Burger Market - American Food - Bogota, Colombia

I thought there was no better place for hamburgers in Colombia than "Hamburguesas El Corral". After several recommendations from friends, last weekend I went to Burger Market, not once but twice, and it turned to be a great gastronomical experience!! I haven't seen on a menu so many different types of hamburgers: Angus meat, Turkey, Cajun, Tuna, Salmon, Veggie, Quinua, etc. They all seemed delicious, it is really difficult to make a choice, specially because all the ingredients are perfectly chosen and free of fertilizers. Their slogan is "Natural just the way you want it".

Additionally the chef Daniel Kaplan is an expert on meat: starting on the breed and raising of the animal  and continuing with the maturation process and meat cuts. 

On friday night I shared with my friend a Turkey and a Veggie burger. It was 10 pm o a little bit later, our order took around 40 minutes to arrive, and the service was poor. Maybe because of the time, it took so long, but if they open until 1 am, this should not happen.  Fortunately the food was amazing: the turkey burger with mayonnaise and BBQ sauce was awesome, there is no place in Bogota where you will find such a tasteful (no red meat) hamburger, and the size is just perfect. The veggie burger composed by a big mushroom mayonnaise and avocado is also delicious, specially the the guacamole gives it yummy taste.  For a healthy hamburger meal this two types of burger are the best combination ever! I finished my evening thinking I had to come back for lunch to taste a Angus meat hamburger.

On Sunday I woke up thinking on nothing else than Burger Market. I invited two different friends, they both ordered the turkey burger and loved it. I had to eat the hamburger that has the chefs name: Angus meat, onion rings, bacon, tomatoes and lettuce. The taste of this burger is amazing and the meat is juicy and tender. Order your hamburger with "papas rusticas" or onion rings.

The restaurant is spacious and the decoration is really nice. I want to go back a thousands times; and taste every single hamburger, steak, ribs or chicken in the menu. Two thumbs up for the owner and chef of this restaurant!

Address: Carrera 14 No. 83-53. Zona Rosa.
Telephone:  2579047
Monday to Wednesday 12 m.   to 10 p.m.
Thurday to saturday until la 1 a.m.
Sundays 11:30 a.m to 6 p.m.

7 16 - Steak House - Usaquen, Bogota, Colombia

7 16  is a restaurant in Usaquen one of the finest zones for restaurants, bars and entrainment in Bogota. This steak house is located inside a beautiful colonial house,  with an amazing terrace that gives a very cozy ambiance. 

In general at a steak house you should order STEAK... But no everyone is so audacious or has a great stomach to eat steak at night.  Besides it is becoming increasingly important to eat healthy, specially at dinner time. This is a great practice for everyone, so when making a choice to dine, any good restaurant must have awesome healthy food. 7 16 was a great healthy experience: starting with a Tuna Tartare for two and then a Veggie Burger for one, and a Grilled Grouper for the other.

After serving a focaccia bread right from the oven its time to order an appetizer. My recommendation: the Tuna Tartare with raw tuna, tomatoes and avocado is amazing and light. The veggie burger  was better than I expected, instead of meat a big mushroom coated with bread crumbs, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and onions, you can add ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise but its not a must, the burger alone tastes wonderful. The Grilled Grouper is a safe choice, but still delicious. All of this with a salad as a side dish make the perfect healthy dinner we were looking for. Well not so heathy, I confese we ordered dessert, Crème brûlée with red fruits, it is the type of dessert where you stop talking and just keep eating: it's great temperature and the combination with red fruits makes it an unforgettable experience.

Portions are big and the ambiance is excellent witch compensates the high prices.

Address: Calle 119B #6-28

Telephone: 2134271-6204348

Web Site: www.zonak.com.co

Zatar - Arabic Food - Bogota, Colombia

Before Zatar there was no place in Bogota where a I could feel the perfect flavors from  Lebanese Cuisine. As an appetizer or side dish order: Hummus, Tabbuleh or my favorite Babaghanoush (dish of eggplant mashed and mixed with hummus and various seasonings with parsley on top).

If its your first time order "Maximo Arabe"  on pita bread with kibbe and falafel, you will taste every essence you look for on this type of restaurant. Other recommended dishes: Smoked salmon wrap,  Zatar shrimp or Arabic fillet steak.

To accompany this meal order Arab lemonade or red fruit juice, and as a dessert anything with pistachio.

I must tell you: I eat every week at this restaurant for lunch or dinner, food is the best and prices are awesome compared to other restaurants en the G Zone in Bogota. Its a small and cozy place with 6 tables, and you can always see trough a glass how they prepare your food.

Address: Carrera 5 Nº 69-15
Telephone: 317 9874
Monday to Saturday 12 M to 10 P.M.

