Wondering what are the best restaurants in Medellin?
In this article, we cover what we believe are simply the best places to eat in the city of Eternal Spring.
We’ve combined both Colombian and international restaurants to give you the ultimate list, making sure you won’t miss the culinary city highlights in all budget classes during your visit.
In case you solely want to explore Colombian gastronomy, have a look at our article about the best Colombian restaurants in Medellin instead.
Now, this is an incredibly long article, and the best way to explore it is by looking at the pictures first and reading the additional information once a restaurant and its food catch your attention.
You can also visit our Medellin restaurant database instead, where you have an overview of all the amazing restaurants listed in this article, as well as many others, with a short description, pictures, and actual prices of the dishes.
The best restaurants in Medellin are:
1. Mar y Fuego
This list of best restaurants in Medellin has been an ongoing project since the beginning of 2022 and the food scene in this city, until this day, still surprises me.
The fact that I can still discover new gems that simply blow my taste buds away says a lot about the culture and creativity of restaurant owners and their chefs in Medellin.
In my opinion, this article should serve as a source of inspiration for foodies who want to taste something unique, something that they cannot find back in their home country or city.
And preferably, it should have some Colombian or “Paisa” influence in it, or just simply stand out from the rest of its competition.
Now, Mar y Fuego checks all these boxes and if you’re into something unique, with flavors you won’t find anywhere else in the city, and maybe even in the country, this is the place you must visit.
Located in Poblado, surrounded by greenery, guests can enjoy a regular a-la-carte menu as well as a special brunch menu.
Most of the dishes are fusion dishes with local ingredients.
The restaurant is owned by a couple, where the lady is responsible for the hospitality and her husband is the chef.
With just a glimpse of the menu, you’ll immediately notice the creativity of the chef.
In 2023, the chef created the award-winning burger of that year for the Medellin Burger Contest, so he knows perfectly well what he is doing.
So, what can you expect at Mar y Fuego?
Brunch is available daily until 3 pm.
Regular breakfast dishes are also served at Mar y Fuego, ranging from egg platters, pancakes, french toast, and healthy bowls.
For brunch and breakfast, expect to pay between 25.000 to 35.000 COP per dish, with a few exceptions that include premium ingredients like lobster and fresh tuna.
Here are four recommended brunch dishes:
A glimpse of their brunch dishes.
Tuna Toast (37,900 COP): Sourdough with Philadelphia cheese, fresh tuna, avocado, kimchi mayonnaise, and a reduction of sesame and lemon.
Prawns Burger (45,900 COP): Garlic prawns on a brioche bun with tartar sauce, coleslaw, roasted pineapple, mayonnaise, and bacon.
Special French Toast (29,900 COP): Super tasty and comforting French toast with honey, fruits, whipped cream, and lemon zest.
Torticas de Chocolo (23,900 COP): Their own version of a typical Arepa de Chocola, made with sweet corn and fried costeño Cheese.
Tuna Toast (37,900 COP)
Prawns Burger (45,900 COP)
Special French Toast (29,900 COP)
Torticas de Chocolo (23,900 COP)
The regular menu is, like the brunch menu, also an a-la-carte menu and offers different lunch and dinner options.
There is also a select kids menu too.
Similar to the brunch menu, the dinner and lunch menu is somewhat limited but broad enough to choose something for everyone’s taste.
During our visit, we opted for four of the most-ordered dishes.
You can immediately notice the variety of dishes and the unique preparation and ingredients that are being used to make it a wonderful feast in your mouth.
From a comforting lobster hot dog to a huge tomahawk pork tenderloin, it’s hard to decide on these tasty options.
For dinner, expect to pay between 50.000 to 75.000 COP per dish, with a few exceptions that include premium ingredients like New York Angus and lobster.
Here are the four recommended dinner dishes:
A glimpse of their dinner dishes.
Pork Tomahawk (59,000 COP): Juicy pork cut with bone covered in spices, served with roasted peanut sauce and an aligot of creole potato.
Lobster & Shrimp Hot Dog (45,900 COP): Lobster and shrimp sauteed with garlic sauce, sweet chili, and lemon between a brioche bread with momposino cheese and tartar oil.
Pesco del Pacífico (69,900 COP): Catch of the day with shrimp and sausage covered in a shrimp sauce and green pepper from Putumayo.
Ceviche Coral (39,900 COP): This starter is a seafood mix of shrimp and octopus combined in a creamy sauce and topped with flaked pork belly.
Pork Tomahawk (59,000 COP)
Lobster & Shrimp Hot Dog (45,900 COP)
Pesco del Pacífico (69,900 COP)
Ceviche Coral (39,900 COP)
To describe Mar y Fuego in one sentence: comfort and fusion food in the heart of Poblado with unique and heavenly-tasting dishes you won’t find elsewhere in the city, without a premium price tag.
In my personal opinion, Mar y Fuego can measure itself among the best restaurants in Medellin.
Flavors and preferences are always personal, but I can guarantee whoever reads this that they are serving food that’s simply exceptional.
