We look at the best of Medellín with an ultimate guide to the best of Medellín including 260+ things to do, restaurants, pueblos, museums, malls and much, much more, updated for 2021.

Over the past four years, we have published a total of 26 popular articles with curated lists of the best things to see and do in Medellín in many categories. These articles have been very popular with a total of over 400,000 page-views.

We continue to receive many questions about the best of Medellín from readers. So, we published this ultimate guide to the best of Medellín – which includes over 260 of the best things to see and do and many of the best restaurants in several categories.

Our guide to the best of the city is broken up into 26 different categories corresponding to our 26 best of Medellín articles. And there are a few places repeated in this list, as some of the best fall in more than one category.

Top things to do in Medellín and nearby

1. 35 Top Things to Do in Medellín and Nearby: Top Tourist Attractions

Medellín has become a popular tourist location in Colombia with more tourists visiting the city each year and we look at 35 top things to do in the city and nearby.

1. Feria de las Flores – Medellín’s Flower Festival
2. Medellín’s Christmas Lights
3. Guatapé
4. Museo de Antioquia
5. Parque Arví
6. Jardín Botánico
7. Jardín
8. Walking Tour of El Centro (Downtown)
9. Rio Claro
10. Hacienda Napoles
11. Plaza Botero
12. Parque Explora
13. Santa Fe de Antioquia
14. Museo de Arte Moderno (Modern Art Museum) or MAMM
15. Barbosa, Antioquia
16. Parque Piedras Blancas
17. Parque Sabaneta
18. Museo El Castillo
19. Viva Envigado Mall
20. Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Bello
21. Museo Casa de la Memoria
22. Parque Lleras
23. Catedral Basílica Metropolitana
24. Pueblito Paisa
25. Comuna 13 Tour
26. Eat Bandeja Paisa
27. Plaza Minorista
28. Mercado Del Rio
29. El Hueco
30. Try Colombian Street Food
31. Drink Colombian Coffee
32. Cerro El Volador
33. La Sierra Tour
34. Santafé Mall
35. Cerro de Las Tres Cruces

FREE things to do

2. 21 Best FREE Things to Do in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley

We look at 21 of the best FREE things to do in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley. It turns out that many of the best things to do in the city are totally FREE.

Medellín offers tourists visiting the city many free things to do that are absolutely free of charge. So, if you are on a tight budget it is quite possible to see many of the things to do in the city for FREE.

In addition, we recommend getting a Civica card when visiting the city. This will permit you to use the Medellín Metro to get around the city for only 2,255 pesos ($0.71) per trip and save 11.6 percent compared to the fare without a Civica.

1. See Feria de las Flores – Medellín’s Flower Festival
2. See Medellín’s Christmas Lights
3. Visit Parque Arví
4. Visit Jardín Botánico
5. Take A Free Walking Tour of El Centro (Downtown)
6. Enjoy the Sculptures at Plaza Botero
7. Visit Museo de Arte Moderno (Modern Art Museum)
8. Visit Parque Sabaneta
9. See Religious Art at Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Bello
10. Visit Museo Casa de la Memoria
11. Visit Catedral Basílica Metropolitana
12. Hike to Pueblito Paisa
13. Visit Plaza Minorista
14. Hike to Cerro el Valador
15. Hike to Cerro de Las Tres Cruces
16. Visit Museo Universidad Antioquia (MUUA)
17. Hike to Cerro Pan de Azucar
18. See the Tombs at Museo Cementerio San Pedro
19. Visit One of the Malls in Medellín
20. Visit Casa Museo Otraparte
21. Visit Parques Del Río

Top Kid-Friendly things to do

3. Top 17 Kid-Friendly Things to Do in Medellín – Family Friendly

Medellín has many kid-friendly things to do for families with children. We look at 17 of the top kid-friendly things to do in the city and nearby.

Medellín is no longer a place that only attracts single male tourists. Single foreign women also frequently visit the city. And an increasing number of foreigner families with children are visiting and even moving to the city. Also, there are some single foreigners with children.

