A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Bogota
- Bogota Information
- Eating & drinking in Bogota
- Things to do in Bogota
- Where to stay in Bogota
- Bogota street map
Bogota has one of the most vibrant cultural scenes in South America and is probably rivaled only by Buenos Aires for the large number of chic restaurants and all-night clubs. And although the cost of living remains very low, the city enjoys a cosmopolitan vibe that's almost comparable to New York or London.
National specialties include 'ajiaco' (an unusual chicken stew) and 'puchero', a light soup of manioc, green bananas, meat, boiled egg and avocado pulp. Local coffee is excellent quality, although many Colombians favor 'santafereno' (hot chocolate with cheese for dunking) in the mornings.
Dining out is incredibly affordable and there’s a host of restaurants scattered across the city serving both traditional Colombian and international dishes. The leafy residential streets north of Calle 60 and the top of Monserrate are the best spots to find high quality (but still cheap) cuisine.
The city is also packed with vibrant bars and clubs that tend to play either European pop or salsa. The discos of La Candelaria, just south of the center, attract a bohemian crowd who keep the area lively until 3am (although there’s almost always an after-party nearby, too).
To the north of the city around Calle 83 and Carerra 13, the fluorescent Zona Rosa is a clubbers dream. Late-night bars get around the early curfew laws by declaring themselves social clubs, which means entry often requires a one-off ‘membership’ fee in lieu of a cover charge.
Parque 93 in the northeast of the city also has a lively nightlife scene and the bars, restaurants and live music venues in this neighborhood make for a great night out. Although most of these places play international tunes, there are also more salsa clubs here than in the Zona Rosa.