2. Mamasita Medallo
Mamasita Medalla is one of our favourite restaurants in Medellin as it offers exciting Colombian food in a cool environment and the food they serve won’t break the bank.
It has all the factors of being an amazing place for a proper, accessible dining experience.
There are enough fancy places to be found in the city, but we like the slightly casual ones much more.
Mamasita Medallo is the ideal place to enjoy Colombian food during the weekends with friends as most dishes are easy to share along with one of their tasty cocktails.
One of the highlights of the menu is the Picada de Morcilla (20,000 COP), which is grilled Morcilla (blood sausage) accompanied by roasted potatoes and super tasty guacamole (among the tastiest we’ve tried in the city).
The Morcilla is first cut into slices and then fried on both sides, giving it more texture and flavour.
Another amazing dish is their Tazon Paisa (29,000 COP), which is some sort of Bandeja Paisa (a signature regional dish) and as all parts of this dish are portioned in one-bite sizes, it can be easily shared with friends.
Like all dishes served here, the Tazon Baby Beef (29,000 COP) looks stunning and beef lovers should consider ordering this as the meat is succulent and well-flavoured.
There are many other dishes to discover on their exciting menu but when you order one of these three dishes, you can’t go wrong.
Tazon Paisa (29,000 COP)
Tazon Baby Beef (29,000 COP)
Picada de Morcilla (20,000 COP)
3. Hacienda
Where the previously recommended restaurant Mamasita Medallo offers a wide variety of trendy and modern Colombian dishes, this restaurant keeps it more traditional and is perhaps the best restaurant in Medellin for those who are unfamiliar with Colombian gastronomy and wants tasty authentic, Colombian dishes.
Hacienda is a successful eatery with several branches spread over the city and focuses solely on traditional Colombian dishes such as Bandeja Paisa, Sancocho and Chicharron-inspired platters.
The staff wears traditional clothes and the restaurants are decorated in a colonial theme.
The service is top-notch and during our visits, the food was served within ten minutes.
All the ingredients for a true feast and when visiting, make sure to try one of the following recommended dishes.
Tasty, typical Colombian food at Hacienda.
One of the highlights of our dinner was the Lentejas (22,900 COP), which is a typical Colombian soup with lentils, potatoes and meat.
The richly filled, savoury soup is a complete meal and is served with fried banana, rice and avocado.
Another speciality is the Sancocho (32,900 COP), perhaps the most popular Colombian soup in the country’s gastronomy.
Again, this soup is a complete meal as it’s served with rice and avocado.
We opted for two starters which were perfect to combine with the soups, namely the Trio Antioqueño (18,900 COP) which is a platter with chorizo, chicharron and morcilla along with arepas and fried potatoes.
The other starter we recommend is the Crispetas de Chicharron (17,900 COP), which is a plate with battered and fried chicharron with roasted potatoes dressed in a creamy sauce.
Both were excellent and are that savoury and crispy touch you want when eating Colombian soup.
After the meal, we were completely stuffed and when you go for both a starter and a main, you must be really hungry when visiting Hacienda.
Flavour-wise it was as authentic as it can be while the ingredients were of excellent quality.
In other words, a highly recommended restaurant in Medellin you as a tourist should visit to discover many flavours of Colombian cuisine.
Lentejas (22,900 COP)
Trio Antioqueño (18,900 COP)
Crispetas de Chicharron (17,900 COP)
4. Rocoto
Rocoto is a trendy restaurant in Poblado and Laureles that serves exciting Peruvian food.
The Peruvian gastronomy is known for its sourness with Ceviche as one of the stand-out dishes.
Visiting Rocoto is a real treat for your taste palette and contrary to Colombian gastronomy, the food is much lighter and therefore a great alternative.
The menu of Rocoto is extensive and when you don’t have the knowledge, it might be a bit challenging to find a dish that suits you.
And honestly, the dishes displayed on the menu all look spectacular and tasty.
Luckily, we have plenty of recommendations for you to try out.
Exciting Peruvian food at Rocoto.
One of the best dishes they serve at Rocoto – in our opinion – is in fact a starter, namely the Tiradito Furikaka (21,500 COP).
Slices of fresh fish are covered in homemade citrus mayonnaise and – this is the best part – topped with crispy salmon skin.
Like many dishes at Rocoto, this starter is high in sourness, but the mayonnaise does a great job balancing it.
Tiradito Furikaka (21,500 COP) with cocktails
There are several types of Ceviche available, and one of the bestsellers is the Tradicional de Maricsos (38,900 COP).
Chunks of fresh fish, squid and prawns are bathed in sourness and accompanied by mango, onion and avocado.
To give it some crunch, some crispy calamari is added to it as well.
Simply flawless.
If you want to try something completely different when it comes to Ceviche, we recommend you try the Ceviche Saltado (41,900 COP).
A plate with chunks of white fish, calamari and mussels served in a creamy sauce accompanied by yucca, avocado and Peviuvian creole sauce.
This is a much heartier Ceviche than what we’re used to.
Again, the sauce is high in sourness but seriously tasty.