In addition, a number of foreigners who have married Colombians have children. So, Medellin Guru is receiving more questions about kid-friendly things to do in Medellín. So, we looked at many of the kid-friendly things to do in the city and nearby.

1. Parque Explora
2. Hacienda Napoles
3. Medellín Christmas Lights
4. Parque Norte
5. Guatapé
6. Barbosa, Antioquia
7. Parque Piedras Blancas
8. Parque Zoológico Santa Fe
9. Parque Arví
10. Rio Claro
11. Museo del Agua
12. Jardín Botánico
13. Bowling in Medellín
14. Medellín Movie Theaters
15. Museo El Castillo
16. Planetario de Medellín
17. Parques Del Río

Malls in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley

4. 14 Best Malls in Medellín

Paisas love to shop and Medellín and the Aburrá Valley has a huge number of centro comercials (shopping centers or malls). We looked at several of the largest malls in the Aburrá Valley to find out the 14 best malls in the metro area. 

1. Viva Envigado – one of the newest malls in the Aburrá Valley located in Envigado, which is reportedly the largest mall in Colombia
2. Santafé – one of the largest malls in Medellín located in El Poblado
3. Mayorca Mega Plaza – a popular mall in Sabaneta with several outlet shops
4. El Tesoro – Medellín’s popular mall with a view in El Poblado
5. Premium Plaza – one of Medellín’s largest shopping malls with entertainment on the third floor
6. Puerta del Norte – the largest and most popular mall in Bello
7. Arkadia – the newest mall in Medellín and the nicest mall in Belén
8. Los Molinos – the oldest Western-style mall in Belén
9. Oviedo – the oldest mall in El Poblado.
10. San Diego – the oldest mall in Medellín.
11. Unicentro – the largest and most popular mall in Laureles-Estadio
12. Monterrey – Medellín’s technology mall in El Poblado
13. Forida Parque – the only Western-style mall in the Robledo comuna in Medellín
14. La Central – the only Western-style mall in the Buenos Aires comuna in Medellín

Some of the best Medellín Museums

5. 12 Best Museums in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley

We look comprehensively at 26 Medellín museums including museums in other municipalities in the Aburrá Valley to find the 12 best museums in the metro area. Medellín is home to many excellent museums.

1. Museo de Antioquia – the most popular museum in Medellín, worth visiting. It’s best known for a collection of art of Medellín-born artist Fernando Botero.
2. Parque Explora – a popular interactive science museum and aquarium. It has over 300 activities and the largest freshwater aquarium in South America.
3. Jardín Botánico – the free botanical gardens that is also considered a museum with over 1,000 different living plants on display.
4. Medellín’s Museo de Arte Moderno (Modern Art Museum) – worth a visit with an intriguing mix of exhibitions located in a striking building.
5. Museo El Castillo – Medellín’s beautiful Gothic-style castle that is a museum.
6. Museo Casa de la Memoria – a museum dedicated to honoring the victims of urban conflict in Medellín and Colombia and is worth seeing to better understand the city and country.
7. Museo Universidad Antioquia (MUUA) – a museum located on the University of Antioquia’s campus with a huge collection of nearly 40,000 archaeological and natural history pieces.
8. Pedro Nel Gómez Casa Museo – a museum located in Aranjuez that is dedicated to the life and works of important Colombian artist Pedro Nel Gómez who is best known for his extensive work as a muralist.
9. Museo Cementerio San Pedro – a cemetery that is also a popular museum in Medellín worth visiting. It also has a church with many beautiful stained-glass windows.
10. Casa Museo Otraparte – a hidden gem in Envigado consisting of a museum, cultural space and café dedicated to the life and works of Colombian philosopher Fernando González.
11. Planetario de Medellín – the Planetarium and space museum that is very popular and worth seeing, particularly with kids.
12. Museo del Agua – the popular Medellín water museum.

Pueblos near Medellín

6. 8 Best Pueblos Near Medellín Worth a Visit Including Hidden Gems

We look at the eight best pueblos near Medellín worth a visit including Guatapé, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Jardín and Jericó. We also look at four hidden gem pueblos that you won’t find in most of the English language guidebooks.

