Looking for the best Colombian restaurants in Medellin?
Look no further, because, in this article, we cover what we believe are the best local restaurants in Medellin.
Keep in mind that we solely recommend restaurants that serve Colombian food in Medellin, as there are countless international restaurants to be found in the city as well.
For that, we recommend you read our article about the best restaurants in Medellin.
But when you want to discover the Colombian cuisine in this vibrant city, keep on reading.
With that being said, let’s jump to our results.
The best Colombian restaurants in Medellin are:
1. Mamasita Medallo
Mamasita Medallo is a modern Colombian restaurant in Medellin that, aside from its impressive ambience, offers a good variety of tasty Colombian foods.
It’s an ideal place to enjoy good Colombian food and drinks with friends in a trendy place that does not necessarily break your wallet.
Although the menu is not that extensive, the options offer a good variety of Colombian classics with a modern twist.
Our favourite dish we tried is the Picada de Morcilla (20,000 COP), which is a plate full of grilled morcilla (blood sausage) with roasted potatoes and heavenly guacamole.
The Morcilla is sliced first and then grilled on all sides, which gives the sausage even more flavour.
Another impressive dish is the Tazon Paisa (29,000 COP), which is a plate full of meats (minced beef, chicharron and chorizo) served with beans, arepas, baked bananas and crunchy fried onions.
What makes this dish so delicious is the variety of textures along with the variety of saltiness and sweetness.
Other recommended dishes are Tazon Baby Beef (29,000 COP), Garbanzo Consuelito (25,000 COP) and the Morrilla A La Brasa (41,000 COP).
But honestly, everything we tried was impressive.
Picada de Morcilla (20,000 COP)
Tazon Baby Beef (29,000 COP)
Tazon Paisa (29,000 COP)
2. Hacienda
When you are looking for traditional Colombian food in Medellin, one of your best options is Hacienda.
This popular Colombian restaurant has six branches in the city and solely focuses on typical Colombian dishes, such as Bandeja Paisa, a good variety of soups such as Ajiaco, Mondongo, and Sancocho, and Chicharron-inspired platters.
Before jumping to the food recommendations, it is good to know that the service at Hacienda is flawless.
The food is served quickly, and the staff, who wears traditional Colombian clothes, have a good eye for detail and make sure that you have an excellent dining experience.
The menu of Hacienda is not that extensive but is really well-priced.
In other words, all the ingredients for a great dinner.
One of the best traditional Colombian restaurants in Medellin!
Where the previously recommended Mamasita Medallo serves modern Colombian meals in a trendy setting, Hacienda is the exact opposite: traditional food in a stunning, traditional interior.
During our visits, we went for their signature soups.
Highly recommended are the Sancocho (32,900 COP) and the Lentejas (22,900 COP).
Sancocho is a typical Colombian soup with potatoes, beef, pork, and herbs while Lentejas is a lentil-based soup that reminds me of Dutch pea soup.
Both are extremely tasty and are served with rice and avocado to make them a proper meal.
Lentejas (22,900 COP)
There are many tasty platters to choose from as a side dish that has the texture soups don’t have.
When visiting Hacienda as a couple or group, we recommend you try their starters or one of the Chicharron dishes.
For a savoury punch, order their Trio Antioqueño (18,900 COP), which is a plate with chicharron, chorizo, morcilla, and arepas that are accompanied by a variety of dipping sauces.
Crispetas de Chicharron (17,900 COP) was surprisingly delicious as the Chicharron (fried pork belly) is coated with a layer of batter and then deep-fried for the ultimate crunchiness.
The deep-fried Chicharron is served with roasted potatoes and covered in a tasty creamy sauce.
Hacienda is one of the best typical Colombian restaurants in Medellin and for authentic, clean Colombian food, a must-visit.
Trio Antioqueño (18,900 COP)
Crispetas de Chicharron (17,900 COP)
3. Mondongo’s
Perhaps the most popular Colombian restaurant in Medellin is Mondongo’s.
This restaurant has quite the allure.
When international celebrities like Guns & Roses and dozens of Colombian celebrities are your regular customers, you know that this restaurant does something incredibly well.
Mondongo’s is specialized in a few dishes with the Mondongo soup as their most famous dish.
Mondongo’s has two restaurants in Medellin (in Laureles and in El Poblado), as well as one branch in Miami.
It’s not a fancy restaurant, no.
It’s a proper Colombian restaurant that serves amazing typical Colombian dishes.
Before jumping to the recommended dishes, this restaurant deserves a huge compliment for having an incredibly trained team that makes sure that you don’t have to wait long for a table or the food, despite it being so insanely busy every day.
As the name of the restaurant already suggests, people visit Mondongo’s for … Mondongo (36,000 COP), a typical soup from Antioquia (the region from Medellin) that is made with typical Colombian spices as well as a slightly unusual ingredient for many Western tourists: beef tripe.
