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My guide on where to eat in Belén de Umbría, a town in the Coffee Region of Colombia.
Overview on Where to Eat in Belén de Umbría
With so many options in town, you won’t go hungry. Most restaurants are either on the main plaza or just a short walk away, while a few others sit on the outskirts. The food isn’t exactly world-class, but there are several solid spots worth trying.
Where to Eat around the Plaza in Belén de Umbría
A natural place to start is the plaza and the streets around it, where most of Belén de Umbría’s restaurants are concentrated.
La Fonda
La Fonda offers both traditional Colombian dishes and fast food. I always have a good meal there, no matter what I order. I usually stick to the Colombian dishes, though their burritos are also solid. Prices are a bit high by small-town Colombian standards.
Benditas Alitas
Benditas Alitas serves some of the best wings I’ve had outside the USA. The restaurant has nice balconies overlooking the plaza, plus an outdoor section with a kid’s play area in the back. You order at the counter and pick up your food when it’s ready.
You can choose from several wing sauces, including barbecue, teriyaki, honey mustard, and a few different levels of spiciness. Besides wings, they also have good burgers and some decent appetizers.
Bambino’s
Bambino’s is on the same side of the plaza as Benditas Alitas. Their specialty is pizza, but they also serve very good fish and seafood dishes, pastas, lasagna, salads and more. Prices are reasonable, and the service is good.
Fast Food Stands
Starting around 6pm and staying open well into the night, several fast food stands line the main plaza. You can find all kinds of specialties, including patacón, Cuban sandwiches, burgers, chorizo, and more.
Donde Yesid
Donde Yesid is a big favorite. Their burger, La Otra, is amazing, and the picada — a mix of meats served with plantains, potatoes, tomato, and arepa — is also excellent.
Colombian Hot Dogs
Ask for a perro caliente, and you’ll get the Colombian take on a hot dog. They’re usually topped with crushed potato chips, ketchup, mustard, mayo, pineapple sauce, salsa rosada (ketchup mixed with mayo), and two quail eggs. It might not sound great, but it’s delicious!
Oink (Permanently Closed)
Another favorite of mine is Oink, a smoker built into the back of a jeep. They serve amazing ribs and chorizo, though I rarely see it around.
Gourmix
Next to La Fonda is Gourmix, which specializes in traditional Colombian food and also makes decent sandwiches. Both the bandeja paisa and ajiaco are very good and extremely filling.
El Mesón del Pollo
Across the street from La Fonda is El Mesón del Pollo, which serves decent roasted chicken. We rarely eat there.
Genio’s
Genio’s is just off a corner of the plaza. They serve decent lunch specials and good coffee. The interior is comfortable, with good Wi-Fi, decent service, and pleasant music. They even make a very good coffee milkshake. Balcony seats overlook one of the roads through town.
La Loma
I wasn’t convinced by La Loma when it first opened, but a change in ownership improved both quality and service. It’s very reasonably priced, and every visit has been delicious. The restaurant is about half a block up from the plaza.
We usually go for lunch to try the fixed menu, though we’ve also sampled other items. Everything has been good, but the steaks are usually tough. The picada is probably my favorite and a great option for a large group.
Horchata (Permanently Closed)
Horchata was about a half block downhill from the plaza. It’s one of the first restaurants I got to know when moving to Belén in 2014. They had decent fried rice, pizza, and other food.
Kebab (Permanently Closed)
Kebab sits a half block up from the plaza, on the side of the church. They feature Turkish and Middle Eastern specialties, including authentic döner kebab, shish kebabs, and falafel. They also make a decent fattoush salad.
Salsa y Sazón (Permanently Closed)
Salsa y Sazón served excellent Asian dishes and was my favorite place to eat. Portions were huge, and the owner — who spent several years living in Australia and Asia — did a wonderful job. He also speaks fluent English. (Update: the chef has reopened in the Umbría Valley, a short drive outside Belén, at Balcón del Valle.)
Gelato Yog (Permanently Closed)
A block up from the plaza, on the side of the church, is Gelato Yog. They serve delicious frozen yogurt with a variety of toppings, and also offer coffee, shakes, smoothies, and other treats.
Purina
I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the name of this restaurant, but we decided to stop in for lunch a few times. It’s on Carrera 10, just a half block from the plaza.
We’ve tried the daily lunch special, which start with a delicious soup. Formain courses, I’ve had the breaded chicken fillet, and Marisol has tried the ribs and sancocho. Overall, the meals are so-so — nothing spectacular. Service is good, and prices are fair.
Where to Eat Outside the Plaza in Belén de Umbría
Around the rest of town, especially along Avenida Umbría, you’ll find a handful of other spots worth trying.