Ceviche Saltado (41,900 COP)
Ceviche Tradicional de Maricsos (38,900 COP)
If you’re more into savoury and don’t appreciate the sourness that much, the Arroz Norteño (35,900+ COP) is a tasty option.
A plate full of sauteed rice, veggies and coriander sauce.
You can choose between prawns and chicken.
It’s a very comforting dish that has some similarities with Paella.
Make sure to leave some room for dessert.
The Spring Rolls (18,000 COP) are tasty and are a dessert that everyone loves (the spring rolls are filled with chocolate).
For a lighter, more exciting dessert, go for the Supriro Rocoto (14,500 COP), which is a cream that’s based on Arequipe accompanied by meringues and strawberries.
There is also a cocktail available Chicha Morada (14,000 COP), which is a typical, non-alcohol Peruvian drink made with a certain type of corn that’s imported from Peru.
Rocoto is the only restaurant in Medellin that serve it with Peruvian corn.
The stunning-looking dishes, the quality of the ingredients and the fact that the food is not crazy expensive make it one of our favourite restaurants in Medellin.
Arroz Norteño (35,900+ COP)
Spring Rolls (18,000 COP)
Supriro Rocoto (14,500 COP)
5. Relato
Relato is a trendy restaurant that offers an exciting fusion menu that combined Mediterranean, Asian and Latin cuisine.
This slightly upscale restaurant attracts a certain type of customer who likes to enjoy life to the fullest and get their stomach filled with tasty food before heading to one of the many nightlife venues close by in Provenza.
The EDM music coming out of the speakers on a Saturday night proves this, although it’s still a fine place for dinner.
And most importantly, the food is impressively tasty.
Our dinner started with two entrees, the Picada Tacos (29,900 COP) and the Arancinis Relato (19,900 COP).
These small, but tasty bites were perfect to stop our first hunger.
Especially the Italian Arancini balls, which are filled with rice and Mozerralla, are highly recommended thanks to the texture, flavour and satisfaction.
For mains, we opted the Relato Ribs (49,900 COP) and the Lomo Trufado (55,900 COP).
Those with a weakness for ribs should definitely go for it as the meat literally falls straight off the bone.
Without a doubt the tastiest ribs I’ve had in Medellin.
The beef from the Lomo Trufado is of excellent quality, but the risotto is even better.
There are many other impressive creations to discover at Relato including their Picana Pacha, Entraña and their dessert Dulce Relato.
Lomo Trufado (55,900 COP)
Exciting seafood to discover on their menu as well!
Relato Ribs (49,900 COP)
Dulce Relato
Croquetas de Risotto y Chorizo Antioqueño
Mouth-watering food at Relato!
6. Criminal Taqueria
Criminal Taqueria is the perfect example that delicious food doesn’t have to cost much.
This tiny restaurant with only outdoor seating is located right in the middle of Provenza, where you can find many bars but also a good variety of restaurants.
It’s the perfect place to grab a quick bite during the day but also during the late hours after or during a night out.
Criminal Taqueria is a popular Mexican place that serves super tasty burritos, tacos, nachos, and more.
I’ve been here several times after exploring Provenza’s exciting nightlife and one of the great things is, aside from their tasty comfort food, that when you order the spicy sauce, it is in fact, deliciously spicy.
There is a good variety of tacos and the majority of the customers will order a few from their selection.
My personal favourites are the Arrachera (8,900 COP), the Cochinita Pibil (7,000 COP), and the Barria Taco (11,900 COP).
The portions aren’t that large but super tasty.
As there are so many of these small restaurants located on this street, you can hop from one restaurant to another.
But keep in mind that this is one of the most popular eateries during the night in Provenza and you might have to wait a bit longer than usual.
For more Mexican food, check out our article about the best Mexican restaurants in Medellin.
7. La Matriarca
It is no secret that there are many amazing restaurants in Poblado, including Colombian ones.
La Matriarca is a tremendously popular eatery that offers a wide variety of typical Colombian dishes but is mostly specialized in Chicharron (crispy pork belly).
What’s so good about their Chicharron is that the outside is nicely crispy while the inside is perfectly succulent.
Also, the portions are balanced and dishes that are served here are more subtle, as most Colombian dishes are robust and large.
If you want to taste their delicious pork belly, definitely try their Paella de Chicharron (48,000 COP), which is among their best-sellers.
Alternatively, I would suggest trying their Tocina al Cajón (46,900 COP).
On Friday and Saturday, the restaurant is open until late, and many of its visitors not only come for their delicious food but also for the nice atmosphere and live music.
When visiting with a (larger) group, one of the must-orders is their Picada Antioqueña (75,000 COP), which goes perfectly with an ice-cold beer or a shot of aguardiente.
On Sunday, the restaurant is open early as many of its visitors come here to enjoy a typical Colombian breakfast.
One of their bestsellers is the Calentado Matriarca (24,000 COP).