Although this might not seem that delicious, this soup at Mondongo’s is seriously tasty and properly prepared.
But personally, I believe the Ajiaco (29,500 COP) is even tastier.
This soup is actually a complete meal as it has shredded chicken and potatoes in it.
You can even add cream, capers and cilantro to it to make it even tastier (and more filling).
The last dish we recommend, and that’s also what Mondongo’s is known for, is their Tipico Antioqueño (39,500 COP), which is a Bandeja Paisa, a typical platter from Medellin.
The dishes from Mondongo’s are also listed in our articles about the best Mondongo in Medellin and the best Bandeja Paisa in Medellin.
Tip: The bowls of soup are pretty big and filling. It is possible to order the Mondongo in a junior-sized bowl. This way you can try more dishes if you have a large appetite.
Typical Colombian food in Medellin at Mondongo’s!
Delicious Ajiacos – my personal favourite!
Famous Mongongo’s – Must-try food in Medellin
Tipico Antioqueño (39,500 COP)
4. La Matriarca
This restaurant is known for its Chicharron but offers a large variety of typical Paisa food (from the Antioquian region) to Coastal food.
There is an abundance of tasty options, although there are a handful of best-sellers the majority of its customers opt for.
First of all, there is the Paella de Chicharron (48,000 COP), which is slightly spicy and comes with large bits of crispy, yet succulent pork belly.
But there are also chunks of smoked chicken in it as well, which gives it a super nice taste.
Another popular option is their Ceviche de Chorizo (25,900 COP), which is high in sourness and the herbs inside the Chorizo are subtle.
During the weekends, the branch in Poblado is open at eight o’clock in the morning, meaning that there is a good variety of typical Colombian breakfast options.
We suggest going for their signature Calentado Matriarca (24,000 COP), which is a plate full of sausage, Calentado (stir-fried rice with beans), famous chicharron, and arepa with cheese.
La Matriarca is a tremendously popular restaurant known for its typical, Colombian food with a great atmosphere.
Especially in the evenings and during the weekends, this place is bustling including live music.
Tocina al Cajón (46,900 COP)
Picada Antioqueña (75,000 COP)
Calentado Matriarca (24,000 COP)
Ceviche de Chorizo (29,500 COP)
Bandeja Paisa (45,900 COP)
Paella de Chicharron (48,000 COP)
5. Maru Rico
Maru Rico is a hugely popular Colombian restaurant in Medellin that does a few things so well, that the restaurant is always completely packed with hungry locals during lunchtime.
First of all, Maru Rico serves impressive Colombian comfort food, mostly heavy meat dishes.
Highlights such as their Típico Frijoles (35,000 COP), which is a large plate with chicharron (pork belly), chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), fried egg, rice, and beans are served to one of the many tables as quickly as possible.
That brings me to the second thing they do very well, namely the hard-working staff sprinting from one table to the other while the chefs prepare the food as quickly as possible.
It’s simply impressive how fast food gets to your table.
Other specialties are their soups and Picadas (a dish we will explain further in this article).
Maru Rico is not a fancy place, but a perfect place to try typical Colombian comfort food.
Make sure you come with an empty stomach as the portions are huge.
Cazuela Paisa (30,000 COP)
Típico Frijoles (35,000 COP)
6. Mi Arepa
Thinking of Colombian food, one must always think of arepas.
Each region in Colombia has its own type of arepa and arepas are served with all sorts of typical Colombian dishes.
You can find arepa restaurants that bring this corn flour “bun” to the next level by making it a sort of pita bread completely filled with all sorts of deliciousnesses.
Mi Arepa is one of these restaurants and boy do they do a good job.
Mi Arepa is yet another hugely popular restaurant in Medellin and if you’re craving a fast-food-style arepa, you must visit this place.
Personal favourites are the Arepa Ranchera, which is filled with all sorts of meats including chicharron and chorizo, as well as the Aerpa De La Casa, which has all the typical Colombian ingredients you can imagine, including beans, avocado, chicharron, and chorizo.
The arepas are finished with a homemade sauce.
There are other dishes available as well, such as patacones and quesadillas, but the main attraction is the arepas.
Mi Arepa is listed in our article about the best arepas in Medellin where you can find other amazing arepa restaurants.
Arepa de la Casa (16,500 COP)
Arepa Ranchera (14,500 COP)
7. Piketeadoro
Piketeadoro is a popular restaurant in Medellin for those who are craving Picada.
One of the absolute must-eats in Colombia is a dish named Picada, which is a plate full of roasted meats, sausages, potatoes, corn, and many other ingredients.
Although Picada has Argentinian origins, the dish is so integrated into Colombian culture, that you can find restaurants serving Picada everywhere.
