Date Night and Romantic Plans
Places with the right light and atmosphere for a date or romantic outing.
- 11 places
- 6 zones
- 3 categories
- average
- Top rated360 Rooftop Bar & RestauranteEl PobladoThe 360 Rooftop crowns the Haven Medellín, a design hotel in El Poblado, and its name describes exactly what it offers: the city seen in every direction from the roof.
- 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.
- Zarzo Rooftop BarEl PobladoEl Zarzo is the rooftop of the boutique hotel of the same name, on the sixth floor of a Provenza building. It is one of the small ones: the terrace is not chasing capacity but atmosphere, and it shows in the fact that you can hold a conversation.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sanpetersburgo BarBelloLong-established bar-restaurant in the centre of Bello with a rustic atmosphere decorated with art. It serves artisan burgers, crêpes and grilled meats, with billiards for customers only, live music on Saturdays and 2-for-1 cocktails on Wednesdays. A Bello nightlife classic.
- La Deriva Rooftop BarEl PobladoLa Deriva is the roof of the Click Clack Hotel, in El Poblado, and its idea is explicit: build a beach in the middle of the valley. Pool, loungers, communal tables and bar stools, with the city and the mountains around.
- Cierto Rooftop MedellínEl PobladoCierto occupies the terrace of the Hotel Landmark, in the Manila sector, and its argument is the panorama: from up there the Aburrá valley reads in almost every direction, with the El Poblado hills in front.
- Envy RooftopEl PobladoEnvy occupies the top two floors of the Hotel The Charlee, in the middle of El Poblado, and its most recognisable feature is the aquarium-style pool cutting across the upper level.
- Mosquito RooftopEl PobladoMosquito occupies the roof of The Somos Beats hotel, in El Poblado, and its register is more party than contemplation: bar and restaurant with music, a group atmosphere and cocktails as the main argument.
- Zendaya Retro HouseSabanetaRetro-style bar linked to the Yazen Coffee Studio brand in Sabaneta. It serves craft beers and cocktails in a space with its own visual identity. Open from late afternoon into the night.
Before you go
On a first date the point is not to impress but to be able to talk. This collection brings together places with good cocktails where the music lets you hear each other, the lighting helps and nobody rushes you: terraces and rooftops in El Poblado, gastrobars in Laureles and Envigado, and smaller bars in Bello or Sabaneta, so you do not have to cross the city if you both live on the same side of the valley.
A good trick is to choose by budget and by how much pressure you want to put on the evening. A rooftop at $$$ or $$$$ has a view and a special-occasion feel, but it is also louder at weekends. A gastrobar at $$, such as Barcelona in Laureles or Makabro in Envigado, feels more relaxed and lets you stretch the night with some food if the conversation flows. Late afternoon, just before sunset, is usually the kindest time: fewer people and better light.
If your date is someone you met online, meet somewhere busy, arrive and leave on your own, tell someone you trust where you are and keep an eye on your drink. It is advice you hear a lot in Medellín, and for good reason.