Although most of the dishes are typically from Antioquia, there are alternative and lighter dishes available as well, such as Posta De La Negra (44,000 COP), a variety of ceviches as well as a kids menu, vegetarian menu, and even food for your dog.
Tocina al Cajón (46,900 COP)
Calentado Matriarca (24,000 COP)
Picada Antioqueña (75,000 COP)
Paella de Chicharron (48,000 COP)
8. La Pampa – Parrilla Argentina
La Pampa is yet another key player in the restaurant scene in Medellin.
With several branches spread all over the city that attracts plenty of customers, we can fairly say that they are quite successful.
La Pampa has different types of restaurants and La Pampa – Parrilla Argentine is the part of the franchise that serves authentic Argentinian food.
Vegetarians should skip this part of the article as there is plenty of tasty meat to be recommended.
In total, the La Pampa franchise has integrated five different cuisines and not every branch serves the same food.
Exciting Argentinian food at La Pampa Parrilla Argentina!
One of the best things you can order if you visit this place as a couple is the so-called Recorrido Argentine, which is an Argentinian food tour.
You start off with two typical Argentinian starters, namely the Chorizo Argentina (11,900 COP), which is nicely salty and slightly spicy and the Empanadas, both the Pollo (5,800 COP) and the Solomito (10,000 COP).
The chicken-filled empanadas as made with shredded chicken, cream, onion and paprika while the Solomito is filled with spiced beef.
What makes these Empanadas so good is that they are made with flour and not potatoes, making them lighter.
Empanadas Pollo (5,800 COP) with excellent filling!
Typical Argentinian Chorrizzo (11,900 COP)
The mains of this Argentinian taste adventure consists of Bondiola (48,500 COP) and Churrasco (48,500 COP).
Bondiola is a famous dish from Argentina where pork is prepared in the oven for 24 hours.
As you can imagine, the pork melts on your tongue.
Accompanied by special gravy and fries, this dish was our personal favourite.
The Churrasco is a popular steak in Argentina, but you can also find it in Colombia as well.
It’s served with homemade chimichurri, basil-induced mayo and ketchup.
Both dishes have 300-gram steaks and a plate full of fries.
You won’t leave this restaurant in too-loose pants.
Bondiola (48,500 COP), super tender!
Churrasco (48,500 COP)
Juicy steaks!
Chimichurri
You will the Argentinian tour with an Argentinian dessert called Alfajor Argentino (9,400 COP) with either white or dark ice cream.
What’s so Argentinian about this dessert is the cookie that’s on the bottom of the ice cream called Alfajor.
The dessert is not too sweet and has a great finish to an amazing meal.
There are many other dishes to discover, and the steak menu is as crazy as you want it to be.
The sky is the limit with steaks that easily costs you fifty dollars.
We do recommend you try their ribs.
After eight hours of being marinated and four hours of baking in the oven, the ribs get a final treatment on the Parrilla and are glazed in barbecue sauce.
These ribs cost you 48,500 COP.
There is a very good reason why this place is always busy and that’s because it serves amazing Argentinian food and we recommend you to try it out yourself.
Las Mejores Costillas de la Pampa (48,000 COP)
Delicious ribs coated in barbecue sauce.
Dessert with a typical Argentinian cookie.
Promotion: by showing this page to one of the branches of La Pampa (either El Piqueteadero de La Pampa, La Pampa Parilla Argentina or Kabuki) you receive a 10% discount on your bill. Valid from Thursday to Sunday.
9. Alambique
For many years, Alambique is one of the most popular eateries in Poblado.
It’s fair to say that nowadays it’s a legendary restaurant.
On the first floor inside an older building, there is this beautifully themed restaurant that’s ideal for dining with a group.
The menu, which is not that extensive, offers mostly dishes to share.
This concept attracts a certain type of customer and because most visitors come as a (small) group, there is a certain atmosphere that you won’t find elsewhere easily.
Most importantly, the food is top-notch and it makes people come back on a regular basis.
For that reason, Alambique is always crowded and reservation is basically required.
There are a few bestsellers on the menu that you should not ignore.
The most popular dish is the Cazuela de Sobrebarriga (55,ooo COP), a sharing platter with flavourful shredded, stewed beef and nachos.
Another must-try is the Brisket (58,000 COP), which is a 10-hour slow-cooked beef brisket, finished over charcoal.
One of the signatures that are perfect to share is the Ceviche de Chicharron (68,000 COP), which is a whopping 800-grams fried pork belly covered in sourness.
The last dish we recommend, and there are many other dishes to discover, is the Albóndigas de Res y Cerdo con Almendras (38,000 COP), which is beef wrapped in puff pastry along with cheese.
When we visited this restaurant, we could not even finish two of these sharing platters as the portions were enormous.
So make sure to visit Alambique on an empty stomach or invite plenty of friends.
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. Kabuki
Kabuki is yet another restaurant part of the La Pampa franchise that deserves a spot in this list of best restaurants in Medellin.
As you might have guessed, Kabuki serves Japanese specialities and it’s not only sushi that’s on the menu.
There are two branches to be found in the city.
