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Food tours in Medellin: what to eat and which tour to book
Medellín eats paisa food: the cooking of the Antioquia region, built on beans, pork, corn and plantain. The signature plate is the bandeja paisa, a tray of beans, rice, minced beef, chicharrón, chorizo, egg, plantain, arepa and avocado. Day to day, people eat arepas with almost everything, buñuelos and pandebono with coffee, and a set lunch (corrientazo or menú del día) of soup, rice, meat and juice at a fixed price. Tropical fruit is a big part of eating here: markets sell lulo, maracuyá, guanábana and granadilla, and street carts sell fruit salad and green mango with salt and lime.
Use this page to know what to order and which areas to eat in. The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as they appeared when we checked; confirm the current price on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Medellin
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandeja paisa | A large oval tray of red beans cooked with pork, white rice, minced beef, chicharrón (fried pork belly), chorizo, morcilla, a fried egg, ripe plantain, arepa, avocado and hogao (tomato and onion sauce). Usually a lunch dish, and very filling. | Traditional paisa restaurants across the city, including in the centre and in Laureles. | roughly COP 30,000–50,000 (€6.50–11) |
| Arepas arepa paisa / arepa de chócolo | The paisa arepa is a thin, plain white-corn cake eaten with meals in place of bread. Arepa de chócolo is thicker and sweet, made from fresh corn and topped with salty white cheese (quesito). | Every restaurant serves arepa paisa; arepas de chócolo are sold at street stands and markets. | roughly COP 4,000–10,000 (€0.90–2.20) |
| Cheese fritters and cheese bread buñuelos / pandebono / pandequeso | Buñuelos are round fried balls of cheese and corn flour; pandebono is a chewy bread of cassava starch, corn and cheese. Eaten with coffee or hot chocolate at breakfast or in the afternoon. | Bakeries (panaderías) everywhere. | roughly COP 1,500–4,000 (€0.35–0.90) each |
| Tripe soup mondongo | Thick soup of beef tripe, pork, potato and vegetables, served with rice, avocado, banana and arepa. A traditional paisa lunch. | Traditional restaurants and market eateries, including at Plaza Minorista. | roughly COP 20,000–35,000 (€4.40–7.70) |
| Colombian empanadas empanadas | Crisp fried corn-dough empanadas filled with potato and meat, eaten with ají (a fresh, mildly spicy coriander and onion sauce). | Street stands, bakeries and outside metro stations. | roughly COP 2,000–4,000 (€0.45–0.90) each |
| Tropical fruit and fruit salad salpicón / mango biche / jugos naturales | Salpicón is chopped fruit in juice; mango biche is green mango with salt, lime and sometimes chili. Fresh juices made with water or milk (en agua / en leche) from lulo, maracuyá, mora, guanábana and other fruit come with nearly every meal. | Market fruit stalls (Plaza Minorista), street carts in the centre and at Comuna 13, and every restaurant for juices. | roughly COP 4,000–10,000 (€0.90–2.20) |
| Wafer with arequipe obleas | Two thin wafers spread with arequipe (dulce de leche) and toppings such as cheese, blackberry jam or condensed milk. A street snack. | Street carts in parks and plazas. | roughly COP 3,000–7,000 (€0.65–1.50) |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Plaza Minorista José María Villa
Medellín's big covered market north of the centre, with hundreds of stalls selling tropical fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, plus simple eateries serving set lunches and juices. Good for tasting fruit you can't find at home.
Mercado del Río
A modern food hall in a converted warehouse near the river, with dozens of counters serving Colombian and international food. Convenient and safe but more expensive than local restaurants.
Laureles and La 70
Middle-class residential neighbourhood with tree-lined streets, traditional paisa restaurants, bakeries and bars at local prices. Carrera 70 (La 70) is a busy strip of restaurants and bars.
El Poblado (Provenza and Parque Lleras)
The most international dining area, with modern Colombian restaurants, cafés serving specialty Colombian coffee, and bars. Higher prices and many visitors.
Comuna 13
Hillside district known for its outdoor escalators and street art, now visited by many tourists. Street vendors sell mango biche, fruit ice lollies (paletas), empanadas and juices along the route.
Centro (around Parque Berrío and Junín)
The old centre has cheap set-lunch restaurants, bakeries and street food, as well as old cafés where older paisas drink tinto (small black coffee).
Food tours in Medellin compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medellin: Empanada Cooking Class with Local Chef - Comuna 13 | 2 hours | from €35 per person | max 5 | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Medellin: Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour, Cable Car & Street Food | 4 hours | from €18 per person | max 10 | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Medellín: Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour w/Street Food & Cable Car | 4 hours | from €17 per person | max 8 | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Medellin: Street Food and Poblado Rooftop Tour with a Local | 3 hours | from €35 per person | max 10 | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Medellín Night Chiva Party Bus with DJ & Street Food | 4 hours | from €42 per person | — | Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark. | Check dates |
| Medellín: Street Food Tour with Local Tastings | 2.5 hours | from €58 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
Medellin: Empanada Cooking Class with Local Chef - Comuna 13
On GetYourGuide · run by Rico Y Ya
- Length
- 2 hours
- Price
- from €35 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 12 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 5
- Included
- All fresh ingredients Cooking class Empanada tasting A drink to enjoy with your empanadas Professional chef guide Transportation to the metro station
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- Exit of the Metrocable Station Juan XXIII
Medellin: Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour, Cable Car & Street Food
On GetYourGuide · run by The best tours in Medellin SAS
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €18 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 11,078 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- Sightseeing tour Guide Metro, cable car, and bus tickets Walking tour in Comuna 13 with graffiti explanation 1 arepa with cheese, the most famous Colombian Street Food (drink
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Poblado, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Medellín: Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour w/Street Food & Cable Car
On GetYourGuide · run by amazing tours in medellin
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €17 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 6,856 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 8
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Poblado
Medellin: Street Food and Poblado Rooftop Tour with a Local
On GetYourGuide · run by The best tours in Medellin SAS
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €35 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 352 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- 5 Colombian street food snacks Bilingual local guide Walking tour in Poblado Visit 1 rooftop Recommendations for bars and restaurants Drinks
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Parroquia San José del Poblado
Medellín Night Chiva Party Bus with DJ & Street Food
On GetYourGuide · run by Aeroturex SAS
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €42 per person
- Rating
- 4.4 ★ from 136 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Empanadas, 1 beers Arepas Round trip transportation Ceviche chicharron Live DJ Transportation Guide Additional drinks
- Suits
- Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark.
