When looking for the best restaurants in Provenza, you might be overwhelmed by the number of restaurants available in this small area.
Known for many upscale restaurants and fancy cocktail bars, it is no secret that Provenza offers some of the most exciting venues in the city.
But it’s not only fancy dining restaurants that can be found here.
In this article, we try to recommend a diverse list of restaurants that excites everyone’s taste buds and prove that Provenza also offers affordable food options.
With that being said, let’s jump to the results.
The best restaurants in Provenza are:
1. Rocoto
Rocoto is a trendy restaurant in Provenza that serves Peruvian food. As you can expect from a Peruvian restaurant, there are many different ceviches to choose from.
But the menu is much broader than that and Rocoto serves some of the most exciting dishes you can find in this area.
Expect plenty of sourness in your dishes, but texture plays a vital role in the Peruvian cuisine as well. Highlights of the menu are:
Tiradito Furikaka (21,500 COP): Slices of fresh fish are covered in homemade citrus mayonnaise and topped with crispy salmon skin.
Tradicional de Maricsos (38,900 COP): Chunks of fresh fish, squid and prawns are bathed in sourness and accompanied by mango, onion and avocado.
Ceviche Saltado (41,900 COP): Plate with chunks of white fish, calamari and mussels served in a creamy sauce accompanied by yucca, avocado and Peviuvian creole sauce.
Ceviche Saltado (41,900 COP)
Tradicional de Maricsos (38,900 COP)
Tiradito Furikaka (21,500 COP)
The food at Rocoto
Make sure to leave some room for dessert. For a light dessert, go for the Supriro Rocoto (14,500 COP), which is a delicious cream based on Arequipa.
For the real sweet tooth among us, go for the Spring Rolls (18,000 COP), which are filled with chocolate and served with ice cream.
2. Relato
Relato is a type of restaurant that you expect in Provenza, meaning it’s a beautiful-looking upscale restaurant where guests love to have dinner and drinks before heading to the fancy bars and clubs.
But most importantly, Relato is a restaurant in Provenza that serves delicious food, namely Italian-fusion dishes that taste as good as they look.
Highlights of the menu are:
Lomo Trufado (55,900 COP): beautiful and cooked to perfection beef served with risotto.
Relato Ribs (49,900 COP): the tastiest ribs I’ve tried in Medellin with meat that falls right off the bone when you lift one rib. Again, served with risotto.
Arancinis Relato (19,900 COP): one of the recommended starters, which are Italian Arancini balls filled with rice and Mozzarella. Lovely texture and is super-satisfying to eat.
Lomo Trufado (55,900 COP)
Relato Ribs (49,900 COP)
Dulce Relato
Similar to the previously recommended restaurant, save room for dessert.
Their signature Dulce Relato is a must-order!
3. La Pampa – Parrilla Argentina
La Pampa is a successful restaurant chain with branches all over the city.
It’s good to know that within these branches, the menu can be slightly different.
The branch in Provenza is La Pampa – Parrilla Argentina, which means that they mainly focus on Argentinian dishes, while El Piqueteadero de La Pampa has a much broader and international menu.
As this recommended branch serves Argentinian food, you know already that they serve amazing steaks! Highlights of the menu are:
Bondiola (48,500 COP): Bondiola is a famous dish from Argentina where the pork is prepared in the oven for 24 hours. The melt-in-your-mouth, 300-gram steak is served with fries and accompanied by a tasty gravy.
Churrasco (48,500 COP): is a popular steak in Argentina, but you can also find it in Colombia as well. The 300-gram steak is served with homemade chimichurri, basil-induced mayo and ketchup.
Las Mejores Costillas de la Pampa (48,000 COP): huge spare ribs served with tasty fries. How can you say no to this?
Bondiola (48,500 COP)
Churrasco (48,500 COP)
Las Mejores Costillas de la Pampa (48,000 COP)
For dessert, go for the Alfajor Argentino (9,400 COP), which is a dessert made with a typical Argentinian cookie.
You can choose between dark and white chocolate.