One of the branches is located in the same building as La Pampa – Parrilla Argentina in Provenza, and the other one is in Interplaza Mall.
If you’re with a (small) group and you can’t choose between typical Argentinian food and Japanese food, the branch in Provenza is the perfect solution as both cuisines are in the same building.
Let’s jump to our food recommendations.
Tasty Japanese food at Kabuki!
One of the highlights of the menu is the Parrillado de Mariscos (118,200 COP), which is a huge sizzling platter with seafood, potatoes and sesame-flavoured vegetables.
The seafood consists of salmon, octopus, calamari, prawns and crab cakes.
The octopus and calamari are covered in a typical sweet and creamy Japanese sauce.
With the variety of seafood, different textures and flavours, it’s a real feast in the form of a sharing platter and is perfect to order when you’re with a group.
Another amazingly tasting dish is the Atún Tataki (38,500 COP), which is a plate of sliced, slightly-seared tuna fillet accompanied by the teriyaki dipping sauce.
The tuna is served on top of sesame-flavoured grilled vegetables.
Parrillado de Mariscos (118,200 COP)
Atún Tataki (38,500 COP)
For the sushi-enthusiasts, it’s good to know that there are plenty of sushi rolls to choose from.
Before we give our recommended rolls, it’s good to know that the rolls are pretty large, which we obviously loved.
Portions are available in six and twelve pieces.
When it comes to crunchiness, we recommend you order their Tempura Roll (22,000 COP – 34,500 COP).
The roll is filled with salmon, tobiko eggs, spinach, mushrooms and cream.
The sushi is served with soy sauce and wasabi with a good level of spice.
Or go for an all-time favourite like the Eby Tempura Roll (22,000 COP – 34,500 COP).
Tempura Roll (22,000 COP – 34,500 COP)
Eby Tempura Roll (22,000 COP – 34,500 COP)
Tempura Roll (22,000 COP – 34,500 COP)
And lastly, you might want to consider their Kanikama Tempura (24,500 COP) as well, as these deep-fried crab bites are rich in flavour, and texture and really satisfying to eat.
Or check out their Chaufa de Mariscos (58,500 COP), which is a Japanese fried-rice dish packed with all sorts of tasty seafood.
In conclusion, Kabuki is yet another amazing restaurant from the La Pampa franchise and offers a good variety of Japanese food, far broader than only sushi.
And before I forgot: you can eat Teppanyaki here as well!
Kanikama Tempura (24,500 COP)
Chaufa de Mariscos (58,500 COP)
Stunning-looking and great-tasting food at Kabuki!
Promotion: by showing this page to one of the branches of La Pampa (either El Piqueteadero de La Pampa, La Pampa Parilla Argentina or Kabuki) you receive a 10% discount on your bill. Valid from Thursday to Sunday.
11. Delirio Exquisito
This restaurant is absolutely worth considering as it serves quite some unique dishes that you won’t find elsewhere in the city.
Delirio Exquisito namely serves Mexican and Asian fusion dishes, although there are several classic Tex-Mex dishes available on the menu as well.
This is quite a unique combination, bringing these two popular cuisines together.
When visiting the restaurant, the majority of the customers do opt for classics like nachos and burritos, however, we believe that you should go out of your comfort zone and choose the more unique dishes available on the menu.
I mean, you can get nachos everywhere in the city, but there are some options that are one of a kind.
There are twelve different types of tacos on the menu and the Tempura Tacos (33,900 COP) caught my attention from the start.
Two seaweed tacos are covered in Parmesan tempura and stuffed with deep-fried tilapia.
Then, guacamole, sour cream, and teriyaki sauce are added and the result is one super crispy taco with a Mexican and Asian flavour explosion.
The signature Delirio’s Quesadilla (36,900) is yet another example of what fusion dishes can do.
Flour tortillas are stuffed with salmon and sauteed shrimp and covered in an Asian curry sauce.
Absolutely divine.
There is a section with so-called bowls, which vary from typical Mexican bowls to fusion bowls with creations that go beyond imagination.
But if you’re looking for classic Mexican dishes or classic Asian dishes, they are available too.
The Salmón Garrapiñado (44,900 COP) for example, is highly recommended too!
Delirio Exquisito has two branches in Medellin, namely one in Laureles and the other one in Provenza.
The restaurant is a more upscale concept, especially compared to the other restaurants recommended in this article.
But in return, you will taste food that you won’t taste elsewhere in Medellin.
Tempura Tacos (33,900 COP)
Delirio’s Quesadilla (36,900)
Salmón Garrapiñado (44,900 COP)
12. Bárbaro Cocina Primitiva
Bárbaro Cocina Primitiva is your go-to restaurant when you’re craving meat and fries.
Although the menu is more extensive than that, the main reason why people visit this place is because of the meat.
Ribs that fall right off the bone are accompanied by perfect fries with plenty of sauces.
Or a steak that’s cooked to perfection and seasoned flawlessly.
If that sounds delicious to you, then Bárbaro Conina Primitiva is probably the best option you have in this part of Medellin.
