3 Best Restaurants in Medellín, Colombia

Just off a small park, and marked by a brightly painted exterior---most notably an oversized, happy white rabbit---this vegan restaurant is sure to add a little light to anyone's day. The interior is bursting with creativity---a jungle mural over the staircase, mismatched furniture and crockery, and plenty of greenery throughout. Friendly staff weave among the tables bearing plates filled with colorful, healthy vegetarian fare like stuffed veggie wraps, freshly squeezed juices, flavorful vegan burgers, and Peruvian causa (mashed yellow potato with stuffing). Service can be a touch slow at peak hours.

This cheap and cheerful spot is a Poblado breakfast institution that offers American and local classics---anything arepa and egg based---with a decent cup of coffee. Spend a lengthy breakfast or brunch at a table on the raised wooden deck; the daily set-lunch menu is one of the neighborhood's best bargains, with a selection of mains, soup of the day, and a side salad for around 20,000 pesos.

This colorful restaurant is an ode to owner Anna María Morillo's grandmother and the cuisine of the northern coast around Barranquilla and Cartagena. Stop here for your morning arepa con huevo (egg) made from freshly ground corn and served with homemade suero costeño (a local crème fraîche). There are a handful of tables on the sidewalk; inside there's a lively mural of a Cartagena street, and brightly colored bar stools are tucked up to the counter where you can stop for a freshly squeezed juice. Try posta negra, the Cartagena classic of slow-cooked beef in a local cola sauce or some spot-on renditions of Caribbean fish dishes, like red snapper in coconut milk.