It’s a bit overpriced in our opinion.
Where to Eat at Parque La Rebeca
Parque La Rebeca is a small park on the eastern end of Circunvalar. It comes alive at night and is surrounded by some of Pereira’s best restaurants.
Leños y Parrilla
Looking for a good steak? Try Leños y Parrilla. It’s a casual Argentinian steakhouse with a simple menu. There are about 12 different types of steak on the menu including Angus beef.
All steaks come with a side salad and are served with arepa, plantain, and potatoes. On my first visit, I ordered the picaña rare but it was a bit overdone. However, everyone else in our group was very happy with their steak. On other visits, I’ve had the bife de chorizo and the ribeye while Marisol had a churrasco argentino. All were delicious, but again, I thought they were overdone.
As far as appetizers, I’ve had the mozzarella sticks, which are ok, and the tomato soup is delicious. One group I took to the restaurant shared the picada, an assortment of meats, among three of them.
Eki Sushi
Eki Sushi is a great option for sushi in Pereira. It opened in 2017. Service is very friendly and attentive, and the prices are reasonable. They have a small sushi menu but for what they offer they do it very well. We ordered five different rolls and were impressed by both the quality and freshness.
Vinería San Martino
For delicious food paired with Italian wine, look no further than Vinería San Martino. This cozy little place opened in January 2016. It features a small menu that packs a big punch and a friendly Italian owner who’s happy to explain every dish and wine on offer. The restaurant is open daily and prices are very reasonable.
We had a hard time deciding what to order for dinner off a menu that has a decent selection of pizzas, pastas, a few types of bruschetta, and mouth-watering appetizers. After serious thinking, we decided to start with a delicious octopus carpaccio, a succulent stuffed mushroom, and a tasty cheese sampler. The cheese sampler came with five different types of cheese, bruschetta, and some olives.
For our main dish, we shared a fettuccine with bits of crab and calamari and a touch of spice. We each had a glass of Venetian merlot and a chianti, both of which complemented the meal perfectly.
To finish, we were hoping for the panna cotta but they were all out. Instead, we had strawberries with lemon and sugar, which was an excellent replacement.
On our second visit, we started with another stuffed mushroom. I had a pizza while Marisol had pasta with salmon. The quality was just as good if not better than our first visit.
On a third visit with a tour group, we started with the stuffed mushroom and bruschetta. I had a pasta special, which was a spinach fettuccine with mushrooms and a pumpkin sauce.
Where to Eat in Pinares
There are a few places we’ve tried in the Pinares neighborhood, including one of our favorites in Pereira, Ambar.
Keizaki
A block south on Carrera 15 is Keizaki. It’s a Japanese restaurant that serves very good sushi in Pereira. They also have pad Thai, seafood dishes, and other specialties. Prices are just right for the portion sizes and quality of the food.
Sushi Market (Permanently Closed)
Next door is Sushi Market. It’s a much nicer space than Keizaki yet has a similar menu. We stopped in for lunch one day to compare it with its neighbor.
We started with an order of edamame and a tuna tempura dish. The edamame is excellent, topped with finely shredded parmesan cheese and cracked pepper. We weren’t too impressed with the tuna.
Next came the sushi. It was hit or miss. We ordered five different rolls and only three were any good. The other two lacked flavor. The presentation is nice and the three good rolls were very good, but overall we expected better. To top it off, although service was friendly, it was agonizingly slow.
Hispania
A few steps away is Hispania. It’s owned by two men from Spain who make delicious food and provide excellent service. It’s by far our favorite Spanish restaurant in Pereira.
Our first visit was on a Friday night and started with a French onion soup and champiñones gratinados (mushrooms and shrimp topped with melted cheese).
We each had fish for our main course. Marisol had a salmon dish while I had whitefish topped with seafood and an Italian sauce. We couldn’t have been happier with the experience.
On a second visit, we were with a group of 10. The owner suggested some tapas dishes to share paired with a few bottles of wine. Some of the group shared paella, which was incredible. Everyone was happy with the meal, and our group nominated it as their favorite meal on their trip to Colombia.