Taco Mix
On the corner of Avenida Umbría is Taco Mix. This small spot servesa solid selection of authentic tacos and other Mexican specialties. It’s definitely one of our go-to places in town. Don’t forget to check out the mural on the outer wall.
As far as tacos fgo, the birria and tacos al pastor are both amazing. We’ve also tried the beef enchiladas, flautas, and burritos, which are all good.
All meals come with complimentary nachos and guacamole, but if you order the guacamole starter, the nachos are topped with cheese.
If you go to Taco Mix before 3pm, you can only get the lunch special. We’ve been a few times and have been very happy with our meals. The lunch starts with a delicious soup — we’ve tried the sopa azteca and ajiaco so far. The main courses we’ve had include pork medallions and chicken topped with mozzarella, both served with beans, salad, a plantain, and rice.
Alquimia
Alquimia, located above a bank on the main road through town, serves delicious food in a pleasant setting. At the back of the restaurant, you can have lunch with views overlooking the town.
The restaurant offers a decent fixed lunch menu as well as à la carte items, all reasonably priced. We’ve tried the sancocho and bandeja paisa from the fixed lunch menu, as well as the churrasco and other specials. Every meal has been great. Staff are friendly and the service is efficient.
Casa Loma
If you’re looking for a good burger, try Casa Loma. They offer a good selection of creative burgers, and I also like the Papas Porky — fries topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce, tomato, and onion — as well as the burritos.
Artesanos
Artesanos serves a variety of pizzas and burgers. We went for the pizza, which turned out better than expected —though to be fair, my expectations were very low. The crust was good, but the toppings could use some work. I was also surprised they didn’t have any pepperoni in stock, which really limited our options.
Campanario (Permanently Closed)
Campanario is a pizza place along the canal running through town, in the same location where Sabrozona used to be. They offer good pizzas cooked in a real pizza oven. The crust is delicious and there’s a nice variety of toppings. It’s hard to find decent pizza in Colombia, but Campanario is definitely on the right track.
Mulatazo (Temporarily Closed — Relocating to a Rural Area)
Mulatazo is an authentic Mexican restaurant run by a man from Mexico City. It’s located right across the street from Campanario.
Mulatazo serves up delicious Mexican specialties such as enchiladas, tacos, sopa azteca, flautas, and homemade nachos. Main dishes come with a bowl of soup. We’ve tried an order of nachos with queso, beans, and a house salsa, and enjoyed two different complimentary soups.
For dinner, I’ve had enchiladas de pollo and chilaquiles while Marisol has tried the beef tacos and ranchero tacos. We’ve also had both regular flautas and flautas ahogadas, plus a cinnamon roll for dessert. We’ve been happy with all of our choices and will definitely be back for more!
Movimiento Natural
Movimiento Natural is a health food restaurant located above a gym near the canal running through town. We each had the lunch special, which included grilled chicken with mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, rice, a salad, and patacón. It’s a pleasant space with an interesting concept and good service, but we weren’t convinced by the food.
Where to Eat Steak in Belén de Umbría
Belén de Umbría has a few decent steak restaurants, though there seems to be a never-ending cycle of openings, closings, and ownership changes. Our favorites have shifted over time.
Casablanca
Casablanca took over the spot where Mirador Plaza used to be. They serve steaks and other meat dishes and offer a great view of the plaza. The owner is very friendly, and service is excellent.
To be honest, the steaks aren’t that great, but the pork medallions and salmon dishes are decent. They also make pretty good soups. Unfortunately, the steaks don’t come close to what Sabrozona or Francachela used to offer.
Francachela (Permanently Closed)
Francachela opened in late 2022, taking over the space previously occupied by El Café de Belén and, before that, Benditas Alitas. It’s owned by the same man who once ran Sabrozona.
We love going to Francachela for lunch. For starters, we usually get the patacones. The meat is excellent, and steaks usually come with a baked potato, plantain chips, and a salad. The mixed grill is a great choice, and you can’t go wrong with the bandeja paisa, which is a special on Fridays.
Sabrozona (Permanently Closed)
Sabrozona is a short walk downhill from the main plaza, near the canal running through town. It serves excellent steak, chicken, pork, and ribs. The wonderful hosts and attentive service make it a pleasure to visit.
Meals are hearty and reasonably priced, served with fries, patacón, salad, and arepa. The steaks are tender and cooked to perfection, making Sabrozona quickly become one of our favorite spots in town.
This restaurant also offers soup and a small selection of burgers. The biggest burger, the Doña Bastante, is borderline grotesque. It contains chorizo, a fried egg, onion, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and two patties.
Mirador Plaza (Permanently Closed)
Mirador Plaza is a meat lover’s restaurant, serving grilled meats including beef, chicken, and traditional dishes. They cook the meat to your specification, which is a breath of fresh air — especially since it’s tough to get a steak properly cooked rare in Colombia! (Note: Unfortunately, the quality of meat declined over time. Prices dropped, and although we were assured the meat was the same, it wasn’t. The very last time we went, the steak was almost like a rubber eraser.)