A plate of this deliciousness is usually eaten with a group where you just pick it from the plate, although there are restaurants that serve one-person-Picada plates.
Piketeadoro is a family-friendly restaurant with a spacious outside area where kids can play football, ride horses, and have a wonderful afternoon while the rest of the family enjoys Picada with an ice-cold beer or some of the other recommended dishes on the menu.
Picada plates start from two persons (Pikete Para 2 costs 64,900 COP) and go up to plate for four persons (114,900 COP).
It’s good to know that they also serve vegetarian versions of Picada.
A plate of Picada for Two costs you 64,900 COP.
A plate full of Colombian deliciousnesses!
Sopa de Arroz
8. Aijacos & Mondongos
When the walls inside the restaurant are completely full of thank you notes from famous Colombian people and pictures and awards hanging on the wall, you know you’re about to eat something extraordinary.
The name of the restaurant already suggests what the speciality is, namely Ajico and Mondongo, although they serve one other dish aside from their starters on their little menu as well, which is the typical Medellin plate called Cazuela De Frijoles.
It’s these kinds of restaurants that I always love: a small local restaurant that is not too fancy and serves a handful of dishes that they perfected over the years, often thanks to a family-secret recipe.
For this restaurant, both Ajiaco and Mondongo as by far the best dishes you can try.
All three main dishes come in two sizes, either 22,500 COP or 26,700 COP.
Mondongo is a typical soup from Medellin which has a distinctive, savoury flavour that tastes really good.
The only downside that Mondongo has is that it’s filled with beef tripe, which is an ingredient, not all foreigners like to eat.
Luckily there is an even more tasty alternative, namely Ajiaco.
This soup with shredded chicken and potato, which originates from Bogota, is excellent for the Western taste palate and our favourite dish we tried at this restaurant.
Before eating, you can add the cream and capers, which are served separately, to your soup.
We were blown away after our first sip, you really have to try this deliciousness.
Outstanding Colombian food: Ajiaco, Mondongo and Cazuela de Frijoles
Our favourite dish here: Aijaco.
Arepas con Hagao
The three tasty dishes available at Aijaco & Mondongo.
9. Alambique
Alambique is a trendy eatery that serves some of the most creative Colombian food in Medellin.
It’s a restaurant that you visit on a special occasion as it’s a bit pricy compared to regular Colombian restaurants in the city.
A reservation is basically mandatory unless you visit the restaurant at the less popular times.
The menu is ideal for larger groups as most dishes are sharing platters and come in huge portions, although there are some dishes available that suit smaller groups.
What makes Alambique so unique is aside from the creative food, the restaurant has an amazing atmosphere with a combination of vintage items surrounded by (indoor) nature.
When it comes to food, there are a few hugely popular dishes that regular customers always opt for.
Alambique is known for its Ceviche de Chicharron (68,000 COP), which is an 800-gram, deep-fried pork belly covered in the sourness of the ceviche.
Another best-seller is the Brisket (58,000 COP), which is a 10-hour slow-cooked beef brisket, finished over charcoal.
The ideal sharing platter for two is the Cazuela de Sobrebarriga (55,000 COP), which is a bowl of pulled pork that you can eat with homemade nachos.
All these three dishes are mouth-watering good.
There are plenty of other dishes to discover on the menu but it’s no secret that these three specialties are the hottest items on the menu and during one of our visits, the Ceviche de Chicharron was sold out!
Albóndigas de Res y Cerdo (38,000)
Cazuela de Sobrebarriga (55,000 COP)
Ceviche de Chicharron (68,000 COP)
Chicharrón Con Costilla (38,000)
10. La Gloria De Gloria
Does size matter? According to this restaurant it does.
Simply put this way, La Gloria De Gloria serves some of the largest chicharron in the city and the huge platters of typical Colombian food are what attract many “paisa” to come to have a meal here with their family.
But one must be warned as this insanely popular restaurant has limited seatings and therefore there is basically always a queue in front of the restaurant.
Here is a tip: most people visit this restaurant, which is located in Envigado, with their family or at least four people.
If you come with two people in total, you have a big chance to skip the line and dine at one of the few tables for two people.
Highlights of the menu are the Almuerzo Complete (48,000 COP), Morcilla (25,000 COP), and the Sancocho (42,000 COP).
It’s good to know that some dishes come in smaller portions as the regular dishes are humongous.
When you order their specialty, the Almuerzo Complete, you will also receive a smaller portion of the Morcilla.
In other words, when visiting with two, a plate of Almuerzo Complete is more than enough so you can enjoy their specialties: chicharron and morcilla.
The main reason why people visit this place: the huge chicharron!
The highlight of this hugely popular Colombian restaurant: Almuerzo Complete (48,000 COP)
The main reason why people visit this place: the huge chicharron!
