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BOGOTA | El Chato is one of Bogota’s most exciting restaurants, and at number 21, was the highest new entry on The World’s 50 Best restaurants in Latin America list in 2018.
The restaurant is owner/chef Alvaro Clavijo’s first restaurant, and sees him highlighting seasonal, locally sourced Colombian ingredients. The menu focuses on traditional Colombian recipes, with international influences from Clavijo’s training abroad. Before returning to Colombia in 2013, Clavijo studied hospitality in Barcelona, worked in the kitchens at Le Bristol and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris, and spent time in New York cooking at Per Se and Atera. Finally, he moved to Copenhagen for a stint at Noma.
El Chato seats about 80 people, and has a cozy atmosphere with low lighting, natural materials, and indoor greenery. Household items and nick knacks donated from friends can be found on shelves around the restaurant, and the central bar adds to the casual vibe.
The food menu is simple, just one page, and is available in English for those who don’t speak Spanish. Despite being small, it’s not easy to choose what to order as everything sounds delicious. Thankfully the friendly and helpful staff are more than happy to talk through the menu with you to help you decide.
Beef tartar with rose vinaigrette, mayonnaise, nasturtium is fantastic, as are the morcilla (blood sausage) croquettes, served with sweet roasted pepper and mayonnaise. Chicarron, served with dehydrated coriander, candied lime, and charcoal chili is another winner. Vegetables are also highlighted fantastically at El Chato. One of the best things we ate during our time in Colombia was a simple dish of different types of carrots, cacao nibs, yoghurt, and radicchio.
For drinks, it’s an excellent selection of wines, spirits, and cocktails. The cocktail menu adopts the same philosophy as the food, with infusions and additions of Colombian herbs, spices, and fruits.
Clavijo’s aim is to show the world that Bogota, and Colombian food, deserves greater recognition internationally, and to highlight lesser known, unpopular ingredients. At El Chato, he well and truly proves the point.
El Chato
Calle 65 #3B-76
Bogotá
Colombia
Telephone: +57 1 7439931
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Mon – Wed: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Thu: 12:00pm to 12:00am
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 1:00am
Sun: 1:00pm to 5:00pm