Mondongo’s

Mondongo's has been serving Medellín's traditional soups since 1976 and is still one of the city's most reliable places to try Antioquian home cooking. It was founded by Octavio Velásquez and Julieta Vargas, both from Ciudad Bolívar in south-west Antioquia, after a friend who had struggled to find a good version of the traditional tripe soup in the city suggested they open a restaurant with the family recipe. The first restaurant opened on 9 October 1976 in San Juan, with room for no more than 20 people, and the logo, sketched on a napkin, has never changed.

After four years the restaurant moved to a first-floor space on Carrera 70, and in the early 1980s Julieta's brother William Vargas took over as manager. Today there are two branches in Medellín, on Carrera 70 in Laureles and on Calle 10 in El Poblado, plus one in Miami. The family has chosen not to expand further so as to keep what it calls the human touch, and the walls are covered with photographs of the singers, footballers, business people and politicians who have eaten here.

The namesake dish is the reason to come. The mondongo, a hearty tripe soup, arrives with avocado, plantain, lime, coriander, a choice of sweet or hot sauce, rice and a small corn cake. The ajiaco is served with avocado, capers, cream and rice, and the Típico Antioqueño platter brings beans, crispy pork, minced beef, egg, ripe plantain and steamed potato. To drink, try a fresh fruit juice made with water or milk, or mazamorra, the traditional maize drink.

It suits groups, families and anyone wanting a traditional Colombian lunch at a moderate price. Expect to queue: there are customers waiting for a table every day of the week, so arrive early or outside the main lunch hour. Check the restaurant's contact page for current opening hours before you go.

The El Poblado branch, known as La 10, is at Calle 10 No. 38-38, and the Laureles branch, La 70, is at Carrera 70 No. C3-43, on the avenue where the restaurant moved after its first four years. Both branches can be reached by phone, and the restaurant lists a central mobile number, +57 310 263 1211.