“It’s the unparalleled respect for local tradition and ingredients that stands out.“
Dinner with a view at Ritwal. Courtesy of Ritwal Mesa Mistica.
“Here, everything blooms.” So goes the slogan for Medellín, the mountainous metro in northern Colombia known as the City of Eternal Spring for its year-round temperate weather. Recently, that sense of growth has extended to the city’s culinary scene.
Even a few years ago, predicting the growth taking place in the city’s restaurants and bars would have been hard. But bloom it has; numerous restaurants and bars have found their way onto the World’s Best lists, drawing international buzz. And while there is plenty of novelty in Medellín right now, the more interesting development ties to how firmly the city’s kitchens and bars have turned inward to Colombian ingredients and ideas.
Chefs like Adolfo Cavalie and Pablo Naranjo blur the lines between the study of Colombia’s biodiversity and environmental stewardship through local sourcing and waste reduction. Cocktail bars rework classic drinks with 100 percent Colombian ingredients. More openings are on the way, but the movement is not simply a trend. It points to something more lasting: a culinary community with a strong sense of place and a growing confidence in its identity.
These are some of the top spots to savor and experience Medellín’s culinary rise.
Dining at Zombra. Courtesy of Zombra.
Where to Eat
Zombra
North Stars:
Chef Pablo Naranjo’s Zombra just celebrated its first anniversary, but it’s already setting new standards in the city for its zero-waste philosophy, which yields unexpected dishes like desserts composed almost entirely from beets and lemon rind-derived limoncello. Locally sourced ingredients mean menus rotate frequently based on seasonality, but curries remain a favorite, thanks to the chef’s time in India.
Carmen
North Stars:
When it first debuted over 15 years ago, Carmen was a pioneer in Colombian fine dining. At the time, its approach — centering traditional ingredients and traditions but presenting them in a fresh, contemporary package — felt radically new, but now, it’s the norm. Carmen just keeps getting better with time, with every plate feeling like a journey across Colombia, like the chorizo de mar: coastal mussels and prawns coming together with fritters made from Andean corn. That sensibility carries into the World’s 50 Best Bars-listed bar, where Maycoll Tobon’s cocktails draw on ingredients like viche (a sugarcane-derived alcohol originating from the Pacific Coast area) and coffee from one of Medellín’s urban farms.
TEST Kitchen Lab
North Stars:
In keeping with its name, an almost scientific study of Colombian biodiversity underpins chef Adolfo Cavalie’s work at TEST Kitchen Lab. Centering indigenous and native foods and using 100% Colombian ingredients also keeps sourcing closer to home, reducing transport and preserving freshness. Bar-style seating makes visitors feel like they’re a part of the process, interacting with chefs as they plate food and stir up cocktails. Make sure to check TEST’s schedule before booking to see if you might coincide with one of the frequent guest chef pop-up events.
Carmen restaurant. Courtesy of Carmen.
Casa Barranco
North Stars:
If TEST is Cavalie’s deep dive into Colombia’s bounty, then Casa Barranco is a return to his Peruvian roots. Casa Barranco is not high-minded Peruvian cuisine, but rather lovingly made dishes that feel like home; just the kind that an expat like Cavalie would miss. Watch plates of lomo salteado, fried potatoes, and crudos fly from the kitchen in this tavern-style spot, which maintains Cavalie’s commitment to sustainable sourcing.
Don Diablo
North Stars:
Colombia might not be as well known for its carne as some of its South American neighbors, but Don Diablo is an effective argument for giving Colombian beef more credit. The kitchen is equipped with the only dry-aging room of its kind in the country, serving 100% Colombian, in-house dry-aged beef, grilled to perfection over local wood. The restaurant also works with smaller producers around the country to preserve different Creole breeds of pork and cattle for diversity.
Naúfrago
North Stars:
The green, leafy courtyard inside The Click Clack Hotel in El Poblado is lined with plenty of bars and eateries to choose from, but the best of the bunch is on the top floor: Naúfrago. A light, fresh menu prioritizing overlooked and traditional Colombian and South American ingredients — discovered on trips like to the Colombian Amazon — fits the space’s loungey vibe, which often hosts guest bartenders and chefs between DJ sets. Views overlooking the city are breathtaking.
Dining at El Cielo. Courtesy of El Cielo.