Guatapé, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Jardín and Jericó are four of the best pueblos near Medellín that are the most visited by foreign tourists. But there are other hidden gem pueblos that aren’t yet visited by many foreigners but are worth a visit.

Some of these best pueblos near Medellín are fairly close to the city. So, they can be easy day trips from the city. And others are further away so are better for a longer visit like on weekends.

Here is our list of the eight best pueblos near Medellín that are all worth visiting:

1. Guatapé – a very popular pueblo known for its huge rock and lake.
2. Jardín – a tranquil get-away from Medellin that boosts breathtaking mountain views and less tourists than Guatapé.
3. Santa Fe de Antioquia – known for its well-preserved colonial architecture and cobbled streets.
4. Jericó – a picturesque pueblo known for its religious attractions, well-preserved colonial architecture and heritage, generous nature all around, hiking, paragliding, amazing landscapes and much more.
5. San Carlos – a hidden gem surrounded by rivers, waterfalls and nature.
6. Barbosa – an overlooked pueblo very near Medellín with streams, waterfalls, natural swimming pools, hiking, horseback riding and many other things to do.
7. Abejorral – another hidden gem surrounded by waterfalls and dazzling landscapes with many opportunities for hikers and rock climbers.
8. El Carmen de Viboral – the heart of Colombia’s ceramics industry.

View from Cerro de Las Tres Cruces

7. 7 Best Panoramic Views of Medellín: The Best Scenic Views

Medellín is located in the Aburrá Valley in the Andes mountains, offering fantastic panoramic views. This gives the second most populated city in Colombia, an incomparable charm with many very scenic views in the city. And we look at seven of the best views in the city.

Medellín offers breath-taking scenic viewpoints (miradors) over the entire city which makes it a wonderful opportunity to contemplate the horizon with friends (and a drink)! We discovered the seven best panoramic views:

1. Mirador Las Palmas
2. Cerro Nutibara (Nutibara Hill) where Pueblito Paisa is located
3. Cerro de Las Tres Cruces
4. Cerro El Volador
5. Comuna 13
6. Santo Domingo
7. La Octava Marvilla Mirador

Buildings in some of the best neighborhoods in Medellín

8. 5 Best Neighborhoods in Medellín

We looked at the 5 best neighborhoods in Medellín for foreigners including comparing the neighborhoods in terms of cost of living, safety and walkability and several other categories.

The five best neighborhoods in the Medellín metro are the most popular with foreigners living in Medellín or visiting the city. By neighborhoods we mean comunas of Medellín and separate municipalities in the Aburrá Valley.

In Medellín, there are 16 comunas and in the Aburrá Valley there are 10 municipalities. Note that barrios (neighborhoods in Spanish) are way too small to compare.

1. El Poblado
2. Envigado
3. Laureles-Estadio
4. Sabaneta
5. Belén

Plaza Botero and Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of Culture in El Centro seen during walking tours

9. Best Walking Tours in Medellín: Explore the City on Foot

Walking Tours have become one of the best ways to explore a city. A critical factor in the success of these walking tours is often the use of locals to guide these tours. This adds a realism and more personal touch to the tours that provides a stronger understanding of the dynamic of a city.

We looked at two of the best walking tours in Medellín but one of these is not longer offered:

1. Real City Walking Tours – only uses tour guides who are born and raised in Medellín. And they can best be described as story tellers rather than guides.
2. Toucan Street Food Walking Tours – includes all public transportation, street food at six points, a juice and a bilingual guide (no longer offered as Toucan Spanish School is closed)

Top churches in the Aburrá Valley

10. Top 14 Churches in Medellín: The Beautiful Churches in Medellín

Medellín and the Aburrá Valley area has many beautiful Catholic churches and we look at the top 14 churches in the metro area.

These top 14 churches use several architectural styles including Byzantine, Colonial, Eclectic, Gothic, Greek-Roman, Neo-Byzantine, Neo-Gothic, Neo-Romanesque, Renaissance and Romanesque. 

1. Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Rosario – a church located in Bello that is arguably the most beautiful church in the Aburrá Valley
2. Iglesia Jesús Nazareno – another of the most beautiful churches in Medellín.
3. Catedral Basílica Metropolitana – the main church of the Archdiocese of Medellín and the largest church in the city.
4. Iglesia San Joaquín – a beautiful church in the Laureles-Estadio comuna in Medellín that is reportedly the second largest church in Medellín.
5. Iglesia del Señor de las Misericordias – a neo-Gothic-style church located in the Manrique neighborhood.
6. Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro – a beautiful Gothic-style church.
7. Iglesia de Santa Gertrudis – a beautiful church in Envigado located next to Parque Envigado.
8. Iglesia de Santa Ana – a very popular church in Sabaneta located next to Parque Sabaneta.
9. Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Rosario – a Neo-Romanesque-style church located in the Girardota municipality.
10. Basílica Menor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Chiquinquirá in La Estrella – a beautiful church in La Estrella with a Neo-Gothic-style.
11. Iglesia San Antonio and Plaza San Antonio – the church with the largest dome in Medellín located next to Plaza San Antonio with four Fernando Botero sculptures.
12. Iglesia de la Veracruz – a colonial church with a history that goes back to 1682, which makes it one of the oldest churches in Medellín.
13. Iglesia de La Candelaria – the oldest church in Medellín, which is also a National Monument of Colombia.
14. Iglesia el Calvario – a Romanesque-style church in the Aranjuez comuna.

Best Mobile Apps

11. 22 Best Mobile Apps to use in Medellín

We provide a curated list of 22 of the best and most popular mobile apps to use when traveling to and living in Medellín and Colombia. These mobile apps can help you navigate the city and country, find the best restaurants, chat with friends, make translations, order taxis and much more.

1. WhatsApp Messenger
2. Facebook
3. Skype
4. Instagram
5. inDriver
6. Cabify
7. Uber
8. Beat
9. Moovit
10. Metro de Medellín
11. Google Maps
12. Waze
13. Google Translate
14. Microsoft Translator
15. DuoLingo
16. XE Currency
17. Zeepod
18. TripAdvisor
19. YouTube
20. Spotify
21. Ciudadanos Científicos
22. Domicilios.com

Food from some of the top restaurants in Sabaneta, Colombia

12. 28 Best Restaurants in Sabaneta, Colombia

We look at 26 of the best restaurants in Sabaneta, Colombia. Sabaneta is the smallest municipality in Colombia and is located south of Medellín and south of Envigado in the Aburrá Valley.

I have lived in Sabaneta for over three years and during this time have eaten at well over 100 restaurants in Sabaneta. The following is my list of the 28 best restaurants in Sabaneta created with the help of my Colombian wife.

Sabaneta has been growing rapidly and is adding restaurants at a fast pace. For example, when Mayorca mall in Sabaneta was expanded in late 2015, it added many new restaurants.

TripAdvisor for Sabaneta is missing many of the best restaurants in Sabaneta. So, be careful with TripAdvisor restaurant ratings for Sabaneta.

1. El Veijo John
2. Mama Santa Parrillada
3. El Sombrero
4. Crepes & Waffles
5. Parmessano
6. Kitchen Warrior
7. Catalán
8. Daisuki Sushi Wok
9. Anotonella’s
10. Pizza en Leña
11. Ragazzi Pizzas y Pastas
12. La Octava Maravilla
13. Chef Burger
14. Pigasus
15. Bocadini
16. Sports Wings
17. Wajaca
18. ArteSano Lounge Grill
19. La Doctora
20. La Hija de Stella
21. Ladrillo y Verde
22. El Encanto de Nuquia
23. La Costa Antiquena
24. Pica Rosso Pizzeria
25. Mas Q Alitas, Burgers and Ribs
26. Picnic
27. Pinche Guey
28. El Peregrino

Food from some of the best restaurants in Laureles

13. 20 Best Restaurants in Laureles in Medellín

We look at 20 of the best restaurants in Laureles. Laureles is a popular neighborhood for foreigners in Medellín and has many good restaurants.

