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Britannia is a real British pub with a real British landlord and all the inane banter that that might entail. It’s as traditional as you can get in Bogotá – clearly back home no self-respecting landlord would waste money on waitresses and to my mind a pub can do without TVs but we are in Colombia and with that comes table sevice and perpetual sport. Looking on the bright side you don’t need to expend effort in going to the bar for your next drink and let’s face it, there are a lot of sports fans out there and you only need ask to have your game shown, so long as there is no one bigger and tougher than you wanting to watch something on the other chanel…

We have Sierra del Tigre beer, the best beer by a long way in Bogotá and probably the best in Colombia. We opened with an American Pale Ale, an Irish Red, an American Brown Ale and an IPA, and have recently put on our second batch of IPA, even more hoppy than the first. We have a good range of imported beers and spirits and use decent liquor in our cocktails (many bars have recognised brands on the shelves and use cheap made-in-Colombia vodka, gin etc. for coctails). You will recognise the difference in quality when you drink at Britannia.

On Mondays we entertain our North American cousins with Monday Night Football, we have games night on a Tuesday and a language exchange on Wednesdays – come and chat foreign with the locals. Our after office special Monday to Friday gives you 20% off jugs of beer, bottles (of liquor) and coctails from 4 until 7 and the atmoshere is always friendly – a safe place to come and sit at the bar and chat with the landlord and staff. Every day we do a lunch with either a half pint of beer or a soda for $15,000 –

Britannia is on the 26 on the way from the airport to downtown or vice versa depending on your point of view, in the Marriot Hotel building, full address calle 26 number 69b-53 local 1. There is secure parking under the hotel, really secure with dogs and guns and all that jazz and you get an hour’s free parking when you come to Britannia.

So I suppose I’ll see you here. I tell you what, I’ve had a few Sierra del Tigres and am feeling generous – bring a couple of friends and if you tell me (Alex) that you found out about the pub here I’ll regale you (as they say in Spanish) with some real chips complete with lashings and lashings of salt and vinegar (whether you ask for it or not)…

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Crepes and Waffles sell a great range of food, both sweet and savoury and have branches across Colombia, Latin American capitals and even in Madrid

As well as good crepes and waffles, they do salads, ‘pittas’, which are more like pizza bases, and hollowed out loaves of bread stuffed with beef stroganoff, cheese and mushroom and other fillings. The salad bar is great value at 7,900 COP and there are a wide range of deserts with magnificent ice cream which you can buy to take away

It is said that Crepes and Waffles only employs single mothers and although I don’t know the truth of this, I’ve only ever seen women working there

There are many branches throughout Bogotá and Colombia, the full list available on its website, some can be found at:

Avenida Jimenez no. 4-55
Candelaria
(1) 676 7633

Carrera 12a no. 83-40
Zona T
Zona Rosa
(1) 676 7646

Carrera 11 no. 85-79
Zona Rosa
(1) 676 7674

Calle 93b no. 12-10
Parque 93
(1) 676 7648

Carrera 6 no. 119-56
Usaquén
(1) 676 7651

Atlantis Plaza
Zona Rosa
(1) 676 7645

Centro Andino (Ice cream and coffee)
Zona Rosa
(1) 676 7338

Gran Estación
(1) 676 7636

Salitre Plaza
(1) 676 7335

To call a landline from a mobile/cell in Colombia prefix the landline number with 03 followed by the region code. For Bogotá prefix with 031

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Pizzeria
Calle 26a no. 4-45
Macarena

(1) 3420831/3366408 (landline)

To call a landline from a mobile/cell in Colombia prefix the landline number with 03 followed by the region code. For Bogotá prefix with 031

Great pizza at 2,900 COP per slice, and, in true Colombian Economics style, buying a whole pizza costs more than buying the equivalent in individual slices. Cannelloni, spaghetti, lasagne and various starters, salads and stuff are also available, as is home delivery

Mona Pizza also has branches at:

Candelaria – Carrera 4 No. 12-19 Tel: 2821665/3427737 Cel: 312 449 3977

and

Quintaparedes – Carrera 45 No. 24a-09 Tel: 2692492 Cel: 312 449 3977

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Carreras 6 and 6a and Calles 118 and 119 (Parque de Usaquen)

An upmarket part of town with a villagey feel. Plenty of good restaurants and a craft market

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Zona Rosa, an area of cafés, bars, restaurants, clubs and malls lies around and to the south of Calle 85 and Carrera 12. Some places to try out:

Zona T (cafés and bars)
Andino (mall and cinema)
Atlantis (mall and cinema)
Alma (club)
Armando Records (club)
La Villa (club)
Penthouse (club)

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Carrera 4a with Calle 27
Macarena

Macarena is a funky and bohemian neighbourhood about 10 blocks north of La Candelaria and is home to about 20 good quality restaurants in close proximity to each other, mostly on Carrera 4a with Calle 27 with some on 4a with 26a and couple on 26a with 4 Arabic, French, generic (North) American, Italian, Seafood, Spanish, Sushi and others are on offer – you can safely come here on a random and be sure that you’ll find something to suit your taste, unless you are mental or something… My favourite for service, atmosphere and the French onion soup is Liberty

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French restaurant
Carrera 4 No. 27-42
Macarena
(1) 566 1709 (landline)

To call a landline from a mobile/cell in Colombia prefix the landline number with 03 followed by the region code. For Bogotá prefix with 031

A lovely, cosy and homely restaurant with very friendly owner and attentive staff. Currently my fave restaurant – amazing (and fully veggie) onion soup!

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Calle 15 No. 3-77
La Candelaria

Create your own dish from a selection of meats, seafoods, veggies and sauces. Good quality and great value

Veggie meal 7,000 COP
Meat/chicken/seafood10,000 COP

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Sushi lounge and bar
Calle 12 No. 3-55
La Candelaria

As well as good sushi in a cool atmosphere, ceviche and tasty veggie maki are available. Great cocktails and high-level juices too!

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Arabic café/restaurant
Carrera 3 No. 13-55
La Candelaria

I’ve yet to eat here but hope that when I do the food is tasty…

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