Bogota, Colombia! What a lovely city if you can manage to stay away from the you-know-what! A cheeky little escapade from Bogota center to Andrés Carne de Res ( http://www.andrescarnederes.com/ ) was hands-down the most unique dining experience I've had the pleasure of tucking into . This culinary fairy-tale kingdom is a 40-minute cab ride outside of Bogota (at about $80 roundtrip, organized through my hotel, check with yours), but well worth the shlep. I would spend a bit of time on the website to familiarize yourself with the concept to avoid shock and bewilderment. I would also strongly recommend arriving about one hour before you plan to dine, to soak up the festive, pulsating atmosphere, and to get a little tipsy on mojitos before laying into a massive chunk of Bife de Chorizo.
The menu itself is a colourful fairy tale fantasy, and quite extensive. I asked the server for a blind recommendation, and I was pleased to have been presented with the most perfect steak fillet I've ever had. Yes! Even better than the NYC steak houses! That post is on its way as well! The cuisine is Colombian comfort food. Portions are huuuuuge. The atmosphere is fantastic. Cavernous and junkyard-chic, each and every inch of this place is covered in bric-a-brac , some parts of the restaurant even have street names. Strange and spontaneous performances and flashes of ridiculousness run rife here (Mariachi, anyone? Conga line to the loo?). I did get seranaded by a live band of glitter-encrusted elves, complete with prosthetic pointy ears and uklelales, at my table at one point. Brilliant. Stay for drunken-salsa-dancing afterwards as well, this place pulls a very, very attractive crowd. Rarrrr.