Laureles is the name of a barrio and also a comuna. The Laureles barrio is located in the Laureles-Estadio comuna. In our list of best restaurants in Laureles we considered restaurants located in the entire Laureles-Estadio comuna.

1. Barbaro Cocina Primitiva
2. Delirio Exquisito
3. Ammazza Pizzeria & Gin Garden
4. El Correo Carne y Vino y Amada
5. La Pampa
6. Romero Cocina Artesanal
7. Pizzeria Olivia
8. Voraz Restaurante
9. Crepes & Waffles
10. Saludpan
11. Caduff Pasta Fresca
12. Bigotes
13. Chef Burger
14. Café Cliché
15. Barbacoa Burger & Beer
16. Grill Station Burger
17. Lo Exquisito del Mar
18. Chilaquiles
19. Opera Pizzeria & Restaurante
20. Mondongo’s

Food from some of the best restaurants in Envigado, Colombia

14. 17 Best Restaurants in Envigado, Colombia

We look at 17 of the best restaurants in Envigado near Medellín. Envigado is a popular area for foreigners living in the Aburrá Valley and it has many good restaurants.

Envigado is a separate municipality located directly south of El Poblado. Over the past eight years I have eaten at well over 60 restaurants in Envigado.

Envigado has been growing rapidly and is adding restaurants at a fast pace. For example, when the huge Viva Envigado mall that opened in late 2018, it added many new restaurants.

TripAdvisor for Envigado is missing several of the best restaurants in Envigado and appears to be missing all the restaurants in the new Viva Envigado mall. So, be careful with TripAdvisor restaurant ratings for Envigado.

1. Lucio Carbon y Vino
2. Lemoncillo
3. La tRES uno
4. Romero Cocina Artesanal
5. Pizzeria Olivia
6. El Rancherito
7. Crepes & Waffles
8. Hato Viejo
9. Black Pepper Steakhouse
10. Ragazzi Pizzas Y Pastas
11. Chef Burger
12. Ná Pizza
13. Restaurante Con Sabor a Mar
14. Barbacoa Burger & Beer
15. Wajaca
16. Grill Station Burger

Very good thin-crust pizza can be found in the city

15. 15 Best Pizza Places in Medellín: The Best Pizzerias in the City

Pizza is very popular and we look at 14 of the best pizza places in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley with very good pizzas.

1. Ammazza – a popular chain of three pizzerias in Medellín with excellent thin-crust pizzas.
2. Café Zorba – a very popular pizzeria in El Poblado with very good vegetarian thin-crust pizzas.
3. Pizzeria Centro – a pizzeria in El Centro with very good thin-crust pizzas.
4. Due Amici Pizzeria – a pizzeria in Suramericana with very good thin-crust pizzas.
5. Pizzería Olivia – a popular chain of nine pizzerias in Medellín.
6. Bigotes – a chain of three German pizzerias in Medellín – owner is German.
7. Antonella’s – a popular pizzeria located in Sabaneta with good pizza located a few blocks from Parque Sabaneta
8. Ná Pizza – a popular pizzeria in Envigado with very good thin-crust pizzas.
9. Pizza en Leña – a chain of two pizzerias in Sabaneta – owner is Dutch.
10. Lorenzza Pizzeria – a popular pizzeria with good thin-crust pizza located in the Manila barrio of El Poblado in Medellín
11. Ragazzi Pizzas Y Pastas – a chain with three pizzerias in the Medellín area.
12. Opera – a pizzeria in Laureles with good thin-crust pizzas.
13. Pane y Pomodoro – a chain of two pizzerias in Medellín with good thin-crust pizzas
14. Sicilia in Bocca – a small pizzeria in El Poblado.
15. Cavieli Ristorante Caffe – a popular pizzeria in Belén near Clínica las Américas.

Burgers from some of the top burger places

16. 10 Best Burgers in Medellín: Best Burger Places in the Aburrá Valley

Burgers are popular in the city and we look at 10 of the best burger places in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley with very good hamburgers.

