La Doctora - great typical Colombian cuisine. The place is semi-enclosed (like many restaurants) and the food is great - meats, poultry (no fish I think). Located near the Oviedo Mall right in back of the Hotel Poblado Plaza. If the taxi doesn't know the restaurant, they know the hotel. (Lunch and Dinner)

Las Palmitas - that's the place with the great view and the semi-private wooden "cubicles" if you will. Again, typical Colombian cuisine and a good place to go for coffee and dessert. Incredible view of the city. Open for dinner and I'm pretty sure lunch as I passed by there at lunchtime and there were a lot of cars in the parking lot. Las Palmitas Disco is adjacent and a good place for drinking and dancing.

San Carbon - great steaks and a great view of the city as well. It's not far from Las Palmitas, but not as well known. I've been there for lunch and dinner. They make a nice margarita and have a good wine list. Exact address is:
Via Las Palmas x Transversal Inferior Calle 14 # 30-10 Tel. 312-7521 or 311-7602
One thing - I gave the taxi driver the restaurant's business card and he drove me to Las Palmitas. He didn't even know the address. But just down the road from Las Palmitas is a billboard with San Carbon on it saying it's the next right.

La Fragata - great seafood restaurant. Food and service are exemplery. The only thing is it's a very formal setting (no dress code - saw other people in very casual attire) but if you take someone who's not very sophisticated, they may be intimidated.
It's attached to a Hotel, the Park 10 I beleive. Also, as point of reference, with La Fragata on your left, if you continue up the hill, you'll find San Carbon on the left-hand side about a mile up.

Two more restaurants that I can recommend from my last trip:

Las Cuatro Estaciones (The Four Seasons)

Great Colombian/Spanish restaurant. It's in Poblado on the right hand side of Cra 43 if your headed towards Centro coming from the Torre Poblado or Oviedo Shopping mall.

You pull into a VERY steep driveway off Cra 43 and go up 100 yards where it levels off into a parking area. The restaurant is made of of several different rooms: we chose one that was like a semi-enclosed veranda with a great view of the valley. And this room only had two tables - very private, plenty of space.

Food is first class: I had the steak Four Seasons which was a filet mignon topped with cheese, mushrooms and shrimp. Fantastic.

Souffles for dessert (30 minutes to prepare).

Place ain't cheap, but it's worth it. Seems to be favored by older gentlemen with their mistresses crowd. It's as nice a place as La Fragata, but won't be as intimidating for your date.

La Aguacatala

Serving typical Paisa cuisine, this place has been around for 40 years. We ate outside overlooking a very nice garden. Not expensive - the check for 5 people was under $50.00

Located on Cra 43 near the Oviedo Mall.

Can't remember the name of the place, but the authentic Bogotan cuisine place right across the street from Hotel IC is really good and reasonably priced - the authentic Bogotan soup (antojaca?) is the specialty.

the best steak you will get in restaurant angus, I think it's close to San Carbon

Been lunching primarily at Cafe de Gris, the four star that is in the Oviedo Mall. What is not to like about this place. Great food, great service and incredible prices and eye candy galore. Just make sure you don't choke after you get slack jawed and forget to chew your food.

Don't know if it is the cook, but La Doctora has been rather mediocre.

Also, alot of the food has been excellent if meat based. I find that the pasta in many places to be horrible.

SCrubb - is Cafe de Gris the Italian restaurant in the mall over by Speedo and Diesal?

I had lunch there lasrt week for the first time and thought it was excellent - and the pasta was great - I had an awesome lasagna - and I've very picky on food, especially Italian. Thought it was reasonably preiced as well.

Yeah, Cafe de Gris,

I had an excellent lasagna and 2 beer, tax and tip for someting like 34,000 COP. There is also a complimentary salad bar. The pasta is made fresh daily. The chicken stroganoff is excellent are most of the most of the meat dishes that I had. The beef bourgonion (sp)was o.k., but not compared to the other dishes I had there.

In comparison, I had a large dominos pizza for 36,000 COP

(Message edited by scrubb on May 10, 2006)

The one thing that truly astounds me about Medellin, is the utter lack of quality coffee. It is absolutely horrible stuff, agua tinta as many call it.

I can understand that it is exported, but all of it ?

There were two places that had passable coffee. A chain called Juan Valez ( I shit you not) and at a McDonalds Restaurant in Poblado.

Scrubb, the vast majority of the good beans are exported, there are only a few cafes in Colombia that sell coffee from the good beans.

Next time you are in Medellin try the cafe in Pomono, a lot of foreigners like the coffe there, El Guillo (sp ?).

Hunter

Colombians call their coffee tinto. Tinta is ink.

I usually buy coffe at the grocery store and make my own. Fortunately I'm not very fussy.

Hi all,
I've been going to Medellin for awhile and invested in a bar/restaurant a few months ago. It is open now for lunch and drinks all night, named Zafa (soon to be Chicago's). It is a fixed lunch with 2 options at 6,000 pesos and is quite tasty. We have a big screen and HD projection with 4 Direct TV feeds and great sight seeing from the patio, right off of Parque Lleras.
Would appreciate member feedback as we are planning on additional renovation/redecoration.

Salud!

I found a place called Mondongo's it was great. Dinner for 3 plus drinks cost 30.000cop which is pretty cheap. Everyone got full and there was an outdoor balcony It was great.

Had the lunch at Chicago's. Pretty good comida nacional/traditional or whatever they call it. Tasty and cheap.

It would have been better if the beer was free!

When is the upstairs going to open ? Its been months.

Isn't Chicago's owned by Robert of the Medellin Mansion? I believe it is.

I am not sure if it is Robert or the company owned by Robert and Greg that own a small piece of the bar/restaurant. I understand the Mexican bartender also owns a small piece.

The upstairs will hopefully be open by late Fall, discussing various themes and options for a nice upscale dancing/drinking area.

Beer isn't free for lunch but it is pretty cheap, I'll be back in Nov and will stand you to pint!

Hogpenny, I was just pulling your leg ....but may be there to have that beer though.

(Message edited by scrubb on August 20, 2006)

When you guys are in Medellin you have to check out Mondongo's. It serves authentic Colombian food at very resonable prices. Three of us went and the total bill including drinks was only 30,000cop and we all ate our fill. It was great, now there are 2 of them the one we went to had a balcony where you can outside and girl watch. There is a nightclub right across the street that had some very sexy paisas coming & going.

Best meat from Argentina you will get here:
Rest. CHE
Calle 9 No 42 54
Tel. 266 45 46

If you like fresh chinese/asian, try Zhang, a new restaurant in San Fernando Plaza. I've been there twice and the food is very good. Similar to PF Chang, but better and fresher.

Ran across a place in El Centro today I have to pass on.

Que Patacones y Arepas, it is on Carrera 43 (Garodot, sp) about 52-61. Walk up La Playa to Carrera 43, then turn left, 1/2 block, on the left side of the street. Unlike Brother RT Gooch, I tend to dig in, then think of a photo, but I can really recomend the Arepa Venuzuliana, an arepa loaded with a stew of meat, tomato. onion, etc. I will be back, and promise to take a photo or two.

Tried CHE. The meat was OK, the rest of the meal very mediocre. Pretty much the same price as San Carbon, no ambiance, and the music was WAY loud.

More suggestions for good affordable places in Laureles please.

Hi all,
I have eaten a few times at a small restaraunt near Parke Llajares. You walk up a few stairs and it has Argentine food to the left and Mexican to the right. Does anybody know the name of that place ? Thanks