The best places to eat and drink in Medellin

Is Medellin the best city in the world? I’ve been twice this year alone, and I still don’t feel like I’m done with it. The vibe in Medellin is unlike anything I’ve experienced… The music, la fiesta, and the people all add to the experience. But the food and drink were a big part of my trip to Colombia, too.

These were my favourite places to get coffee, brunch, lunch, and dinner and then head out for drinks in Medellin – mainly in the El Poblado, Manila, and Provenza neighbourhoods.

Find out more about the five days we spent in Medellin here.

Where to get coffee, brunch, and lunch in Medellin

Good brunch is easy to come by in El Poblado as the neighbourhood is very touristy. These are the best places to get breakfast or lunch in El Poblado, in my opinion.

Mija Artesanal

Mija Artesanal on Calle 11A is a cute brunch spot with indoor and outdoor seating. The cafe is minimal and modern with a slightly rustic touch, perfectly suited to the menu. This is a great place to get bowls, smoothies and juices, and sandwiches. It’s a fairly healthy menu and most of the dishes are European-inspired.

Satio Café - Bar

Satio Cafe is the restaurant in Los Patios Hostel, where I spent two nights in August. I was impressed by the brunch options here, and their veggie menu is great. It’s a good spot for bowls and other classic brunch dishes.

Hija Mija

There are a few branches of Hija Mija in El Poblado but my favourite is on the corner of Calle 11A and Carrera 43E. It’s a cafe and restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating, and their menu covers both lunch and brunch dishes. The salads, burgers, and smoothies are some of my top picks here.

Smash Avocaderia

Smash Avocaderia is next to General Cafe Bar in the Landmark Hotel. It’s a modern place that’s also home to a yoga studio, and you’ll find lots of locals and tourists remote-working over brunch. The menu is fresh and healthy, but not the cheapest place to eat in Medellin. Despite this, I went back twice for the salmon bowl, iced coffees, and smoothies.

Final Feliz

We ate at Final Feliz when we stayed at Viajero Hostel, as it’s the cafe on the ground floor of the building. The food is great, comes quickly, and is fairly affordable. Plus, you’ll find some local classics like patacones on the menu… A lot of places in El Poblado are very American/European as they cater to tourists. So it was good to get some traditional Colombian food where we were staying.

Le Brunch

The food and coffee at Brunch on Calle 11A is great, but both times I’ve been it’s taken over 20 minutes to get served (even when it’s quiet) and over an hour for food to come. So I wouldn’t recommend coming here if you’re in a rush… But you have a bit of time to kill, the food her is delicious and fresh.

Mercado del Rio

We stopped at Mercado del Rio for lunch, but it would be just as great in the evenings. It’s a food hall, meaning that you don’t all have to eat from the same place. The only issue for me was that there wasn’t many veggie options. But it was still a cool place to have a beer and a taco.

Where to get dinner in Medellin

There are so many great places to get dinner in Medellin. These spots in El Poblado were our favourites.

Mamasita Medallo

My favourite place for dinner and drinks in El Poblado is Mamasita. It’s not that cheap… But this bar has a great vibe. It’s big and busy, and the menu has pretty much everything you could want. Plus, it feels more traditionally Colombian than a lot of the more American or European restaurants in the neighbourhood. The extensive cocktail menu is also worth exploring. My favourite order at Mamasita is the fish curry.

Los Birria Tacos

Some of the best tacos in El Poblado (for me) were at Los Birria. The menu’s fairly small, which is a good thing in my opinion… And don’t forget to add cheese to your tacos if you want it because it doesn’t come as standard.

Criminal Taqueria

Another great taco spot in El Poblado is Criminal. It’s a bigger restaurant than Los Birria, but the service is a little slower. The menu is bigger, and more like a Mexican diner. The tacos were good, but the nachos were a highlight for me.

El Altar Taqueria

Probably my favourite Mexican in El Poblado (and also in Provenza) is El Altar. The tacos are sooo tasty and fresh, and the menu is full of Mexican classics… I left feeling very full. The seating at the restaurant on the corner of Calle 11A is on the street, which is great on a sunny day. I also got takeaway tacos from here a couple of times, too.

Restaurante Autentico

This little restaurant in El Poblado has a small menu of incredible traditional South American dishes. The food is so tasty and flavourful and the service here is really quick and friendly. We stopped in on one of our last nights in Medellin, but if I’d had more time I definitely would have come back.

Casa El Ramal

Casa El Ramal is the perfect spot for dinner in El Poblado, Medellin, if you want something a bit higher end. It’s not cheap, but it’s beautiful, the food and service is great, and it has more of a date night feel to it than a lot of the restaurants in the neighbourhood.

Brooklyn Pizza 

On the opposite end of the spectrum to Casa El Ramal is Brooklyn Pizza. This brightly-lit pizza restaurant in El Poblado is very casual, but the food is great. We stopped in after a football match when we needed something quick to eat before heading out for the night, and the pizza here hit the spot.

Where to go for drinks and dancing in Medellin

The nightlife in Medellin is one of the things that makes it such a great city. The music scene is vibrant, and it’s everywhere… You can’t step outside without feeling like you’re being fully immersed in Latin music. As a result, the bars and clubs in Medellin are, in my opinion, some of the best in the world. These are the places that we had some of the best nights out in Medellin.

Viajero Hostel rooftop

We stayed at Viajero Hostel in El Poblado for four nights and we drank on the roof everyday. The cocktail menu is great, and every night they have something different on, from DJ and karaoke to bar games and festivals.

Siete Pulgadas Listening Bar

Medellin’s got some great listening bars and this one in El Poblado is one of the highest rated. The vibe is very cool and laid back, but it’s small so you’ll need to arrive fairly early if you want a seat on the weekend.

El Chochal

This street-side bar in El Poblado was one of our favourite places to stop for a bottle of beer before dinner or before heading out into Provenza for the night.

Pequeña Gran Libreria

This adorable bar in El Pobladol, Medellin, is packed to the ceilings with books. You can sit outside and play a game of chess, or stay indoors and browse the thousands of titles on the bookshelves.

Mad Records Cafe and Mad Radio

Mad Radio and Mad Records make up a big part of the Medellin nightlife scene for tourists. I’m going to be honest… They’re not my favourite places to spend a night. But they’re popular in Provenza thanks to their live DJs and laid-back vibe. Personally, I think they feel too much like being in a bar in London or anywhere else in Europe and I want my experience to feel more traditional to the city I’m in. But you can still have a pretty good night out here if it’s where you end up.

La House

La House is a three-storey club in Provenza that plays everything from US hip hop and rap to Medellin trap music. It’s busy on the weekends and I’m pretty sure they mark up the entry fee for gringos, but it’s a better and more authentic night out than Mad Radio if you ask me!

Salon Amador

If you like techno and dance music, Salon Amador is an iconic venue to check out in Medellin. It’s only open over the weekends and there are different DJs and line ups, but this is definitely one of the best nights out you’re going to get in the city.

Find out more about our full two-week Colombia itinerary here.