El Chato

El Chato is the Chapinero Alto dining room of chef Álvaro Clavijo, at Calle 65 #4-76 in Bogotá, Colombia. It was named the best restaurant in Latin America in 2025 and is widely treated as the benchmark for contemporary Colombian cooking in the capital. Clavijo applies European technique to Colombian produce, and the kitchen is open so diners can watch the pass. The menu is built around a seasonal tasting format that leans on fermentation, curing, Pacific seafood and Andean tubers and native corn, and the dishes shift as suppliers deliver new ingredients. Signature courses include fermented and cured Pacific seafood plates and preparations of native tubers and corn that reframe everyday Colombian staples as fine dining. The dining room is polished but not stiff: the atmosphere is calm and focused, the noise level moderate, and dress is smart casual, with most guests dressed for a special occasion. Service is attentive and paced for a long meal, and the open kitchen gives the room a sense of theatre without becoming loud. Beverage pairings and a Colombian-leaning drinks list accompany the menu, and non-alcoholic pairings are usually available on request. Prices are at the top of the Bogotá scale, roughly COP 300,000-450,000 per person (about $94-142), depending on the menu chosen and drinks. Reservations are essential, and after the 2025 award tables fill several weeks ahead, so visitors should book as soon as travel dates are set, particularly for Friday and Saturday dinner. Lunch service exists on most days and is the easiest slot to secure. The restaurant is in a residential-commercial part of Chapinero Alto, a short taxi or ride-hail journey from the Zona G and Zona T districts. Visitors comparing the top tables in Bogotá often pair El Chato with Leo, a few minutes away on the same block of streets, over separate meals rather than the same day. Cancellation policies and deposits can apply to tasting-menu bookings, so the terms should be checked when reserving.