Gesto
North Stars:
When chef Miguel Warren was forced to close his first restaurant during the pandemic, he didn’t immediately rush to open something new. Instead, he headed to the mountains outside of Medellín to tend to the farm that now produces the ingredients he works with at Gesto. To eat at the 18-seat restaurant, surrounded by lush greenery and mountain views about 40 minutes outside of the city, is tantamount to being welcomed into Warren’s own meticulously-kept home for a meal.
Elcielo
North Stars:
Fine dining enthusiasts may know Elcielo as the MICHELIN-starred restaurant in Washington, D.C., but the story behind the celebrated spot starts in Medellín. Chef Juan Manuel “Juanma” Barrientos opened Elcielo as one of the city’s first proper fine dining restaurants to focus on Colombian cuisine, rather than calling on inspiration from abroad. Years later, Juanma’s first restaurant still serves both an extensive tasting menu and à la carte options, now from inside Elcielo Hotel in El Poblado.
The buzzy bar at Mamba Negra. Courtesy of Mamba Negra.
Sambombi Bistró Local
North Stars:
Even though Sambombi Bistró Local has a spot on the list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, don’t expect any pretension here. Chef Jhon Zárate prides himself on showcasing simple, well-done food — think grilled chicken, chorizo over beans, plates of pasta, and fresh seafood — much of which originates from local producers in the mountains around the city. Bare walls are lined with bottles of wine, so there’s plenty to try here or at Sambombi’s new wine bar, Baravan.
Salón Centro
North Stars:
On a day spent exploring Plaza Botero and the Museo de Antioquia in Medellín’s gritty downtown center, plan to stop for lunch at Salón Centro. The menu highlights well-done classic Colombian dishes from all corners of the country, with the seasonal, Pacific-inspired arroz de coco with shrimp as a menu must. Save space for dessert, especially if the chef’s strawberry and guanabana merengue is on the menu.
Ritwal Mesa & Mística
North Stars:
Upon arrival, it’s not immediately obvious how special Ritwal Mesa & Mística is. Descend the hillside into its mountainside open-air dining space, and you quickly find out. Ritwal’s locally sourced menu takes inspiration from international favorites and comfort foods like steak, seafood paella, and pasta. Brunch on the weekends is a big draw, especially for families, though it’s hard to contemplate a better place to enjoy the sunset.
Seafood at Krudo. Courtesy of Krudo, Viches & Vinilos.
Where to Drink
Rituales Compañía de Café
North Stars:
Among Medellín’s vast universe of incredible coffee shops, Rituales Compañía de Café in the tree-lined neighborhood of Laureles stands out for its ethical practices and excellent food and drink. Rituales sources coffee from small regional producers, paying fair wages for crops while also providing multi-layered support for producers. Be sure to check out the company’s roastery, La Fábrica del Café, in the industrial-turned-artistic Perpetuo Socorro barrio. There, they offer everything from coffee tasting experiences to roasting support for small producers and even concerts and parties in the evenings.
Mamba Negra
North Stars:
Medellín is a city made of a million views, but I’m convinced there is none better than the view from Mamba Negra. Here, sweeping vistas are matched only by the visionary methods of Juan David Zapata and his team of bartenders, who have put Colombian spirits, ingredients, and flavors on the map. At this World’s 50 Best Bars-listed spot, ordering anything other than one of the team’s craft cocktails is a sin. Or, chase drinks at Mamba’s casual downstairs sister spot, Hasta La Pizza Baby.
Krudo, Viches & Vinilos
North Stars:
Low lighting and vinyl records set the mood at Krudo, Viches & Vinilos, complemented by fresh seafood and good drinks. If you haven’t tried viche yet, this is the place to do it; this traditional distillate originates from the Colombian Pacific and was outlawed for many years, but is now a growing point of pride, making its way into high-level mixology across the country.
Carley Rojas Ávila is a bilingual journalist, editor, and creator covering travel, cuisine, and culture across Latin America. Now based in Medellín, Colombia, she has lived and worked in multiple countries across the region over the past fifteen years, including Argentina, Cuba, and Ecuador. Her work has appeared in publications like Forbes, Travel + Leisure, MSN, Yahoo, and Euronews, and has been syndicated to more than three hundred publications from the Associated Press wires. When she’s not on the road, she can be found hiking active volcanoes, testing new wellness treatments, and exploring Medellín’s world-class coffee scene. Find her on Instagram at @carleyrojasavila and read more of her work at carleyrojasavila.com.