Nachos Pulled Pork (37,900 COP) and Pork Belly Rostizado (36,900 COP) are examples of popular starters while the Costillas Bárbaro (61,900 COP) and Bife al Barril (62,900 COP) are popular mains.
It doesn’t make any sense to visit this place if you don’t like meat.
If you don’t like red meat, though, there are definitely alternatives including their Suprema de Pollo (43,900 COP).
There are two branches in Medellin, namely one in Laureles and one in Provenza.
Costillas Bárbaro (61,900 COP)
Bife al Barril (62,900 COP)
13. Hongbao
Hongbao is a tiny eatery right in the middle of Provenza that serves just a handful of different so-called Bao’s.
In fact, it’s almost the neighbour of the earlier mentioned Mexican restaurant.
A bao is a Vietnamese steamed bun, although it’s also a common dish in Cantonese cuisine.
The steamed buns as Hongbao are smaller bites and come with incredibly delicious fillings.
Meat lovers can choose between a regular “Hong”, a “Hoisin Prawn”, a “Korean BBQ Chicken”, a “Pork Belly” and a “Char Siu Roast” filling.
All of them come with pickled carrot and cucumber but each of the versions comes with a different sauce and flavouring.
While all of them are incredibly tasty, when you order several buns, it almost feels like some of them are repetitive in taste.
Maybe it has to do because we tried them all and most customers won’t have that large of an appetite.
So, we would recommend you try either their Pork Belly, Korean BBQ Chicken or Char Siu Roast, and the Hoisin Prawn.
The taste of the prawn is so distinctive compared to the other flavours, that it’s worth trying that one individually and tasting one of the three sweeter buns as well.
None of the buns is spicy, but siracha sauce is served separately.
Expect to pay between 12,000 COP and 18,000 COP per bun, which seems really affordable, but we must say that these buns are a bit small.
In return, you will get one heck of a flavour explosion in your mouth!
You can easily combine a visit to Hangbao with Criminal Taqueria or one of the many other pop-up restaurants on this street.
14. El Piqueteadero de La Pampa
The food they serve at El Piqueteadero de La Pampa is a perfect match to the Western taste palette and it’s one of the reasons why it’s such a popular restaurant.
Before we dive deeper into the food, it’s good to know that there are different types of restaurants within the La Pampa franchise.
La Pampa Parilla Argentina itself, which we recommended earlier in this article, serves authentic Argentinian specialities whereas El Piqueteadero de La Pampa offers fusion dishes (for example, Argentinian combined with Colombian ingredients, such as arepas and chicharron).
The latter also offers Tex-Mex and Italian comfort food such as nachos, tacos and Italian meatballs.
In other words: tasty, not-too-complicated food on large platters.
The food recommended in the next paragraphs can only be found at El Piqueteadero de La Pampa, not at La Pampa Parilla Argentina.
The food at El Piqueteadero de La Pampa
El Piqueteadero de La Pampa has more to offer than only meat dishes, so we recommend you take advantage of that extended menu.
The Ceviche de Chicharron (19,300 COP) is the perfect example of the fusion dishes served at this restaurant as it looks more like nachos than Colombian Ceviche de Chicharron.
The ceviche is made with a typical Colombian deep-fried pork belly and served with nachos and guacamole.
Often, the Ceviche de Chicharron is made with mayonnaise but instead, here they use the guacamole as cream and also to balance the sourness of the Ceviche.
The result?
A really tasty and excellent starter!
Ceviche de Chicharron
The second dish we recommend you try is the Tacos el Aventurero (32,400 COP).
These delicious tacos are filled with sweet and sour tender pork belly, a different type of pork belly than the nachos.
The sweetness and crispiness of the pork along with the sour and fresh salsa made with onion, paprika and coriander, make these tacos a true feast in your mouth.
Tacos el Aventurero
Before we recommend our favourite grilled meat dish, we suggest one other non-Argentinian dish, which is the Albondiguitas de Lomo de Cerdo (17,200 COP).
These pork loin meatballs are flavoured perfectly, served with a Neapolitan tomato sauce and cheese finished with sour cream and Parmesan.
Above all, the meatballs were slightly crispy on the outside, giving this dish a satisfying texture.
Albondiguitas de Lomo de Cerdo
For the meat-lovers, we recommend you order their Cochinillo a Las Leñas (48,500 COP), which is a 10-hour slow roast suckling pig from the firewood.
Right before serving, the pork gets a quick treatment on the grill.
The outer parts of the pork are super crisp, giving it a savoury flavour, while the inside of the pork is juicy and succulent.
You can dip the pork in salsa criolla, which is a dip made with paprika, tomato onion and vinegar.
The pork is accompanied by deep-fried calamari which is nicely tender.
For dessert, check out the Alfajor de Chocolate (9,400 COP), which we recommended earlier at the other La Pampa restaurant.
Cochinillo a Las Leñas
Leave some room for dessert!
Promotion: by showing this page to one of the branches of La Pampa (either El Piqueteadero de La Pampa, La Pampa Parilla Argentina or Kabuki) you receive a 10% discount on your bill. Valid from Thursday to Sunday.
