Where to Find the Best Seafood in Bogota

I don’t know, maybe it’s because I demand that my fishy platter has been freshly plucked, but I prefer to eat my seafood seaside and see it caught out there before my eyes. I like to be sure that no great net has been cast out to catch all of the ingredients to cook several thousand gumbos at once. So, for me, dining on seafood in Bogota requires earnest and dedicated investigation into the source of my filets and mollusks. They have, after all, traveled up from one of Colombia’s two coastlines, passing over the jungles, savannahs and finally the cordilleras to reach the lofty altitudes of the capital.

As you would imagine, there are dozens upon dozens of restaurants offering various types of seafood in Bogota, but make this decision wisely and lean upon the wisdom of locals. Try not to think of your meal’s heinous carbon footprint, because at this altitude, if you want the freshness sealed in, it’s the price you have to pay. here pick out our favorites, running from North to South.

Pesquera Jaramillo (Calle 93A No 11A-31, tel: 256 5494)

Often cited by seafood connoisseurs as being the best restaurant of its kind in Bogota, the Pesquera Jaramillo is a local institution. Just about anything here is going to be first-class, and booking ahead is recommended.

Fish Market La Fragata (Cra 13 No 83-18, tel: 691 2419)

Located in the heart of Bogota’s Zona Rosa, at first glance you may think that only well-heeled Bogotanos frequent this locale to see and be seen. But it’s the fresh langostines and squid that keep bringing the customers back.

69 Oyster Bar (Calle 69A No 5-59, tel: 249 0426)

Stylish and informal, a refreshing change from the overly pretentious offerings in the Zona Gourmet of Rosales, the 69 Oyster Bar is a seafood restaurant par excellence for the discerning crowd. As you would expect, oysters feature heavily on the menu, but there’s so much more to choose from. We recommend the mussels over anything else.

La Esquina (4A No 26A – 04, tel: 283 8685)

Like a young upstart on the scene, La Esquina contributed to the fashionable turn that the district of Macarena is now experiencing. Small, cozy, and emphasizing the food, La Esquina’s ceviches and seafood platters will pleasantly surprise you with their Colombianismo.

Las Juanas (Carrera 4 No 20-22, Tel: 283 9204)

Believe it or not, this run-down area on the northern edge of the Avenida 19 is a preferred lunching spot for politicians. The whole block is referred to as the Embajada del Pacifico given the prevalence of seafood restaurants run by people from the department of the Choco. Las Juanas is our pick of them all, but by all means choose another and you won’t be disappointed.