Gastropubs in Medellín
Gastropubs: the best places in and around Medellín, verified one by one.
- 9 places
- 8 zones
- average
- Top ratedMakabroEnvigadoSmall-plates gastrobar with an extensive cocktail bar and a lively night-time atmosphere. The concept mixes signature tapas, music and the dark aesthetic that gives it its name; it works just as well for a date as for a group night out.
- Top ratedCalle Provenza Peatonal & Vía PrimaveraEl PobladoChosen by Time Out magazine as one of the coolest streets in the world, Provenza is the epicentre of tourism, fashion and cosmopolitan nightlife in Medellín. Its cobbled pedestrian streets are covered by tree canopies and decorated with tropical plants, and hold dozens of specialty cafés, fine-dining restaurants, independent Colombian design shops (Vía Primavera) and the busiest bars and gastrobars in Latin America.
- Top ratedBARCELONA: bar & smart restaurantLaurelesBarcelona presents itself as a smart restaurant and the label, for once, describes something concrete: the tables are multi-touch screens from which you browse the menu, order and play while the food arrives.
- Top ratedCorredor Gastronómico Belén Rosales y MalibúBelénOne of the most authentic and tree-lined emerging food areas of Medellín. Next to the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana and Laureles, the quiet streets of Rosales and Malibú have become home to sourdough artisan pizza bistros, European bakeries, Colombian-origin specialty cafés, independent breweries and small gastrobars with pavement tables.
- DOLCE RestobarCaldasRelaxed restobar serving Italian cooking, pizzas, crêpes and artisan Italian ice cream; a good choice for a quiet outing.
- Guadalupe Mexican Bar & Grill ItaguiItagüíMexican gastrobar with a cocktail bar in Itagüí. Rated 4.7 on Google, it serves tacos, burritos and grilled dishes in an informal, lively atmosphere.
- Top ratedMercado de Laureles GastrobarLaurelesMercado de Laureles works as a food hall at neighbourhood scale: six independent brands share the space and the tables, so everyone orders their own without negotiating the venue.
- Bulevar de la 68 (Castilla)CastillaBulevar de la 68 is the liveliest, happiest and most authentic artery of north-west Medellín. It is a pedestrian and commercial corridor full of life every night of the week, known as the 'capital of the hot dog and the street burger' of the city, and it also holds classic ice cream parlours, bakeries, neighbourhood discos and squares with crossover music.
- La Palma Mirador GastropubBelloLa Palma sits on the climb to San Félix, less than five kilometres from Bello, on the stretch where the road starts to open out over the valley. That is its calling card: the view, with Medellín in the distance and hillside all around.
Before you go
The gastrobar solves a very common problem: the group where some people want a proper meal and others just want a drink. The kitchen is a serious part of the plan here, with sharing plates, burgers, grills or Mexican food, and so is the bar, with cocktails and beer. The result is an outing that can start as dinner and end as a long conversation without changing venues.
Unlike other categories, this one is not concentrated in El Poblado. There are gastrobars in Laureles, such as Mercado de Laureles, which by day even works as a place to get some work done; in Envigado, such as Makabro; in Itagüí and Caldas, where prices usually stay between $ and $$; and in San Félix, Bello, where La Palma Mirador adds a fire pit and a view over the valley. It is a good way to see life in the surrounding towns without nightlife-district prices.
On weekend evenings it is worth booking for groups of more than four. If cocktails are part of the plan, look at the house list before ordering the usual: it is common to find cocktails made with Colombian fruits such as lulo, passion fruit or green mango that are hard to find in other countries.