Also, everyone’s tastes are different so a ranking is very subjective. In addition, I don’t trust the rankings on TripAdvisor. So, the burger places in this article are ordered by the number of locations each has and then alphabetically.

1. Chef Burger – a chain of 11 gourmet burger places in Medellín with very good American style burgers.
2. La Pampa – a chain of six Argentinian steakhouses that specializes in steaks but also has some good burgers.
3. Barbacoa Burger & Beer – a chain of four gourmet burger restaurants in Medellín with good American style burgers.
4. Grill Station Burger – a chain of four popular gourmet burger restaurants in Medellín with American style burgers, which use Brangus beef in their burgers.
5. Jack and Roll – a small gourmet burger restaurant located in Envigado and Laureles with good burgers and it won a burger competition in Medellín.
6. Medellín Beer Factory – a chain of two sports bars with good burgers.
7. Classic Diner – a restaurant in Envigado with a classic American diner feel and good burgers.
8. Hello Burgers & Beer – a gourmet burger restaurant in El Poblado with burgers you can customize with your favorite ingredients.
9. Medellín Burger Company – a burger restaurant Laureles with burgers that only uses Angus beef.
10. Patrick’s Irish Pub – a large sports bar in Parque Lleras in El Poblado with good burgers.

Very good steaks can be found in the city

17. 12 Best Steakhouses in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley

Steaks are popular and we look at 12 of the best steakhouses in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley with very good steaks. And all these steakhouses are good places to go on special occasions.

In the United States, we’d call these places steakhouses, but here in Colombia and South America they are known as a parillas, restaurants where grilled meats are served. All these restaurants specialize in steaks but they all have some other things on the menu.

1. Lucio Carbon y Vino – a popular steakhouse in Envigado with very good steaks.
2. Barbaro Cocina Primitiva – a popular steakhouse with two restaurants in Medellín with good steaks.
3. El Correo Carne y Vino y Amada – a steakhouse chain with three restaurants in Medellín.
4. San Carbon – reportedly the largest steakhouse in Medellín.
5. Cambalanche – a popular Argentinian steakhouse in the Patio Bonito barrio of El Poblado.
6. La Pampa – a chain with six Argentinian steakhouses in Medellín.
7. Malevo – a popular Argentinian steakhouse in the Manila barrio of El Poblado.
8. Voraz Restaurante – a popular steakhouse in Laureles.
9. Toro Restaurante – another popular steakhouse in Laureles.
10. La tRES uno – a small steakhouse in Envigado with good steaks.
11. Black Pepper Steakhouse – a popular steakhouse in Envigado.
12. Mama Santa Parrillada – arguably the best steakhouse in Sabaneta.

Stuffed Zucchini at one of the best Vegan and Vegetarian restaurants in El Poblado, photo by @thisisaliceko

18. 12 Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in El Poblado

Colombia may be famous for its arepas, cheese and meat, but there is a good range of options for herbivores as well. In El Poblado in Medellín, many of the restaurants have vegan options readily available, and much to my surprise and delight, there are a fair number of really good vegan and vegetarian-only restaurants.

Here are our top 12 picks for vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurants in El Poblado:

1. Marietta
2. Veg Station
3. Dharma
4. Mundo Verde
5. Lenteja Express
6. Shanti Cocina Vital
7. Café Zorba
8. Justo Restaurante
9. Kebab House
10. Pezetarian
11. Verdeo
12. Helecho Restaurante

Food from some of the top Colombian restaurants

19. 8 Best Colombian Restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley

Colombian food is obviously very popular in Medellín. From Bandeja Paisa to ajiaco, Colombian food is hearty and authentic and we look at eight of the best Colombian restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley that are popular with good food.

1. El Rancherito
2. Hacienda
3. Hato Viejo
4. Mondongo’s
5. El Viejo John
6. Ajiacos y Mondongos
7. La Hija de Stella
8. El Peregrino

Food from some of the top Italian restaurants

20. 9 Best Italian Restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley

Italian food is popular and we look at nine of the best Italian restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley that are very popular with good food.