Good to know: La Pampa is located in the same building as Kabuki, a Japanese restaurant that we recommend later in this article.
Both restaurants are from La Pampa and it’s possible to order from both menus. Also, you can get a 10% discount via the following promotion.
Promotion: by showing this page to one of the branches of La Pampa (either El Piqueteadero de La Pampa, La Pampa Parrilla Argentina and Kabuki) you receive a 10% discount on your bill. Valid from Thursday to Sunday.
4. Mondongo’s
The most popular Colombian restaurant in the city is Mondongo’s.
International and Colombian celebrities have eaten often here, the proof of it can be seen on their Wall of Fame.
Is it a fancy restaurant? Absolutely not!
Mondongo is one of the typical food from Medellin that one must try during their visit, which is a flavorful and colourful soup made with beef tripe.
Arguably the best version of it can be found at Mondongo’s.
But there are more recommended dishes you should try:
Mondongo Junior (26,500 COP): obviously you should try their Mondongo, but you can go for the smaller version. As the plates are huge, a smaller version allows you to leave some room in your stomach and try other tasty dishes.
Ajiaco (29,500 COP): another amazing soup. This Colombian soup is basically a chicken soup with potatoes and after you add the complementary cream, capers and cilantro to it, the soup transforms into a complete meal full of exciting flavours.
Tipico Antioqueño (39,500 COP): Mondongo’s version of the most popular meal from the Antioqia region: Bandeja Paisa.
Ajiaco (29,500 COP)
Mondongo Junior (26,500 COP)
Tipico Antioqueño (39,500 COP)
For obvious reasons, Mondongo’s is also listed in our article about the best Mondongo in Medellin, as well as the best Colombian restaurants in Medellin.
5. Pizzaiolo
In our article about the best pizza in Medellin, we top-ranked Pizzaiolo thanks to the amazing Neapolitan bottom and crust.
Luckily for those looking for the best restaurants in Provenza, the branch is located exactly in this area.
The menu is limited, with prices between 27,000 COP to 40,000 COP, but there is a flavour for every type of pizza-lover.
Personally, I like my pizzas and burgers generally speaking simple.
When the basics are done properly, there is not much to add.
The Pizza Margherita (27,000 COP) was perfect.
There is a new exciting pizza for those who want to try something new, which is the Pepperoni Jam (40,000 COP).
The pizza is served with a ball of Buratta cheese, which is topped with a sweet dressing. Definitely tasty and unique.
Pepperoni Jam (40,000 COP)
Pizza Margherita (27,000 COP)
6. Chef Burger – Provenza
Chef Burger serves among the best burgers in Medellin and luckily, there is one of their restaurants in Provenza.
As mentioned earlier, I do like my burgers simple.
But in Medellin, it’s kind of a trend to stuff the burgers completely with all sorts of meats and other crazy ingredients.
Chef Burger does a little bit of both, while not abandoning the basics of a proper burger.
Highlights of the menu are:
La Sailor (29,900 COP): juicy burger which includes bacon, caramelized onions and Philadelphia cheese. One of our personal favourites!
Blue Cheese (27,900 COP): medium-rare burger (you can give your own preference), which includes caramelized onions and mushrooms together with blue cheese dip. Dipping a medium-rare burger in blue cheese sauce is mouth-watering good!
Cheese and Bacon (25,900 COP): simplicity at its finest. Good quality, juicy burger with cheddar cheese and slices of bacon. You can’t go wrong with this one.
You can choose between different fries. Although flavour and preference are always relative, we think that the rustic fries are by far the best option.
La Sailor (29,900 COP)
Cheese and Bacon (25,900 COP)
Blue Cheese (27,900 COP)
7. Kabuki – Provenza
As mentioned earlier, Kabuki is a Japanese restaurant located above La Pampa – Parrilla Argentina.
The menu is not that extensive, but definitely exciting. In fact, it is even possible to book a Teppanyaki evening.
Here are some of the highlights of the menu:
Parrillado de Mariscos (118,200 COP): 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. Perfect to share as a group.