15. Mondongo’s
Mondongo’s is probably the most famous restaurant in Medellin.
Countless celebrities from Colombia, as well as international celebrities, have visited one of the two branches to devour their famous Mondongo soup.
Mondongo is a typical soup from the Antioquia region and is a flavorful soup made with beef tripe.
Every day, both places are completely packed with hungry Colombians and a handful of foreigners.
Especially during lunchtime, you often have to wait in line to get a table.
But don’t worry, both restaurants are so well-organized that you will sit at a table within ten minutes and food is served faster than you can possibly think.
Aside from their famous Mondongo’s, which costs 26,500 for a junior plate and 36,000 COP for a normal plate, there are two other popular dishes that are simple bestsellers: Ajiaco (29,500 COP) and Tipico Antioqueño (39,500 COP).
Ajiaco is a Colombian soup from Bogota and is one of my favourite soups in Colombian gastronomy.
It’s a chicken soup with potatoes and you add cream, capers and cilantro to it to your taste.
At Mondongo’s, they serve an amazing Ajiaco.
The other bestseller is their version of the Bandeja Paisa, one of the most famous Colombian dishes.
The portion is reasonably sized, which is actually a good thing as Bandeja Paisas usually are served in huge portions.
When you want to try the most famous dish in Medellin, head over to Mondongo’s.
You can find more exciting restaurants in our article about the best mondongo in Medellin if you’re really into this soup.
Ajiaco (29,500 COP)
The bestsellers of Mondongo’s, one of the best restaurants in Medellin.
Mondongos Junior (26,500 COP)
16. Chef Burger
This article doesn’t only cover Colombian food, no, it’s an article about the best restaurants in Medellin in general.
We know all too well that every now and then, no matter where you travel, you crave a burger.
Listed in our article about the best burgers in Medellin, Chef Burger is one of the best places in Medellin to eat when it comes to juicy patties and classic, yet awesome toppings.
With sixteen locations in Medellin and nine in Bogota, Cali and Barranquilla combined, we can fairly say that Chef Burger is a successful burger company in Colombia.
The burger scene in Medellin is different from what I’m used to, with different types of buns and often way too crazy toppings.
Myself, I like burgers as simple as they could be, obviously with exciting toppings.
But the key point is the patty itself and Chef Burger does that exactly and perfectly.
The menu is limited to a few classic burgers and a handful of slightly more creative burgers, but they all are well-balanced.
Absolute highlights are the La Sailor (29,900 COP), which includes bacon, caramelized onions and Philadelphia cheese and the Blue Cheese (27,900 COP), which includes caramelized onions and mushrooms together with blue cheese dip.
But the classic Cheese and Bacon (25,900 COP) is and will always be a perfect option too.
We recommend you order their rustic fries as a side dish.
In our opinion, they are much tastier than regular fries.
La Sailor (29,900 COP)
Blue Cheese (27,900 COP)
Cheese and Bacon (25,900 COP)
17. Pizzaiolo
When you’re looking for the best artisan pizza in town, Pizzaiolo is probably the best option for you.
This small pizzeria is located in Provenza and does an amazing job when it comes to (Neapolitan-style) pizzas.
The shop has relatively limited opening times, but from the moment it opens its doors, the orders keep on coming in and there is a very good reason why there are six to eight people working behind the counter.
All of this is a very good sign.
It takes around ten to fifteen minutes before you get this amazing-looking and tasting pizza on your table, which seems very reasonable to us.
The menu is limited, with prices between 27,000 COP to 40,0000 COP, but there is a flavour for every type of pizza-lover.
Simplicity is often the best option and our favourite pizza here is the Pizza Margherita (27,000 COP).
Flavour-wise it’s a flawless pizza and it can seriously compete against pizzas from Napoli.
There is a new pizza available on the menu as well, the Pepperoni Jam (40,000 COP), which is topped with bits of pepperoni,
Parmesan cheese and Buratta cheese. On top of that is a sweet dressing, which goes well with Buratta.
The only thing is that I personally like my pizza completely savoury, but I’m sure many will simply love this pizza.
There are many good pizza restaurants in Medellin to be found and we suggest reading our article about the best pizza in Medellin for more exciting places.
Pizza Margherita (27,000 COP)
Authentic, artisan pizza crust!
Pepperoni Jam (40,000 COP)
18. Ajiacos y Mondongos
Aside from Mondongo’s, there is another restaurant Medellin that has quite the fame that Colombians outside of Medellin take a trip to the city just to try their food.
The Wall of Fame is not as extensive as Mondongo’s but Ajiacos y Mondongos is definitely a serious player when it comes to serving authentic Colombian food.
As the name already suggests, the two bestsellers here are the Ajiaco and the Mondongo.
As mentioned earlier in this article, Ajiaco is a Colombian chicken soup with potatoes that you can adjust with cream, capers and cilantro.
Mondongo is a flavorful soup with cilantro as well along with beef tripe, an ingredient, not every foreign tourist get excited about.
