Restaurant
Elcielo Medellín
Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos's flagship in his home city, serving multi-course tasting menus inspired by Colombian biodiversity inside the Michelin Key-rated Elcielo Hotel in El Poblado.
Carmen
The El Poblado restaurant opened in 2009 by Carmen Ángel and Rob Pevitts, serving contemporary dishes built on Colombia's biodiversity, with a tasting menu and a creative bar.
At a glance
- Type
- Contemporary Colombian
- Area
- El Poblado, Medellín, Colombia
- Price
- $$$$ · Luxury
- Official site
- carmenmedellin.com
Good to know
- Tasting menu
- À la carte
- Cocktail bar
- Courtyard and conservatory seating
- Online reservations
Why we recommend it
Carmen is one of the restaurants that put Medellín on the dining map. It was opened in 2009 by the chef Carmen Ángel and her co-owner Rob Pevitts, both graduates of a San Francisco culinary school, and the World's 50 Best guide credits the pair with kick-starting the city's culinary awakening. The business has since grown into a small group that includes the Don Diablo steakhouse next door and the tasting-menu restaurant XO. Today the kitchen is led by executive chef Juan José Cárdenas, who draws on Colombian street food and traditional cooking.
The concept is contemporary food inspired by the biodiversity of Colombia, described by the restaurant as a journey through the country. The menu works with small producers, artisans, fishers and farmers, and changes over time. Past dishes have included pork chorizo with tucupí aioli, Caribbean blue crab with a soursop relish, and Pacific coast fish on a coconut rice risotto. You can order à la carte or choose a seven-course tasting menu, which is the best way to see the kitchen's range. The current menu is published as a PDF on the restaurant's website, so you can check the dishes before you book.
Drinks are a strength. Bar Carmen, directed by Maycoll Tobón, builds its cocktails around Colombian fruits, herbs, ferments and ancestral spirits. His signature, La Chicha, mixes rum and vodka with pickled pineapple, and he names the classic Hanky Panky as his own favourite.
The restaurant has three distinct spaces: a wood-panelled bar, a conservatory filled with plants and a leafy courtyard, so ask for your preference when you book. It suits couples, special occasions and food-focused travellers, and the à la carte menu makes it a reasonable choice for a long lunch.
Carmen serves dinner from Monday to Saturday, from 18:30 until 22:00 (22:30 on Fridays), and lunch from Tuesday to Saturday, from 12:00 to 14:30. It is closed on Sundays and on public holidays that fall on a Monday. Reservations are recommended and can be made online, by phone or by email at [email protected].
The restaurant is on Carrera 36 in El Poblado, and there are several cocktail bars nearby for a drink afterwards, including Mala Audio Bar and Mamba Negra.
Carmen FAQs
Who runs Carmen?
It was opened by Carmen Ángel and Rob Pevitts in 2009; the executive chef is Juan José Cárdenas.
What kind of food does Carmen serve?
Contemporary cooking inspired by Colombia's biodiversity, using ingredients from small producers, fishers and farmers.
Is there a tasting menu?
Yes. There is a seven-course tasting menu as well as an à la carte menu.
What are the opening hours?
Dinner Monday to Saturday from 18:30, and lunch Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 14:30. Closed on Sundays and Monday public holidays.
How do I book?
Online through the restaurant's website, by phone on +57 316 625 4896 or by email at [email protected].
What should I drink?
The bar's signature La Chicha, made with rum, vodka and pickled pineapple, or another cocktail built on Colombian ingredients.
Where can I sit?
Choose between the bar, the conservatory and the courtyard.
Is there a steakhouse from the same team?
Yes. Don Diablo, the owners' steakhouse, is next door, and the group also runs the tasting-menu restaurant XO.