Coffee in Belén de Umbría
Being one of the most important coffee-producing towns in Colombia, you might expect Belén de Umbría to have all kinds of great cafés. It’s not quite that simple, but there are a few spots where you can enjoy a very good cup of coffee and even a decent meal.
Café El Caney
Personally, I think the best coffee by far is at Café El Caney, which serves one of my favorite coffees in Colombia. It’s located on the second floor of a building near the firehouse and has a lovely balcony.
El Caney is one of the few places in town where you can get coffee prepared using alternative methods. We usually go for a Chemex, which includes a demonstration at the table. The coffee comes from a finca near Belén de Umbría called El Caney, and the owner of the finca is sometimes around to talk about his coffee.
In addition to great coffee, they have excellent cakes and cookies, hearty breakfasts, and good sandwiches and crepes. We love the omelettes, and the pancakes are also delicious.
Somba Café
You’ll find Somba Café a block off the plaza. It’s a cozy spot with very good coffee, a nice selection of pastries, craft beer, and a few food options. Service is great, and we enjoy spending time there.
As for food, we’ve tried the breakfast and the house special burger, La Michua. It’s topped with lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese, bacon, shredded chicken, and grilled pineapple.
Místico
Místico is just a few steps from Somba Café. It’s a café-bar with occasional live entertainment. The setting is great, service is friendly, and they have decent drinks. The coffee can be hit or miss.
Bendito Café
Bendito Café is attached to Benditas Alitas on the plaza. It has a nice atmosphere, a few small, intimate rooms, great service, and excellent views of the plaza. The coffee isn’t bad, and they offer a good selection of desserts. The milkshakes could be a lot thicker, though.
Don Cristóbal
Heading uphill alongside the church you’ll find Don Cristóbal. This colorful, cozy spot serves very good coffee, along with sandwiches, cakes, and snacks.
Melcochudos
Melcochudos is a block uphill from the plaza, across from Nuestra Señora del Rosario High School. They serve great coffee and pastries, as well as breakfasts, wraps, and sandwiches.
El Café de Belén (Permanently Closed)
El Café de Belén is a nice place to have coffee. The coffee is ok, and they also serve decent cakes. It’s located on a corner of the main road through town and has interesting decor inside.
Where to Eat Outside Belén de Umbría
There are a few great places to eat just outside Belén de Umbría. They offer fantastic settings and good food, and they’ve quickly become some of our favorite spots to visit.
La Delfa
La Delfa is a cool spot on the road to Taparcal. It’s in a breezier, cooler part of town. Service is friendly and fast, and prices are very reasonable.
We really love the space at La Delfa. The beanbag chairs are a fun place to sit with friends or family, and kids love the trampoline and swings. We always look forward to going back.
We’re impressed by the variety on the menu at La Delfa. They have burgers, Mexican favorites, pastas, steaks, and much more. As for Mexican dishes, we’ve tried the flautas, tacos al pastor, fajitas, and tostadas. Everything is delicious, although the tacos al pastor weren’t exactly authentic (Note: tacos al pastor are no longer on the menu). The fajitas aren’t traditional either — they’re already assembled, served as hard shell tacos with meat and cheese, and come without fixings.
One of our favorites is the Papas Texanas — thick-cut potatoes topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce, and cheddar. They also have very good wings and burgers.
For dessert, try the brownie with ice cream. The waffle is also delicious, nicely done, and topped with strawberries, banana, Nutella, and chocolate sauce.
For drinks, I usually get the soda with red fruits. The coconut lemonade is also delicious, with a nice, creamy texture.
Mirador Las Veraneras
The other spot is Mirador Las Veraneras. It’s just a few minutes outside town on the road to Santa Emilia, located at a colorful finca with a spectacular view of Belén de Umbría.
There’s a clear view of the town and the surrounding green landscape. The best time to visit is about an hour before dark, so you can see the town in daylight and again at night when it’s all lit up.
Mirador Las Veraneras has a nice outdoor seating area with unobstructed views of the town, as well as a covered section n case of rain.
The finca has a colorful house where the owners prepare meals and drinks, adding to the lovely scenery for your visit.
The menu is simple but good. Try the salchipapas, chorizo, or plantain with cheese. The tostadas and churrasco are also worth trying.
The burger is interesting. Instead of a typical burger on a bun with the usual fixings, it contains meat, pickles, pineapple, plantain chips, bacon, and tomato, all wrapped up in a tortilla.
For dessert, the chocolate milkshake is decent. They also offer brownies and a small selection of ice cream.