What’s good about this restaurant is that you can order the soups in smaller versions, meaning that you can try both famous dishes during the same visit.
Compared to Mondongo’s, Ajiacos y Mondongos has a much more authentic vibe and feels less commercial.
But let us be clear: both places are institutions in Medellin’s food scene and should be on your list of restaurants in Medellin to visit.
Mondongo
Famous food at Ajiacos y Mondongos
Mondongo, Cazuela de Frijoles, Ajiaco
Ajiaco, smaller version (22,500 COP)
19. Olivia
Olivia is yet another popular place in Medellin to eat when it comes to pizzas but offers much more than that.
It has eight branches spread all over the city.
The restaurants of Olivia are well-decorated, the staff is well-trained and all places are excellent for lunch and dinner with friends and family.
The menu consists of a whopping thirty-six pages, ranging from antipasto and starters to pizzas, pasta, lasagnas and risottos.
There is a tasty option for every type of eater at this Italian restaurant.
For pizza enthusiasts, it is good to know that Olivia offers different types of pizza bottoms, namely Napolitana, Romana and Keto.
The absolute highlight on the pizza menu is their Burratta & Tomates Confitados (39,900 COP), which has a Napolitana tomato sauce along with buffalo mozzarella topping.
There are plenty of other pizzas to choose from, ranging between 25,000 COP and 45,000 COP.
Although it is too much to choose from and there are definitely tasty dishes to discover, I’d like to recommend one more dish: Lasagna Mix with Pesto Bread (25,900 COP).
There are two different lasagnas to choose from, but it’s also possible to mix both lasagnas, which is seriously tasty.
For those with a large appetite, finish your meal with their Galetta Macadamia (13,900 COP), which is an exciting Italian dessert.
Pizza Burratta & Tomates Confitados (39,900 COP)
Lasagna Mix with Pesto Bread (25,900 COP)
Galetta Macadamia (13,900 COP)
20. Sushi Light
The sushi scene in Medellin is similar to the burger scene in Medellin: it’s far from authentic but definitely satisfies the majority of the foodies.
We’ve visited many of the popular sushi restaurants in Medellin and believe that Sushi Light is among the best the city has to offer.
The earlier recommended Kabuki does offer a good variety of sushi, however, Sushi Light’s assortment is much larger, yet Kabuki offers different types of Japanese dishes.
Like many successful restaurants in Medellin, it has several branches spread over the city in areas such as Poblado, Laureles and Envigado.
The menu of Sushi Light is broader than only sushi, with Thai and Vietnamese dishes available on the menu as well, but the main attraction is sushi.
The rolls come in two sizes and are categorised into different sections, such as classic rolls and signature rolls.
The classics include the Philadelphia, Ebi Tempura and California while the signatures include the Chicharron de Calamar, Salmon Crunch and Huancíana.
All full rolls cost around 30,000 COP.
But pay attention to their social media accounts as there are plenty of promotions to discover.
And on Tuesdays, there is a standard promotion of buy-one-get-one-free.
Our personal favourites were the Urano Roll (31,900 COP) and Salmon Crunch (29,900 COP).
When ordering the latter, the staff will use a blowtorch to grill the cream sauce and top this deliciousness with a good shot of soy sauce.
For me personally, the Epi Tempura (30,900 COP) was excellent, although I wished they had a version with tuna in it.
Without a doubt, when craving sushi, Sushi Light is among the best in Medellin.
Exciting, delicious and original sushi at Sushi Light.
21. Ammazza
Ammazza is an Italian restaurant with three different branches in the city, namely in Envigado, Provenza and Laureles.
The restaurant is an upscale eatery where guests can enjoy a good variety of Italian dishes, although the menu is not as extended as restaurants such as Olivia’s.
Ammazza is known for its pizzas and risottos, although pasta is quite popular as well.
What makes the pizza so special is that the pizza has a thin and super crispy crust, something we haven’t seen before.
During our latest visit, we went for the Pizza Jamón y Pimientos Asados (36,500 COP), which tastes excellent.
All the popular pizza toppings are available and expect to pay between 30,000 and 40,000 COP per pizza.
There are two other dishes that we highly recommend you try.
The first one is a starter, namely the Albóndigas Italianas (26,900 COP), which are three large Italian meatballs covered in tomato and cheese sauce.
The meatballs are served with bread, which you can dip in the sauce.
Don’t be afraid to order some extra bread as the sauce comes in large portions.
The other dish we recommend is a risotto, namely Risotto Solomito y Vino Tinto (43,500 COP), which is a rich risotto finished with red wine and served with mushrooms, a variety of nuts and of course entrecote.
The beef is cooked to your preference and in our case, it was well done.
The quality of the beef was excellent.
Pizza Jamón y Pimientos Asados (36,500 COP)
Albóndigas Italianas (26,900 COP)
Risotto Solomitoy Vino Tinto (43,500 COP)
Further relevant food articles about Medellin:
This article will be updated in the upcoming months and many more of the best restaurants in Medellin will be added soon.