Well, we barely stopped for a minute in Bogota. Every restaurant we ate at was excellent (except for one). But, the piece de resistance was yet to happen.
Andres Carne de Res – we heard about it, we read about it and wondered if it was worth the hype. Should we really go? We almost thought no, but Edgar, our guide in Bogota told us we had to experience it and experience it we did!
First of all, this is a restaurant. But of the likes you’ve never seen. It’s restaurant as theatre. And by that I don’t mean a Las Vegas dinner theatre.
There are two Andres Carne de Res; one outside the city which is the original and one in Bogota. We opted to stay in Bogota. Before you even enter the restaurant which takes up four floors, there are illuminated cow sculptures outside. Then enter the madness. There isn’t anywhere you can’t look that isn’t decorated. Hearts of all shapes and sizes hanging as mobiles, hanging from chandeliers, as chandeliers, mosaics, color, color and more color and music, loud and fun. You don’t just have a waiter or waitress; you have a team. You don’t just order wine, the sommelier has to come to the table to talk to you about your choice. Everything about the restaurant has been thought out. Down to the reserved plaque with our name on our table, the wine bucket that is a hand painted with rose petals floating in it and the bill that is presented in a painted box. The menu, a 36 page book which gets to be taken home as a souvenir. The food good! Every floor was jamming, the bar crowded, a singer with back-up combo playing around the tables. And this was on a Wednesday night. Then, there was the gift shop where we spent as much money as we did for dinner!
As noted by The New York times, Andres is listed as one of the Top Ten night time experiences in South America. And rightly so!
Here are a few pictures of what Andres is all about. It’s too hard to explain!
So you get it! This restaurant is one of a kind. That was our last night in Bogota and now it’s on to Cartagena, the jewel of the Caribbean!
See you at the bar….
That place looks so cool! I love the coffee cups, and and the elevator and the “Podell table card”. What a scene. Good that the food was good too!
It was a real scene! Food was really good.