Tips for Dining, Eating and Food Shopping South America, Central America and the Caribbean
Start New ThreadI'll be in Cali for few days next week. Where can one find some good chow? Any price point is fine.
By johnb
on Jul 25, 2007 03:13 AM
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Start at the restaurant Grenada in barrio Grenada. Have the best coffee in Cali and dessert at Palo Alto (ask directions at the Grenada). Barrios Grenada and El Penon have good restaraunts. Try Le Petit France in El Penon. Also, there have been a few Lebanese restaurants here for decades. Try the original Los Turcos by the CAM. For a real and really good Colombian lunch, go to Los Bomberos (across the street from the fire station) in Palmira--if you have transport. Where will you be staying?
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We don't eat out a lot here. I can ask friends for their current recommendations as well and post later.
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HI sam - i used to live in cali many moons ago. Is martyn's bar still there for all the expats? and is martyn still there? I'm v curious as it used to be my local!
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Martin's was around until a bit more than a year ago when he sold out to a bunch who're just completing a giant shopping/office building on that block. I think Gloria still has the house in San Antonio. Haven't seen him in a bit. Nigel still has the London bar, but closer to the Diner's building.
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Martyns and Martyn are still here!! At a different place....Better than ever!! Av 6a. Norte # 24n-22..Barrio Santa Monica.
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Hey, Martyn, I'll have to come back by!
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The best high end: Kiva and Luna are two restaurants in the south (Cuidad Jardin), both owned by the same woman. She studied in Atlanta (art institute) and Paris (Cordon Bleu). Luna does Asian fusion very well. Kiva does a new cuisine using local ingredients. She uses chickens from a friend of ours. Le Petit France (mentioned above) is run by a a nice guy from Alsace and his Calena wife. The Flying Saucer in Granada supposedly does Asian well.
For meat, if you're here on the weekend, try the place 50 m up the turnoff to Dapa: large pieces of different cuts of range fed beef grilled to perfection by an Argentinian--inexpensive, casual.
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Sam
I was hoping you'd chime in. However, since my original post it has developed that the team I will be with will be staying in Bogota for essentially the entire trip, and probably won't be going to Cali at all. Could I bother you or anyone for the same info related to BOG? My searches of CH and other places have yielded very little useful guidance.
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John, too bad! I don't know Bogota at all; but there is good food to be had there. Keep me posted. s.fujisaka@cgiar.org
Abrazos.
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John, please let us know where you went! I am hoping to be in BOG at some point soon! Thanks!
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I'm probably too late, but there are a bunch of good restaurants in Bogota.
My new favorite one is Leonor Cava y Cana (or Cana y Cava) -- it's near the National Museum. The best ceviche I've had in my entire life. There's another great place there on the opposite side of the museum and i can't remember the name for the life of me. It's a tapas place, run by 3 guys who all went to cooking school in Spain. Cool interior.
Astrid y Gaston is in Bogota. (fancy Peruvian)
Club Colombia in the Zona Rosa is good for high-end Colombia food.
Harry Sasson in the Zona Rosa, in the "T."
Zona G also has some great restaurants -- Harry Sasson has one there too -- I think it might be called Harry's Bar.
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