39

Bar Carmen

Medellín

Culinary drinks with a strictly Colombian accent

Located on a bustling street in El Poblado, guests head into buzzing Carmen Restaurante to reach its innovative mixology counterpart, Bar Carmen. Mirroring the eatery's diligent focus on using specifically Colombian ingredients, Bar Carmen's cocktail programme sources regional and seasonal produce from smallholders, while also serving up a warming dish of hospitality for which antioqueños are renowned. These factors have contributed to shaping Bar Carmen as a key player in Medellín's cocktail revolution.

Tucked away on the left-hand side of the restaurant, the bar's delicious signature drinks list is created by beverage director Maycoll Tobon, who strives to reflect the South American country's geographical diversity. With just eight seats at the wooden bar, the knowledgeable team happily verses guests on viche, an ancestral sugarcane spirit distilled by women, Colombian fruits such as uchuva goldenberry, or how they prepare plantain vinegar in the bar's Bio Lab. Highlights from the current drinks list – a colourful, collectable fanzine the design of which changes every three months – include BCE, a tequila-led cocktail, infused with panela cane sugar, tamarind and chipotle and Siembre, inspired by ingredients from the Colombian Pacific that include viche, vanilla, lulo fruit and borage.

The vibe is buzzy with a poppy Latin American soundtrack, so the restaurant usually packs out; for a calmer experience, savour drinks on the back patio or continue downstairs for seats in the basement and open kitchen.

Contact