Dining and Drinking

Bogotá is the geographical, political, cultural and financial center of the country. Colombians from all over the country live in the capital, bringing with them their customs, cultural expressions and traditional cuisine. There are many places in Bogotá where you can try delicacies from every region in the country, as well as many international restaurants from every country you can imagine. Whatever your tastes, there's an establishment somewhere in the city to satisfy them. There are restaurants in every corner of the city; however, many of the best restaurants center around the following hubs.

La Candelaria & Centro Internacional

La Candelaria is an area of the city center whose streets, churches and facades have witnessed three hundred years of history. The area has many fine examples of colonial architecture. Many restaurants are located in spacious houses built around beautiful patios. The most popular places here include: Café de L'Avenir, Andante Ma Non Troppo, and Los Últimos Virreyes. Restaurante La Romana serves up Italian cuisine along with selling its dried pasta and other specialties for guests to take home. Habakkuk Burritos offers an interesting twist on something familiar with its Mexican/Asian fusion cuisine, along with the more basic, plain Mexican dishes.

Chapinero

In the exclusive Chapinero district, visitors will find a nice variety of upscale, delicious cuisine. For mouth-watering seafood, Restaurante Le Poivre serves it up, French style, with the ambience to go with it. Close to the presidential residence is El Gabinete is a comfortable restaurant for all kinds of weather, with its cozy fireplace and outdoor patio for sunny days. The well known Pozzeto features traditional Italian dishes and live piano music on the weekends. Desayunadero de la 42 is open around the clock and specializes in northern Colombian cuisine, which includes plenty of roasted meats.

La Zona Rosa

The Zona Rosa lies in the north of the city, near the Andino shopping center between Calles 80 and 86, and Carreras 8 and 11. This is one of the main shopping areas in Bogotá, and the international array of cafés, restaurants, bars and discotheques here will appeal to all gastronomic tastes. There are typical Colombian restaurants such as Casa Vieja, and North American-style places such as Friday's and Tony Roma's. If you fancy seafood, try La Bodega Marina. For Mexican, try La Taquería or Harry's Cantina. And for Mediterranean, visit Niko Café. Some of these places function as eateries by day but at night turn into bars where you can dance and have a drink. Most establishments are open all week, but they tend to be livelier Thursday through Sunday.

El Parque de la 93

The area around Parque de la 93 is considered the most exclusive neighborhood in the north of the city. Cafés, bars, nightclubs, hotels and international restaurants surround the park. Most of the restaurants here have terraces with park views. The range of restaurants and international cuisines here should satisfy anyone. For a light snack or meal, try one of the many cafes, such as Crepes & Waffles. Hatsuhana and Kyoto Oriental Groceries serve such Eastern delicacies as sushi, teppan yaki and nabemono. Pesquera Jaramillo and El Buque serve fresh fish and seafood. For a taste of Spain, try Pajares Salinas.

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