1. Romero Cocina Artesanal – a popular chain of four Italian restaurants in Medellín with good Italian food.
2. Parmessano – a popular chain of 12 Italian restaurants in Medellín with some good Italian food.
3. Pizzería Olivia – a chain of eight pizzerias in Medellín with great brick-oven cooked pizzas as well as very good Italian food.
4. Della Nonna Tratoria – a popular chain of Italian restaurants with two locations in Medellín and one in Llanogrande.
5. Il Castello – a popular Italian restaurant in El Poblado with good Italian food and they make their own pasta in a factory.
6. Caduff Pasta Fresca – a popular Swiss-owned Italian restaurant in Laureles with good food.
7. Palazzetto D’Italía – a hidden gem Italian restaurant in El Centro with good food.
8. Dante – a popular Italian restaurant in El Poblado in the La Strada building with good food.
9. Il Forno – a chain of 21 Italian restaurants in Medellín that has good Italian food.

Brunch at Al Alma

21. 8 Best Places for Brunch in El Poblado, Medellín

Brunch.  That one word conjures up a myriad of emotions and images. Lazy Sundays. Endless cups of coffee. Long chats with friends. Scrambled eggs. Crispy bacon. Freshly baked bread.

After seeking out all of the establishments that I could find that offer brunch in El Poblado – and after extensive tasting – we offer our selection of the nine best places in which to while away the weekend:

1. Best for Something Different – Botanika
2. Best for Food – Ganso & Castor
3. Best for Extensive Variety – D’Andre Gourmet 
4. Best Alfresco Dining – Park 37
5. Best Chain Restaurant – Crepes and Waffles
6. Best 5 Star Brunch – The Charlee
7. Best for Coffee – Pergamino and Velvet

Mexican food from some of the best Mexican restaurants

22. 14 Best Mexican Restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley

Mexican food is popular in the city and we look at 14 of the best Mexican restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley that are popular with good food.

1. Delirio Exquisito – a popular Mexican-Asian fusion restaurant in Medellín with some very good and creative food.
2. El Sombrero – a Mexican-owned restaurant located in Sabaneta that has good and authentic Mexican food.
3. Guadalupe – a hidden gem Mexican restaurant chain with two locations in Bello and one in Medellín with good Mexican food.
4. Agua Fresca – a new Mexican restaurant in El Poblado, with a Mexican chef.
5. Wajaca – a popular chain of eight Mexican restaurants in Medellín with good Mexican food
6. Zacatecas – a popular chain of Mexican restaurants in Medellín with hood food
7. El Guero – a chain of three Mexican restaurants in Medellín with good food.
8. Poblanos – a Mexican restaurant with some good Tex-Mex style food.
9. Mi Pico E Gallo – a Mexican restaurant in Medellín that has been open for about 25 years with good food.
10. Chilaquiles – a small, hidden gem restaurant in Laureles-Estadio with good Mexican food.
11. Emiliano la Taqueria – a Mexican restaurant chain with two locations in Medellín, which has very good tacos but hasn’t been discovered by many expats
12. La Bronca – a popular restaurant/bar in El Poblado with good Mexican food.
13. Milagros – a popular chain of six Mexican restaurants in Medellín with good food.
14. Orale! – a Mexican-owned restaurant in Medellín with authentic Mexican food.

Food from some of the best restaurants in El Centro in Medellín

23. 8 Best Restaurants in El Centro in Medellín

We look at eight of the best restaurants in El Centro in Medellín. There are hundreds of restaurants in El Centro and we look at six of the best.

