Has a lot more soul than MASA. It is clearly a passion project of its owner, and it has thrived over the eight years I've been in Bogotá — expanding to two locations, and a bigger space for the first one. The quiche is amazing, the croissants are the best in Bogotá, and I love the granola they make in-house.
Jardín — Tragos y PastelesCocktail garden120 mJust a cool spot, with cool people. A semi-industrial vibe, but in the back garden of an almost English-Tudor-style house — you feel transported away from the city when you go in. Good creative drinks, and a great place to go earlier in the evening, before dinner or before your after-dinner plans.
SelmaMediterranean bistro130 mChef Álvaro Clavijo's restaurant that I actually prefer to El Chato, his more renowned, award-winning one. Selma is Mediterranean-inspired. It's not cheap, but it's very, very, very good: creative, with good cocktails. A great place for a date, or for a just mind-blowing meal in Bogotá. I can't recommend it enough.
Salón TropicalCaribbean-coast Colombian170 mThe Caribbean-coast sibling of Café Bar Universal, from the same group. A great place to take people visiting Colombia who want a sense of Colombian cuisine that isn't Andean mountain food like ajiaco — it's real costeño food, very well done. Lots of live music, which is a great vibe. Quite expensive, and quite loud, so I only go occasionally — but it's fun.
Café Bar UniversalBistro180 mJust a world-class bistro. I always try to get the whole fish, which is for sharing between two or three people, but the steak frites are probably the best in Bogotá. The place is impeccable: good music, good vibes, good natural light during the day and nice low lighting in the evening. Great for a date, great for a business meeting.