On our third visit for lunch, we started with the mejillones rellenos con jaiba (mussels stuffed with crab). I had salmón con hierbas finas (salmon with fine herbs) while Marisol had the lomo a la panameña (beef with a red wine sauce served with portobello mushroom and broccoli puree).
On a fourth visit with some friends from Chicago, we started with the pulpo a la gallega (octopus) and grilled baby squid. I had the surf and turf dinner (lobster tail, shrimp, and medallion of beef). Marisol had a steak topped with mushrooms. Once again, we all left stuffed and happy.
Piura
Further south on Avenida Juan B. Gutierrez is Piura, which is a Peruvian restaurant in Pereira. Although we don’t visit very often anymore, we consider it one of our favorite restaurants in the city. It’s only a short walk downhill from Parque Arboleda.
If you’re in Pereira and looking for something other than traditional Colombian food, Piura is a great choice. The restaurant has excellent food, friendly and attentive service, and a nice atmosphere. It often fills up on evenings on the weekends and is a popular spot for private parties.
The starters are excellent, especially the ceviche. Sometimes we make an entire meal out of them by ordering a few and sharing. They have a few versions of ceviche, including their own twist, ceviche piura, with strips of mango added in. The causa limeña and wontons are also worth trying.
There are plenty of choices for your main course, from traditional Peruvian favorites like lomo saltado and ají de gallina, to steaks, pasta dishes, and seafood. All of the dishes have a Peruvian twist.
Finally, the bar has good mixed drinks, there’s a nice wine selection, and the limonada de coco (coconut lemonade) is one of the best I’ve ever had.
Migrato
A few blocks downhill is Migrato, located in a small complex. They have some of the freshest breads and croissants I’ve seen in Pereira.
We were a little disappointed in their specialty breakfasts, however. Marisol had a frittata and I had the Neapolitan style eggs. We were both expecting much different and better quality. On the bright side, service is excellent and they have decent coffee.
Ambar
Ambar is easily one of the best restaurants in Pereira. It bills itself as a casual place serving European-inspired contemporary haute cuisine.
Ambar was created by local chef Diego Panesso, who specializes in the vacuum cooking technique. He uses local ingredients and fuses them with internationally-inspired recipes.
Our First Experience
We visited Ambar on a Friday night and sat on the outdoor patio. Immediately upon reviewing the menu, we knew it would be difficult to choose our meals. Everything looked appetizing and we were already planning a return visit.
For starters, we ordered a delicious white fish ceviche topped with a thick strip of bacon and a pitcher of sangria. We were also going to order the nachos with crab meat, but the server told us it would be too much food with our main courses. We appreciated the honesty!
For my main course, I had the seafood bouillabaisse. This classic French dish included prawns, mussels, shrimp, white clams, squid, salmon, white fish, and crab sticks as well as bits of avocado and a few dollops of sour cream. It was flavored with Pernod Ricard and served with a bowl of vegetable fried rice. The meal was excellent and very filling.
Marisol had the encocado pacífico, which featured shrimp and fish served with plantain croquettes in a delicious sauce. She was very happy with her choice.
For dessert, we shared a chocolate lava cake. It came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and little granola crumbs. The presentation was beautiful and of course the cake itself was a perfect way to end the meal.
Second Visit
On our second visit a few months later, the restaurants was packed on a Saturday night. We didn’t have reservations but they were able to squeeze us in at a table outside. As a starter, we finally got a chance to try the amazing nachos with crab meat. It’s a huge dish enough for four people and extremely filling. The warning from our last visit was true!
For our main courses, Marisol had the langostinos chontaduro, which is shrimp served on a bed of chontaduro puree with cornbread. I had the slow-cooked pork ossobuco served with bleu cheese risotto. Again, no complaints and the food was excellent, but we didn’t have room for dessert this time.
Third Visit
For our third visit, we took Marisol’s dad for lunch on his birthday. We started with the Vietnamese chicharrones, which included fried pork belly sautéed with vegetables. For my main course, I had the bœuf bourguignon while Marisol went back to the encocado pacífico.