1. Hacienda – a popular chain of Colombian restaurants with six locations in Medellín.
2. Hato Viejo – a popular chain of restaurants with four locations in Medellín with good comida tipica.
3. Pizzeria Centro – a pizzeria located in El Centro in Medellín, which is a hidden gem and hasn’t been discovered by many foreigners.
4. Lupita – a Peruvian restaurant located in El Centro in Medellín with good ceviche and other seafood that hasn’t been discovered by many expats.
5. Versalles – n Argentinian restaurant in Medellín located in El Centro that is popular with good empanadas plus a bakery and other good Argentinian food.
6. Repostería Astor – a chain of Swiss cafés in Medellín that are famous for pastries, cakes and chocolates with a history tracing back to 1930, with its largest location in El Centro.
7. Palazzetto D’Italía – a hidden gem Italian restaurant located in El Centro in Medellín with some good Italian food.
8. Emiliano la Taqueria – a Mexican restaurant chain with two locations in Medellín including one in El Centro, which has very good tacos but hasn’t been discovered by many expats.

Coffee at Pergamino Cafe

24. 5 Best Independent Coffee Shops in El Poblado

After some extensive research, we provide our top picks of the best independent to small coffee roasters in the El Poblado area of Medellín.

These are in no particular order. We much prefer all of these coffee roasters to the Starbucks coffee shops that have been popping up in El Poblado.

1. Hija Mia Coffee Roasters
2. Urbania
3. Velvet
4. Pergamino Cafe
5. Al Alma

Rituales Compañía de Café in Laureles

25. 8 Top Coffee Shops in Laureles

We looked at the eight top Laureles coffee shops. These are some of the most inviting and delicious coffee shops in Laureles.

1. Rituales Compañía de café
2. Café Revolución
3. Algarabía Café
4. Paraíso Resto-Café
5. Café Cliché
6. Café Zeppelin
7. La Taza Tienda de Café
8. Starbucks

TorreAlta craft beer

26. Craft Beer: The 5 Best Nano/Micro Breweries in Medellín

Until recently, Colombia wasn’t particularly well-known for having a craft beer scene. Certainly nothing on the scale of the exploding plethora of breweries now common place in the United States.

But Medellin now boasts over 30 different craft breweries. So, you can find several nano/micro breweries in Medellín and we look at five of the best.

1. TorreAlta Brewing Project
2. Metamorphosis
3. ÖlBröder
4. Sierra Blanca
5. Aburrá Valley Brewing Co.

Warning: TripAdvisor Can’t Be Trusted for Colombia

TripAdvisor is a popular travel website with restaurant and hotel reviews but it can’t be trusted for Medellín and Colombia. The TripAdvisor website has top restaurant ratings for Medellín and other cities in Colombia. But some of these top restaurant ratings can’t be trusted for many reasons.

Also, TripAdvisor has lists of the best things to do, best hotels and best hostels. But these best lists are not very accurate in my opinion.

Be careful of TripAdvisor lists of the best of Medellín. The biggest problem appears to be fake reviews that are used by some places to manipulate the system and rank higher on TripAdvisor. So, don’t rely on TripAdvisor exclusively. Also, we previously looked in detail at why TripAdvisor can’t be trusted for Colombia.

The Bottom Line: The Best of Medellín

We have comprehensively covered the best of Medellín in 26 different articles on the Medellin Guru website and also the above article. Furthermore, if you click on the heading in any category above you can see our article for each category with more details.

But we aren’t done. There is still much more to cover. So, expect to see more articles on the Medellin Guru covering the best things to do and see website. For example, we haven’t yet covered the best of several types of restaurants such as the best seafood and the best Asian restaurants in Medellín.

Also, if there any “best of Medellín” topics you would like to see covered that we haven’t yet covered, please leave a comment below.

Sign up for the Free Medellin Guru Newsletter – You can see all of the previous Medellin Guru weekly email newsletters and sign up here.

Editors note: updated on November 15, 2019 to add the new Arkadia mall that opened in Belén.

Editors note: updated on January 19, 2020 to add Café Moreno Cocina Bar to the list of best restaurants in Sabaneta.

Editors note: updated on January 26, 2020 to add Café Cliché to the list of best restaurants in Laureles.

Editors note: updated on January 31, 2020 to add Saludpan to the list of best restaurants in Laureles.

Editors note: updated on February 20, 2021 with current information of 2021 including removing some places that have closed.

Editors note: updated on August 26, 2021 with current information of 2021 including removing some places that have closed and adding some new restaurants.