Tempura Roll (22,000 COP – 34,500 COP): crispy sushi roll filled with salmon, tobiko eggs, spinach, mushrooms and cream. The texture is amazing. Rolls can be ordered in different sizes, hence the different prices.
Kanikama Tempura (24,500 COP): Deep-fried crab bites that are rich in flavour, and texture and really satisfying to eat.
Kanikama Tempura (24,500 COP)
Parrillado de Mariscos (118,200 COP)
Tempura Roll (22,000 COP – 34,500 COP)
The delicious food at Kabuki!
There is much more to discover on the menu of this highly recommended and popular Japanese restaurant.
As mentioned earlier, Kabuki has a unique promotion with TravelFoodExpert, which is:
Promotion: by showing this page to one of the branches of La Pampa (either El Piqueteadero de La Pampa, La Pampa Parrilla Argentina or Kabuki) you receive a 10% discount on your bill. Valid from Thursday to Sunday.
8. Ammazza – Provenza
Ammazza is an Italian restaurant that has quite a reputation when it comes to pizzas and risotto in the city.
With three different branches in total, you can fairly say that Ammazza does a few things very well.
Luckily for you, there is a branch in Provenza as well. Here are the highlights of the menu:
Risotto Solomito y Vino Tinto (43,500 COP): Tasty, rich red-wine-based risotto with good-quality beef that is cooked perfectly to your preference.
Albóndigas Italianas (26,900 COP): excellent simple starter that hit the spot perfectly. Delicious tomato and cheese sauce with three large Italian meatballs in it and served with toasted bread. The sauce comes in a good portion so don’t be afraid to order some extra toasted bread to dip with.
Pizza Jamón y Pimientos Asados (36,500 COP): tasty pizza with the crispiest crust (very thin) we’ve tasted in Medellin. All the popular pizza toppings are available on the menu and expect to pay between 30,000 and 40,000 COP per pizza.
Risotto Solomitoy Vino Tinto (43,500 COP)
Albóndigas Italianas (26,900 COP)
Pizza Jamón y Pimientos Asados (36,500 COP)
Similar to Pizzaiolo is Ammazza listed in our article about the best pizza in Medellin, thanks to that super crispy, thin crust.
9. Arte Dolce
Spoil yourself with some Italian gelato, a good variety of cakes and pastries and accompany that with a freshly made espresso.
Arte Dolce is a small cafe that serves Italian sweetnesses, such as Cannoli (12,500 COP), Tiramisu (12,500 COP), Mousse de Tres Chocolates (11,500 COP) and Eclair de Chocolate Blanco (12,500 COP).
Arte Dolce is a perfect example that there are affordable, yet super tasty food options to be found in Provenza.
Eclair de Chocolate Blanco (12,500 COP)
Delicious gelato, including Arequipe flavour!
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Submarino Express – Provenza branch
Submarino Express is a unique seafood (fast)food restaurant in Envigado and Laureles, but also has a tiny shop right in Provenza.
As the name already suggests, it offers fast seafood dishes.
The menu is pretty straightforward: there is a handful of different seafood to choose from and within each seafood, there are just a few different dishes to choose from.
The Crangburger, which is a crab meat burger, comes in two sizes (26,500 COP – 37,500 COP), which is a popular choice.
The best dish you can taste here is their The Langostino (38,000 COP – 70,000 COP), which is a langoustine meat sandwich.
It’s served on a sweet bun and covered in a nice cream sauce topped with herbs.
For both dishes, go for the larger version as you will simply get extra seafood.
What we love about Submarino Express is that you can eat special seafood for a decent price and this concept attracts many customers.
We listed the Crangburger in our article about the best burgers in Medellin.
Crangburger (26,500 COP – 37,500 COP)
The Langostino (38,000 COP – 70,000 COP)
13. 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 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 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 COP) 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)
Further relevant food articles about Medellin:
There you have it, the best restaurants in Provenza. We will update this article in the upcoming weeks.