Fourth Visit
On a group visit for Marisol’s birthday, we had more of the same favorite starters from above but I switched my dinner plate to the ravioli in squid ink. They’re stuffed with mascarpone and salmon and topped with a creamy pernod sauce along with grated parmesan. For dessert, we all shared the chocolate lava cake and milhoja.
Where to Eat in Álamos
Álamos is a quiet and mostly residential upscale area south of Pinares. There are some popular restaurants in the neighborhood.
El Mesón Español
El Mesón Español is one of the most popular Spanish restaurants in Pereira. We’ve been there a couple times and had mostly positive experiences.
On our first visit we shared paella and a seafood stew. Both plates were huge, enough for two people, so I would recommend sharing. We washed it down with limonada de coco (coconut lemonade).
On our second visit, we started with the baby octopus and fried calamari rings. The octopus was not fresh at all and too rubbery while the calamari rings were greasier than we’re used to. The crab bisque, however, was good.
For our main course, we shared a paella with meat and seafood as well as a shrimp thermidor. The paella was good but the shrimp stole the show. We finished off the meal with a merengón de guanábana.
Aura Food Hall & Market
Aura Food Hall is a concept consisting of four different restaurants (ceviche, Italian, Mexican, and Japanese) and a bar in under one roof. You have a seat at one of the tables and can order any dish from any restaurant.
We decided to check out a few of the dishes from the Mexican and Japanese restaurants. First, from the Japanese place, we ordered two sushi rolls and crab rangoon. The sushi is among the best we’ve had in Pereira and we appreciated their version of crab rangoon.
From the Mexican restaurant we each started with a birria taco. It was so amazing we ordered a couple more, and I added a vampiro de asado taco as well. We’ll definitely be back for more!
Vuestro (Permanently Closed)
Vuestro restaurant specializes in tapas and paella. It’s located at the Jardines de la Alhambra boutique hotel. The tapas dishes are bigger than what I’m used to, and three dishes was enough for the two of us for dinner.
We had a selection of Spanish meats and cheeses, eggplants topped with cheese and a sweet tomato sauce, and octopus over mashed potatoes. Everything was excellent but the octopus was a bit salty. With two glasses of wine and tip, we thought it was quite pricy for the quality.
Where to Eat in the Pereira City Center
While most of the best restaurants in Pereira are located in the Circunvalar district, there are a few good places to eat in the city center. Here’s a map for restaurants in the Pereira city center:
SkyLounge
SkyLounge is on the 11th floor of Hotel Soratama on Plaza de Bolívar. We’ve visited during our stays at the hotel. The food is hit or miss and reasonably priced while the service is friendly and efficient.
We were more satisfied with the soups and starters than anything. The tomato soup is our favorite while the cream of mushroom could’ve had more flavor. The ceviche is very good.
As far as main courses, we stuck with light meals. I wasn’t happy with my club sandwich, which wasn’t what I was expecting. Marisol enjoyed her vegetables with quinoa. Our wraps on our next visit weren’t great, either.
For dessert, we ordered a chocolate lava cake. It was more of an extinct volcano than anything. There was no “lava” oozing out when we cut into it. At least it tasted good.
Jasant
Right on Plaza de Bolívar is Jasant. This bakery-café serves excellent coffee as well as breakfast and other specialties. Service can be a bit slow at times but the wait is worth it for the coffee.
The breakfasts are decent but not as good as we expected. They were also priced a bit higher than the quality. We’ve had better.
Lucerna
Lucerna is just off Plaza de Bolívar. It has a huge menu with decent food but service and quality can be hit or miss. The ice cream dishes are great to finish off your meal. Lucerna is one of the more famous restaurants in the Pereira city center.
There’s also a good pastry and ice cream counter just inside the entrance. The line for the ice cream was about 15 people long when we visited on a sweltering Friday afternoon.
