7 Best Restaurants in Southwest Colombia, Colombia

Just outside San Agustín, this is the perfect place to stop after your tour of the Parque Arqueológico de Tierradentro's archaeological treasures. The perfectly cooked meat dishes are the best of the menu, particularly the local classic, lomo al trapo, where the fillet is salted and wrapped in a cloth before being tossed on the fire. There are some excellent vegetarian options, and the ingredients are all fresh and tasty, many coming from the backyard vegetable garden. The restaurant is perched right on the roadside and easy to miss; keep an eye out for the rustic red-and-white farmhouse.

Just off the plaza, this tiny, family-run café serves its own brews as well as those sourced from 10 local farms. Take the time to chat to the fantastic baristas at the counter, and don't miss the pastries. It also offers the area's best coffee tour.

Popayán is famous for its local delicacies, and you'll find the best of them here, like the salpicón poayense (a drink of crushed ice and fresh blackberries) or empanadas de pipián (fried empanadas with a potato filling served with a spicy peanut sauce). Portions are small, so try a bit of everything.

This elegant home turned restaurant is one of the city's smartest dining options, offering carefully prepared dishes with a contemporary twist. Seafood is the highlight, with dishes that brilliantly blend the main ingredient with local fruits or plantain; don't miss the risotto or creamy coconut-based soups that are a coastal tradition. Interior murals by artist Carlos Andrade add color, but it is the calm, leafy patio that is the prize spot. Service is excellent, but the place is hugely popular, so reserve ahead and don't be in a rush.

Just about a mile out of town, you'll find the cozy Ugo. The pastas, freshly made in-house, are the stars of the show, with influence from Ugo’s native Verona. The selection is good, and a few decent wines are on hand to make the perfect end to your day. Save space for the tiramisu.

There's simply no better place to try local Vallecaucana cuisine than from the hands of talented chef Martha Jaramillo, in this colorful, restored home. Many of her recipes are built on those of her grandparents and are slow cooked with rich, wholesome flavors like the classic arroz atollado (sticky rice with various meats) or the cola endiablado (beer-braised oxtail spiced up with three local chilies). Wash it all down with a lulada.