- Starts
- Cl. 9 #42-27, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Medellín: Street Food Tour with Local Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by Nexperience
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €58 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 15 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- We try nine (9) different types of local street food. The permanent accompaniment of a qualified tour guide. History about each food and place we stop at. Pick-up & Drop-off. Anything not specified.
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Parque de El Poblado
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Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food in Medellín is mostly snacks: empanadas, arepas de chócolo, buñuelos, fruit salads, mango biche and obleas, sold from carts in parks, outside metro stations and at Comuna 13. It is cheap and usually freshly fried. Fruit is the highlight.
Sit-down meals
Lunch is the main meal. The menú del día (soup, rice, beans or lentils, meat, salad, plantain and a juice) costs little and is what most locals eat on weekdays. Traditional restaurants serve bandeja paisa and mondongo, while El Poblado and Provenza have a modern restaurant scene.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes usually teach arepas, empanadas, patacones and a fresh juice or a bandeja paisa, often starting with a visit to a market to taste tropical fruit. Coffee-farm tours to the hills outside the city are another popular food-related activity.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | roughly COP 50,000–80,000 / €11–18 (bakery breakfast, menú del día, street snacks) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | roughly COP 120,000–200,000 / €26–44 (traditional lunch and a restaurant dinner with drinks) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | roughly COP 350,000+ / €77+ (tasting menu in El Poblado with wine or cocktails) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Paisa cooking is meat-heavy and beans are often cooked with pork. Ask for 'sin carne' and check whether beans contain 'tocino' (pork). Arepas, patacones, rice, avocado, egg and fruit are easy. El Poblado and Laureles have vegetarian and vegan restaurants.
Halal: Halal food is very rare. Pork is central to paisa food (chicharrón, chorizo, morcilla, beans). Chicken, fish and egg-based dishes are options, but certification is uncommon, so ask how food is prepared.
Gluten-free: Corn and plantain are the base of many dishes, so arepas, patacones, rice and beans are naturally gluten-free. Pandebono and buñuelos are usually made with cassava starch and corn but some recipes add wheat flour. Awareness of coeliac disease is limited; say 'sin gluten, soy celíaco'.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Drinks spiked with scopolamine or other drugs, often after meeting someone through dating apps or in bars around Parque Lleras, followed by robbery. Never leave your drink unattended, don't accept drinks or snacks from strangers, and meet new acquaintances only in busy public places.
- Higher 'gringo prices' at street stalls and markets with no posted prices. Ask the price before you order, carry small notes, and compare with what locals are paying.
- Tourist restaurants in El Poblado adding a 'voluntary' service charge and then expecting an extra tip, or charging in dollars at a bad rate. Check whether 'propina voluntaria' is on the bill (you may remove it), and pay in pesos.
- Phone snatching at outdoor tables, in Comuna 13 crowds and in the centre. Keep your phone off the table and use apps rather than hailing taxis on the street at night.
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Medellín?
In sit-down restaurants a 10% 'propina voluntaria' (voluntary tip) is often added and the waiter will ask if you want to include it. You can accept or decline it; no further tip is expected. At street stands, bakeries and menú del día places, tipping is not expected. On food tours, a tip for a good guide is appreciated.
Is street food safe?
Generally yes: fried snacks like empanadas and buñuelos are cooked hot, and fruit sellers peel fruit in front of you. Tap water in Medellín is treated and many locals drink it, but visitors with sensitive stomachs may prefer bottled water. Choose busy stalls, and be cautious with pre-cut fruit that has been sitting in the sun.
What is a menú del día?
A fixed-price lunch served on weekdays in ordinary restaurants: a soup, then a plate of rice, beans or lentils, a meat (chicken, beef or pork), salad, plantain and arepa, plus a fresh juice. It usually costs about COP 15,000–25,000 (€3.30–5.50) and is how most people eat lunch. It is often served from about 12:00 until it runs out.
When is the best time to visit Plaza Minorista?
In the morning, when deliveries are fresh and the fruit stalls are busiest. The market opens early, and many stalls start packing up in the afternoon; check current hours. Go by taxi or ride-hailing app, as the streets around it are not ideal for walking with valuables. Bring small notes for buying fruit.
How much should I budget for food per day?
On a budget, about COP 50,000–80,000 (€11–18) covers breakfast at a bakery, a menú del día and street snacks. With a traditional lunch and a sit-down dinner with drinks, plan roughly COP 120,000–200,000 (€26–44). Modern restaurants in El Poblado can cost COP 150,000 or more per person.
Can I drink Colombian coffee in Medellín?
Yes, though the everyday 'tinto' sold on the street is small, sweet and weak. For high-quality Colombian coffee, look for specialty coffee shops, which are common in El Poblado and Laureles, or take a day trip to a coffee farm in the surrounding hills of Antioquia.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.