Selma

Selma is a Mediterranean bistro in an early-20th-century house at Calle 65 #4-50 in Chapinero Alto, Bogotá, Colombia. It comes from the chef behind El Chato, one of the city's better-known restaurants, and brings a different, more relaxed register to the same neighbourhood. The menu draws on Spanish, Greek and North African cooking, with sharing plates, wood-oven mains and a lively bar programme built around cocktails. The restored house gives the restaurant an intimate, residential character, with several rooms and a buzzy bar that keeps the atmosphere social, especially in the evening. Noise levels rise as the night goes on, and the mood is stylish but casual, so there is no formal dress code. The Mediterranean framing allows a wide range of flavours on one table: small plates suited to grazing and larger wood-oven dishes for those wanting a fuller meal. Prices sit in the upper-moderate range at roughly COP 70,000-160,000 per person (about $22-50), depending on the number of plates and cocktails ordered. Service runs Monday to Saturday from 12PM to 11PM and on Sunday from 12PM to 5PM, so the kitchen is open through the afternoon, which is useful for late lunches. Reservations are recommended, particularly for Friday and Saturday evenings and for groups, and can be made by phone or WhatsApp-style contact on +57 311 317 9618. The restaurant's website is selmarest.co. The bar is a draw in itself, so visitors who cannot secure a dinner table can often enjoy drinks and a few plates instead. Chapinero Alto has become one of Bogotá's most appealing districts for restaurants and cafes, and Selma fits neatly into an evening spent moving between venues in the area. Ordering a spread of sharing plates gives the fullest sense of the menu's range across the Mediterranean.