In the La Pilarica district, a commercial area better known for car repair shops than restaurants, you’ll find this grill that offers a varied menu with different cuts of beef and pork. Go straight for the star, the sobrebarriga (flank steak). The Santander family, who own the restaurant, use a secret recipe, yielding a golden crust with a texture that barely needs a knife, served along with yuca, potatoes with hogao (Colombian sofrito), and tomatoes and avocado salad. It is a simple dish that will have you vowing to return.

Located at one of the entrances to La Minorista market, an ideal place to explore the ingredients of the city and the region, La Esquina de la Ricura has been serving fried fish, sancocho, and fish consomme since 1986, all perfect for soothing the spirit after a night of partying. Order the consomme with arepas. Don’t forget to squeeze lemon and sprinkle chile on top, and pair your meal with guarapo (juice made from passion fruit, pineapple, and panela).

The original location of this restaurant, which now boasts five more branches, dates back to 1991. With a balcony lined with flowers, it resembles an old hacienda in the heart of downtown Medellín, while the menu pays homage to traditional Colombian cuisine. Start with some chicharrones (fried pork belly) and antojitos Antioqueños, which include empanadas de iglesia (called church empanadas because they used to be sold at the end of mass), pastel de pollo (chicken pie), and stuffed potatoes with ají de piña (pineapple hot sauce) and avocado. Opt for the hearty bandeja paisa, a platter featuring beans, rice, carne en polvo (minced beef), ripe plantains, egg, pork cracklings, avocado, and an arepa.

After starting out as a pop-up, La Casa del Alimento now has a permanent location in the Belén neighborhood, which also serves as a cultural space for workshops on fermentation or vegan cheese, as well as various other gatherings. On Friday and Saturday evenings, chef Nestor Jérez offers an eight-course tasting menu inspired by Colombian products that’s based on extensive research. The kitchen serves dishes like arracacha mille-feuille with ash cheese or purple ñame (tuber) tartlet with pickled mussels and smoked trout. A casual lunch service is offered on Tuesdays.

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Sometimes, a restaurant can have it all. Take Colosal: the Casaloma restaurant has fantastic city views, live music, inventive food, and an expansive wine list. The sleek, modern atmosphere is reflective of the menu, with dishes that span cuisines and styles, like duck wontons, prawns with pineapple, and grilled octopus. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or enjoying the last night of vacation, Colosal’s fusion-like menu and epic city views are worth a visit.

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A beautiful patio full of plants, candles, and antique furniture set the scene for Casa el Ramal, a restaurant set in an old house where the menu was curated by Iván Cadena, the chef of the renowned Mesa Franca in Bogotá. The appetizer menu prioritizes vegetables in fun preparations like watermelon toast with eggplant chimichurri and guacamole or braised fennel with stracciatella and native corn arepa, while the mains highlight proteins such as grilled chorizo with onions and chicken jus or gallina encocada (smoked coconut chicken). A DJ spins from Thursday to Saturday, and on Sundays the restaurant often hosts La Olla Popular, an event featuring traditional market dishes like sancocho or bean stew.

From the team behind neighboring Carmen, this unique steakhouse serves Colombian grass-fed beef, dry-aged in the in-house aging room. From the custom-designed grill, fired with eucalyptus wood from the Oriente Antioqueño, chefs dispatch savory porterhouses, rib-eyes, and special 40-day-aged Colombian black-foot San Pedreño pork. Salads, vegetables, and various local potato preparations are offered as sides. The cocktail program is based on classics with a twist, inspired by Colombian flavors and local ingredients.

At X.O., Janis Joplin might play while diners enjoy a plate of lobster with criollo (local) koji and yacon (sweet tuber), signaling that this fine dining is also fun dining. Rob Pevitts (also of Carmen), Sebastián Marín, and Mateo Ríos lead the kitchen, where they take an exploratory journey through Colombia and the producers they’ve encountered throughout the country. Many culinary techniques come together to create each dish on the tasting menu, all developed in-house to bring complexity and flavor to uniquely Colombian creations.

Although buñuelos (deep-fried balls of cheesy dough) are commonly enjoyed around Christmas across Colombia, in Medellín they’re a pleasure that can be enjoyed every day, especially if you get them fresh at Supremo, which has been making them for 35 years. The shop opens at 6 a.m., and there’s usually a line at breakfast time. While there are palitos de queso (cheese sticks), pastel de pollo (chicken pie), and arepa de huevo, most customers come for the buñuelos, which are fried on the spot.

What was once a church now houses this spacious restaurant with a retractable roof, concrete walls decorated with plants, Turkish carpets, and lamps and furniture from the ’50s. Open from breakfast to lunch, Dragón blends local produce, Colombian accents, and global influences. Start with the blood sausage empanadas wrapped in phyllo or the baby corn with miso and costeño cheese. Don’t miss the glazed morrillo (beef shank) or the criollo (local) chicken with crunchy barley, and leave room for the sticky toffee. The cocktails, ferments, coffee service, and music by a DJ are all worth noting.