Cucayito- Colombian Coast Typical Food - Bogota, Colombia

Cucayito "antojos caribe" is a small and colorful restaurant in Chapinero Alto neighborhood. It's front has a beautiful mural that invites you to start a coastal experience. It only has 5 tables, 10 people can be comfortably seated. The menu brings you many of the delicious cravings for the Colombian coast: arepa e huevo (egg arepa), meat or cheese carimañola (made with yuca), coconut lemonade, mango lemonade, kibbe, patacon (plantain) and their famous coconut "cucayito" which is overcooked coconut rice that gets stuck to a plain aluminum pot. Order your cucayito with shredded meat  and/or coast cheese (a salty type of cheese that is typical  from this zone). An important sauce is the suero costeño which tastes very similar to sour cream (but never the same), dip everything in it an it will taste wonderful!

This is the best "arepa e huevo" in town; you will see people coming and going with their arepas at all times. Order it with a coconut or mango lemonade you wont forget this experience is simple delicious.

Address: Carrera 4A # 66-19

Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

To order for events: pidenos@cucayito.com

La Antigua Pasteleria Francesa - La Candelaria, Bogota, Colombia

If you visit Bogota you must visit La Candelaria; this city started on this neighborhood so you will be enchanted by the colorful colonial architecture, beautiful streets, museums, historic sites and ancient churches. Besides the different activities that take place everyday and of course the delicious restaurants will make you LOVE your experience in La Candelaria.

You can't go to La Candelaria without stopping by "La Pasteleria Francesa" (French Patisserie) , you can ask anyone on the street and the will show you where it is. There a two "pastelerias" please ask for the original one, even though both of them are great!

For breakfast lunch or a dessert this place offers exquisite French cuisine. You must order dessert: an almond croissant and an eclair (chocolate, coffee or vanilla) will be the perfect choice, any of this delicious pastries will go with a cappuccino made with Colombian coffee or some tea.

You will always be well served, the place is really cozy and pretty, so don't forget to ask for a photo, and feel at home.

Address: Cll. 9 # 1-95 La Candelaria, Bogota

Telephone: 3425646

Ternera a la Llanera or Mamona - Los Llanos (Villavicencio), Colombia

 

The Ternera a la Llanera or Mamona is the typical food of Los Llanos Orientales in Colombia. Los llanos are conformed by the following departments: Meta, Vichada, Casanare and Arauca. Last weekend I visited this beautiful area; 3 hours away from Bogota you will find Villavicencio which is the capital city of "El Meta". This is a place with gorgeous country sites, amazing landscapes, a great variety of vegetation, hot weather  and many different animals like cows, horses, birds, etc.

You will find this dish on different restaurants placed on the road. Tender meat from a small cow is cooked on a type of bonfire, which gives it a smoky flavor. Generally the side dishes are boiled yuca and potato, also you can also ask for "aji" which is made with avocado and creole chili peppers which gives this a spicy and delicious flavor.

First, you can stop in any restaurant and ask for "la pruebita" a small piece of meat so that you can taste it. Second, if you like it you can ask for a portion (prices vary between 10,000-25,000 pesos which are USD 5 to USD 13 ). And third, enjoy your meal and indulge it with some "refajo" the combination of beer with Colombiana the typical colombian soda.

My recommendation is to ask for the thinner, not fatty, part of the cow. It tastes better and it is easier to eat it.

14 Inkas - Peru - Bogota, Colombia

I'd heard really bad references from 14 Inkas, people said food wasn't that good and prices were really high. My friend and chef Veronica Uribe owner of 6C specialty foods invited me there for her birthday, since I haven't been there and she said it was really good, I decided to dine with her. I could've just had a pisco, but I wanted to taste it and share my experience with you.

We just ordered some appetizer entrée and pisco sours.

Recommendations and I wont order anything else at this restaurant:

1. Pulpo al olivo y el ceviche típico: fresh octopus on a purple olive mayonnaise and red onions.Conchitas a la parmesana: Parmesan shells
2. Drink: Pisco Sour

Terrible idea to order:

1. Cuarteto de leche de tigre: this platter offers a variety of 4 ceviches.

• Whats wrong: There is only a small piece of fish per cerviche there is not enough for sharing. The ceviche pantera tastes like liver, it's disgusting, people can get sick just by tasting it. The other three ceviches taste fine but you end up dissapointed after eating so little of them. 
2. Causa 4 Inkas: They taste fine, standard, and they are also really small. Chiken Causa has a taste similar to a club sandwich and the tuna causa is not to die for. The shrimp causa is not good at all, it has too much onion. The calamari causa has a small piece of calamari that when you see it's not provocative, but it tastes fine, just fine.

I don't smoke but i think it is really important for people to feel comfortable in a restaurant to have a smoking area. Well there isn't one and people must go out to the street to smoke. Besides in a city like Bogota that rains constantly every restaurant should have facilities for smokers to enjoy a cigarette after dinner or drink.

I always have fun with friends, and we had a good time, but I wont go back to this restaurant.

Price: 40,000 per person
Address: Carrera 12 # 84 - 55 - Near to Zona T
Telephone: 257 4824 - 691 21 82