Restaurant
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…
In Situ
The restaurant of Medellín's Botanical Garden, a bright dining room designed by Santiago Caicedo with doors opening onto the garden's lagoon and palms.
At a glance
- Type
- Contemporary international, garden setting
- Area
- Zona Norte (Jardín Botánico), Medellín, Colombia
- Price
- $$$ · Upscale
- Official site
- botanicomedellin.org
Good to know
- Garden views
- Inside the Botanical Garden
- Lunch after sightseeing
Why we recommend it
In Situ is the restaurant of the Jardín Botánico de Medellín, and a natural place for lunch during a visit to the north of the city. The building, designed by the architect Santiago Caicedo, sits within the garden, and its large doors open onto the lagoon and the palms, so diners look straight out over the plant collections.
Time Out, in its 2024 list of the best restaurants in Colombia, described a spacious, bright dining room with a broad menu, praised the service, and singled out dishes ranging from avocado gazpacho to tuna fillet and ricotta ravioli. CNN, in an earlier feature on Medellín's food scene, highlighted a sirloin steak with gooseberry chimichurri and the Musaenda salad, which combines smoked salmon, herbs and caramelised lychee. The menu changes over time, so treat these as examples of the style rather than a fixed list.
The setting is the main draw. The Botanical Garden, which opened in 1972 and now receives more than two million visitors a year, covers 13.2 hectares and holds more than 1,000 living species, and the restaurant is surrounded by them. Beds of herbs and vegetables beside the restaurant form part of the garden's collections, and the Orquideorama, the garden's large timber canopy for orchids, is another highlight of the grounds. Café del Bosque, elsewhere in the garden, is the simpler option for coffee and a snack. The grounds also include the open-air Teatro Suramericana, with a vertical garden 8.52 metres high.
In Situ suits couples, families and groups who want a relaxed, sit-down meal in green surroundings, and it makes an easy lunch stop when visiting the garden and Parque Explora next door. If you can, time your visit for one of the garden's events, such as the Orquídeas, Pájaros y Flores show in August or Expoheliconias in early December. Check the garden's food and drink section online for current opening times and booking details before you go.
The garden is on Calle 73 in the north of the city, close to Universidad station on Metro Line A. Allow time for a walk through the tropical forest, the butterfly house and the palm garden before or after your meal.
In Situ FAQs
Where is In Situ?
Inside the Jardín Botánico de Medellín at Calle 73 No. 51D-14, in the north of the city.
Who designed the restaurant?
The building was designed by the architect Santiago Caicedo.
What kind of food does it serve?
Contemporary dishes with Colombian ingredients; past menus have included avocado gazpacho, tuna fillet, ricotta ravioli and sirloin with gooseberry chimichurri.
What is the setting like?
A bright dining room with large doors opening onto the garden's lagoon and palms.
How do I get there?
Take Metro Line A to Universidad station; the garden entrance is a short walk away.
Is there a cheaper option in the garden?
Yes. Café del Bosque serves coffee and snacks.
What can I combine it with?
A walk through the Botanical Garden and a visit to Parque Explora next door.
Where can I check opening times?
In the food and drink section of the Botanical Garden's official website.