11. Lenos y Carbon
Leños y Carbón is a successful restaurant chain in Colombia with restaurants in Medellin, Bogota, and many more.
If you want to explore Colombian comfort food in a clean and well-organized environment, Leños y Carbón is a highly recommended place to go.
Comforting dishes include Colombian soups, Morillo (Colombian blood sausage), and one of our favourites: Celentado Paisa (25,900 COP), which is a rice dish with beans, chicharron (pork belly) and baked banana served with a fried egg, arepas, and avocado.
We also highly recommend you try their Morcillas Leños (10,900 COP).
This delicacy might sound too adventurous to some as it’s made with blood, but it’s seriously tasty and one of the highlights of Colombian cuisine.
Aside from these classic Colombian dishes, Leños y Carbón specializes in beef as well and steak-lovers will leave the restaurants satisfied.
Even the Sándwich de Lomo de Res a la Paprika Combo, which is a steak sandwich with fries, is really tasty thanks to the high quality of the beef (it melts in your mouth).
Leños y Carbón is ideal for people who want to explore Colombian cuisine with good service, and tasty and clean food in a well-organized environment.
Morcillas Leños (10,900 COP)
Lomito Parrilla (50,900 COP)
Celentado Paisa (25,900 COP)
12. Pollos a la Brasa Mario La América
Pollos a la Brasa Mario La América is a type of Colombian restaurant in Medellin that I simply love and look for in every city I visit.
What kind of type of restaurant am I talking about? This restaurant is in business since 1968, specializing in grilled Asado chicken.
They do one thing and that one thing they do, they do it really well.
Those kinds of restaurants I’m talking about.
Therefore, it’s fair to say that Pollos a la Brasa Mario La América serves the best grilled chicken in Medellin thanks to their amazing sauce in which the chicken is marinated.
The menu is straightforward, with several sizes of grilled chicken with or without side dishes such as arepas and potatoes.
Personally, the potatoes were tastier than the arepas, but both go well with this heavenly, juicy chicken.
No cutlery is given when the chicken is served.
No, you receive plastic gloves so you can devour that chicken cave-style: with your hands!
The interior of the restaurant is exactly what you can expect from a local eatery like this, it’s not a place for fancy dining but stuff yourself with comfort food.
Aside from grilled chicken, they do serve a typical Colombian soup called Consomé de Menudencias, but the main attraction is the grilled chicken.
Half a chicken incl. potatoes and arepas cost you 18,300 COP.
People from Medellin are waiting in line to get grilled chicken and soup here!
13. Chipstation
Every now and then you want to have something fast and tasty and it doesn’t matter that it’s far from healthy.
Chipstation has several branches spread over the city and serves a variety of Salchipapas: fries with all sorts of toppings.
While Salchipapa actually is topped with Salchicha (a type of sausage), there are many variations to be found, and at Chipstations, the toppings are quite interesting.
Two of our favourites are the Colombiano (15,900 COP) and the Mexicano (15,900 COP).
The Colombiano has a topping with Chicharron, frijoles, guacamole and pico de gallo while the Mexicano is topped with pulled pork, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
Chipstation can be found in several shopping malls.
Tip: We recommend you avoid this eatery during the weekends around dinner time as you have to wait quite some time and the fries are not always that fresh as it is extremely busy. In other words: avoid peak hours.
Tasty fries with Mexicano and Colombiano toppings!
14. La Rivera Manjares
Arguably the best Arroz Con Leche in Medellin can be found at La Rivera Manjares, which is more of a house than a restaurant and is located a bit outside the city centre.
Arroz Con Leche is a Colombian version of rice pudding, but the Colombian version has bits of cheese in it.
A bowl of Arroz Con Leche costs you 7,000 COP and the ride to La Rivera Manjares alone is already worth the trip.
If you follow the road, that leads up the mountain, you can find several cool places to have a drink with a spectacular view of Medellin.
In case you don’t want to take the ride all the way to La Rivera Manjares, there is another Arroz con Leche specialist in the city.
The shop is located in Envigado and they also have a van, where the driver sells delicious Arroz con Leche on the street.
The name of this shop is Arroz Con Leche La Vacapeca and you can combine a visit to the van in Los Bernal with a visit to the next recommended Colombian restaurant.
Arroz Con Leche (7,000 COP).
Do you want to know more about the Colombian gastronomy?
Check out our article about what to eat in Colombia, which is an extensive article that covers the basics of Colombian cuisine as well as many dishes you should try in each culinary region of Colombia.
Ideal for those who are planning to travel around this beautiful country as well as update your basic knowledge about this diverse gastronomy.
Further relevant food articles about Medellin:
This article will be updated in the upcoming weeks and many more of the best Colombian restaurants in Medellin will be added.