Café del Toro
A block north of Plaza de Bolívar is Café Del Toro. They serve excellent coffee in a casual setting. We opted for filter coffee, but they serve specialty drinks as well as cold coffees.
Autoservicio Grajales
Autoservicio Grajales is a 24 hour cafeteria style restaurant. Food is fair and reasonably priced. It’s about halfway between Plaza de Bolívar and Parque El Lago on Carrera 8.
Marruecos
Marruecos is a pizza place open late that serves decent pizza, salads, and sandwiches. It’s located on a corner of Parque El Lago.
Café Bar Canela
A block north of Marruecos is Café Bar Canela. They have decent coffee and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere.
Colombia…Late ❤️
Colombia…Late ❤️ is a half block north of Café Bar Canela. They serve artisanal hot chocolate, coffee, and pastries. The hot chocolate is homemade and worth stopping in for.
La Merienda Centro
La Merienda is a 50s style diner. It’s got sandwiches named after American idols of that period. I had the Sinatra (ham, lettuce, tomato, and mozzarella). The tomato soup is excellent. The photos below are from their old location a couple blocks from the current location.
City Hall
Near Parque de La Libertad is City Hall. This popular lunchtime spot serves good set menu ejecutivo dishes at reasonable prices. When we went, there was a choice of chicken or beef with rice and plantains. It also came with soup and a drink.
Mis Carnes Parrilla
If you’re looking for a good steak, try Mis Carnes Parrilla at Plaza Victoria. We weren’t expecting much from this mall food court restaurant, but it turned out to be an excellent and very filling meal. I’ll be honest – it might not be the cleanest place, but service is good and prices are fair.
On our first visit, we both had the tomahawk ribeye, which was cooked to perfection and had a great flavor. On another visit, I had a delicious ribeye.
El Barista
Also at Victoria Mall is El Barista. It’s located in a space outside the mall and also connected to the parking garage. They make a great cup of coffee from some of the best farms in Colombia. We had to wait a long time for our V60 but it was worth it. In addition to coffee, they have a decent selection of pastries and snacks.
La Trattoría
Another good place in Pereira worth trying is La Trattoría, which serves some of the best pasta in town. It’s outside the city center proper, a few blocks south of Parque Olaya Herrera.
The pizza and other dishes are ok but not nearly as good as the pasta. They also serve juicy cuts of beef on a hot plate. Everything is reasonably priced and service is good.
Where to Eat in West Pereira
I don’t have a lot of experience west of the city center, but there are a couple places of note. Here’s a map for restaurants west of the Pereira city center:
Entre Vagones
On the western outskirts of Pereira you’ll find Entre Vagones. It’s an upscale restaurant where diners eat in railroad dining cars situated around a small square and train station. While the food is generally very good, we found it to be quite expensive for Pereira. Service is friendly and attentive. All in all, it’s a fun concept and an enjoyable place to grab a meal.
We started with a shrimp cocktail, which I wasn’t happy with. It came out warm rather than chilled and the cocktail sauce was a bit bland. I had a pepper steak while Marisol had the churrasco. We both thought our steaks were delicious.
María Café (Permanently Closed)
Along Avenida de Las Americas is María Café. This little hole-in-the-wall sits next to a gas station and the PriceSmart and serves some of the most delicious traditional Colombian dishes I’ve had in the city.
You can get a fixed-priced lunch special, such as ajiaco or sancocho, if you show up during lunch hours. Supply is limited, so don’t get there too late.
Kahlo
At the Unicentro shopping mall food court is Kahlo, which serves typical Mexican favorites. It has a colorful decor, but both flavor and service were lacking. The manager was also a bit rude.
We started off with a tortilla soup, which didn’t taste fresh and came out lukewarm. I had enchiladas and Marisol had fajitas. Neither were great. Needless to say, we won’t be going back there again.
Urban Pizzeria
Also at Unicentro is Urban Pizzeria, which specializes in pizza and a few pasta dishes. It has a huge kids play center, so it’s great for parents who need a little break. The pizza is ok and so is the pasta. We enjoyed the mushroom and cheese dip as an appetizer.