Take the elevator to reach a spectacular view of Medellín at this rooftop bar, which offers a signature cocktail menu exploring the country’s native ingredients. A beautiful illustrated menu showcases creations that highlight Colombian fruits, herbs, seeds, and national spirits. The Bahia Mecana, for instance, is made with viche (a sugar cane spirit from the Colombian Pacific), Chocó vanilla, rum, soursop, clarified milk, and passion fruit. The bar opens at 4 p.m., an ideal time to catch the sunset.

The line that often forms in the evening is a sign of Zorba’s success (and its no-reservation policy). Open since 2010, the restaurant features an all-female kitchen team, who turn out especially thin, light, wood-fired pizzas. Although not advertised, you’ll notice that all options are vegetarian or vegan. Get the spinach pizza with pistachios, the one with caramelized onions and whipped macadamia cream, or the basil with red sauce and Grana Padano. Then sit back and enjoy the view of La Presidenta Park, the casual atmosphere, and the soft candlelight.

This bistro feels like an oasis at the end of the bustling and noisy Provenza Street. Inside, talented chef Jhon Zarate makes ingredients from Colombian small producers shine, showcasing flavors with simple preparations. The menu changes according to the season, but classics include the fried rice with shrimp tartare and aioli, and the arepa with macha sauce and pork jowl. The wine list, carefully chosen by the chef, shows a lot of passion. Don’t skip desserts like the flan.

Chef Laura Londoño offers family-style cuisine in a fun and cozy atmosphere. Plates feature local produce infused with Asian flavors, reflecting Londoño’s experience cooking in Australia. The menu includes dishes like chicharrón (fried pork belly) and grapefruit salad with pickled carrot, red onion, and ponzu dressing, as well as braised short ribs in lemon and chile caramel sauce served with sticky rice and peanuts. The frozen guanabana merengón (a classic dessert layered with meringue) makes for the perfect ending.

La Provincia has built up a passionate following over three decades. Founder María Adelaida Moreno was one of the city’s pioneers in sophisticated, white-tablecloth dining, complete with house-baked sourdough and vegetables from the restaurant’s own garden. The restaurant is known for its Mediterranean cuisine, but in recent years, it began to focus more on Colombian food. In the minimalist space where open windows overlook lush trees, servers dole out the most requested dishes, like ceviche with coconut, sorrentinos (stuffed pasta) filled with crab in saffron cream, and panko-breaded prawns with pork cracklings. Vegetarian and vegan menus are available.

This house in the El Poblado neighborhood is built in the style of a hacienda, with colorful window frames and popular sayings decorating the walls. Boleros and vallenatos play while guests snack on crispy, house-made empanadas, filled with shredded beef or chicken, alongside bottles of beer or shots of aguardiente. Only cash is accepted.

For breakfast or lunch, this traditional restaurant of Antioquian and Colombian cuisine is the ideal place to immerse yourself in local foodways. It’s also a perfect welcome or goodbye to the city, as the original venue is strategically located near the airport. Order one of the fruit juices, such as lulo (a tangy nightshade), and share some arepas, empanadas, or a pastel de pollo (chicken pie). Try the cazuela de frijoles (bean stew), a preparation that is characteristic of the Paisa culture. The business also includes a store that sells traditional sweets, arepas, tamales, and other items to take away, making for great gastronomic souvenirs.

The landscape of the Oriente Antioqueño has always been a place of pilgrimage for its landscapes and rustic restaurants. Casa M stands out for its stunning view, cozy atmosphere, and food that reflects the surroundings, with ingredients supplied by the restaurant’s own garden and a focus on the grill. A mountain bistro with a modern approach, the place serves items like fried arepas with tuna tartare, sunflower and pumpkin seed Caesar salad, rabbit confit gyoza, and grilled pork chop with smashed potatoes and creamed spinach. It’s a perfect place for a long weekend afternoon.

No item defines Colombian comfort food, and the Antioquian identity in particular, more than the arepa. At this small roadside stand, La Mona, as the owner is known, has been serving arepas for breakfast since 2008. Watch the team cook, grind, and shape the corn before cooking on a wood-fired grill. Order yours with hogao (Colombian sofrito), quesillo (crumbled fresh cheese), or scrambled eggs. Tip: On your way to La Mona, grab an order of Antioquian chorizo from Estadero Palo Quemao next door to eat alongside.

This classic Italian osteria is located in El Retiro, a town near Medellín, which has been booming with shops, art galleries, and restaurants the last few years. A beautiful old house in the center of town, complete with a patio, hosts Osteria Local, where pasta, cold cuts, and bread are all house-made. Veal Milanese, crispy porchetta, cavatelli alla amatriciana, and warm dulce de leche brioche are among the menu’s highlights.