Colombia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 499

Al Wadi C 27 No. 4A-14, La Macarena; map p.498. A
compact, cave-like Middle Eastern place serving heaped
plates of falafel and moussaka with the trimmings, as well
as shwarma and good, tooth-achingly sweet baklava for
dessert. Mains COP$15,000. Daily noon-10pm.
Arepas el Cuatro Cra 4 just off Parque de los Periodistas;
map p.496. This bare-bones café also has a hole-in-the-
wall selling excellent arepas with delicious shredded
meat (COP$3500) or cheese (COP$1900). Be sure to season
yours with some spicy ají sauce from the counter. Open
until midnight, and great for soaking up that one beer
too many.
Central Cevicheria Cra 14 No. 85-14, Zona Rosa; map
p.496. Look no further to sate your cravings for fish and
seafood - be it laced with spicy sauce or cut into thin
tiradito slices. Busy and popular, it also serves cooked
mains such as prawn curry. Expensive, but so, so worth it.
Ceviche from COP$17,000. Daily noon-10pm.
Crepes & Wa es Av Jimenez No. 4-55; map p.498;
Cra 12 No. 83-40 in the Zona Rosa; map p.496; and more
than 30 other city outlets W www.crepesywa es.com. A
hugely popular chain restaurant that fulfils every savoury
and sweet craving with a monster menu of crêpes and
wa es, plus naughty ice-cream sundaes. Savoury crêpes
COP$9500-30,000, sweet treats start at $4500.
Di Lucca Cra 13 No. 85-33, Zona Rosa; map p.496. Munch
on wood-fired pizzas, home-made pasta and expertly
cooked risotto at this smart Italian restaurant. Given its
trendy Zona Rosa location, the prices are extremely good
value and dishes such as sepia pasta with seafood sauce
stand out. Mains from COP$17,000. Daily noon-10pm.
Enchiladas C 10 No. 2-12, La Candelaria; map p.498.
Tuck into enchiladas, burritos and other Mexican staples
at this colourful spot festooned with Day of the Dead
paraphernalia and black-and-white film photos. The
home-made salsas have a real kick to them and the sopa
de tortilla really hits the spot. Mains from COP$12,000. Sun
& Mon noon-5pm, Tues-Sat noon-10pm.
La Hamburgueseria Cra 4A No. 27-27, La Macarena
W www.lahamburgueseria.com; map p.496. This great little
chain offers international takes on gourmet hamburgers:
think Greek, Italian, Thai… Choose from five home-made
sauces and relishes to complement the glorious patty.
Burgers from COP$12,000. Daily noon-11pm.
Juan Valdéz Cra 7 at C 11, La Candelaria; map p.498.
Colombia's answer to Starbucks, with good hot and cold
caffeine offerings, mu ns, sandwiches and more. Be
prepared to pay top dollar for it, though. Also has wi-fi.
Coffees COP$5000. Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun until 5pm.
La Puerta Falsa C 11 No. 6-50, La Candelaria; map
p.498. This is where the good citizens of Bogotá come
for snacks such as chocolate completo (hot chocolate with
cheese and bread) and colourful sweets that beckon you
through the window. Snacks COP$2000. Daily 11am-5pm.

5

Ì TREAT YOURSELF
Casa Platypus C 12F No 28,
La Candelaria T 1 281 1801,
W casaplatypus.wix.com; map p.498.
Located in a beautiful colonial house
overlooking Parque de los Periodistas,
Casa Platypus (same owner as the hostel
Platypus ) combines many of the comforts
of a boutique hotel with backpacker-
friendly facilities. Rooms are compact but
stylish and there's a huge dining room/
lounge where a hefty breakfast including
fresh fruit and juice, eggs, granola and
yoghurt is served up (included in room
rate). Add to this a roof terrace, upscale
communal kitchen, free coffee, wi-fi and
public computers, cold beers on an
honour system plus all the information
and friendly advice that an independent
traveller could hope for from super-
knowledgeable owner Germán, and you
really d o have the best of b oth worlds.
Dorms COP$40,000 , doubles COP$150,000

nearest Transmilenio stop, regular minibuses alo ng Cra 7
connect it to La Candelaria. Dorms COP$24,000 , doubles
COP$90,000
Platypus C 12F No. 2-43, La Candelaria T 1 341 3104,
W platypusbogota.com; map p.498. An institution, mostly
because the English/French/German-speaking owner
Germán warmly shares knowledge of Colombia accumu-
lated from extensive travels. Comfortabl e shared and
private r ooms with kit chen facilities. Dorms COP$22,000 ,
doubles COP$44,000
Hostal Sue C 12F No. 2-55 T 1 334 8494,
W suecandelaria.com; map p.498. This well-maintained
hostel with a party vibe has just about everything a
backpacker could want: neat dorms, three doubles with
TVs, on-site bar, bean-bag-stacked TV lounge, kitchen,
free coffee, laundry service, ping-pong table and regular
pub crawls. Has a second location i in La Candelari a at Cra 3
No. 12C-18 ( T 1 341 2647). Dorms COP$22,000 , doubles
COP$60,000

EATING
While the traditional highlander diet consists of meat
and starch, middle-class cachacos prefer the same cosmo-
politan cuisine as their counterparts in London or New
York. Bogotá has four main restaurant zones, from south
to north: gritty La Candelaria; yuppie La Macarena (Cra 4
between calles 23 & 28); gay-friendly Chapinero, also
called the “G-Zone” (between calles 58 & 72 and carreras
3 & 7); and upmarket Zona Rosa (concentrated in the
“T Zone” at C 82 and Cra 12).