Leo

Leo is the Bogotá restaurant of chef Leonor Espinosa, at Calle 65 Bis #4-23 in Chapinero, Colombia. Espinosa is one of the country's best-known chefs, and the restaurant ranks among Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants. Cooking here follows a research philosophy called Ciclo-Bioma, which builds menus from ingredients sourced in Colombian indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities and from the country's varied biomes, from the Amazon to the Pacific coast. Multi-course tasting menus are the format, and each course tends to come with an explanation of where an ingredient originated and who produced it, so the meal doubles as an education in Colombian biodiversity. Drinks are a central part of the experience: pairings are built around native ferments and spirits developed by Laura Hernández-Espinosa, which give the meal a distinct identity from wine-led fine dining. Ingredients that appear across menus include Amazon and Pacific produce, river fish, native fruits and roots that are rarely seen on other Bogotá menus. The restaurant works across two rooms, and the atmosphere is intimate, thoughtful and quietly theatrical rather than formal; dress is smart casual and noise levels are low to moderate. Tasting menus cost approximately COP 400,000-600,000 per person (about $126-189) before drinks. Reservations are essential and are taken by email at reservas@restauranteleo.com or by phone and WhatsApp on +57 317 661 6866. Visitors should book several weeks ahead, and longer for weekends or during peak travel months. Service runs for lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday, and the restaurant is closed on Sundays. The venue sits near El Chato and other Chapinero dining rooms, which makes the neighbourhood a natural base for a gastronomic itinerary. Guests with dietary restrictions should state them when booking because menus are built around specific ingredients.