CREATIVE COMMONS

Living la vida vegan

is awesome, as are the variety of cakes

whilst the empanadas remind me of
home. Its just a shame that they have
a Coca Cola coffee machine, which just
kinds of spoils it slightly.
Cra 9 No. 60-83

Pizza La Vecina Address

This is the student hang-out. The
service is excellent, the drinks are cheap
and the place is clean. Food portions
are good. That said, not being a fan of
soggy pizza the first mouthful was unpleasant. They did re-cook it for me.
My other slice was burnt slightly which
was a shame.
Cra 8 No.45-13

P.F Changs
Kai Whiting

Bogots vegan restaurants are riding a

very green wave this
year as more clients
choose the nonmeat option.

ogot has seen its fair share of

failed revolutions. The Revolucin de la Cuchara, a vegan
movement, is not one of them. Where
others have faded away, this one has
flourished as an integral part of the exponential growth of veganism, vegetarianism and generally non-meat, fish or
poultry cuisine served up in Colombias
capital during the last five years.
Whilst the buildings may be grey,
Bogots mindset is greening, as shown
by the mass protests on agro-policy and
campesino welfare in August last year.
And there are unprecedented openings of locales offering a range of exciting and traditionally-eaten Colombian
food. Quinoa, chia, amaranth, arracacha,
basul, yucca, yam, sapodilla or even the
ice-cream-bean (guama) are just a few ingredients you can find close to your door.
So what do Colombian-owned restaurants have to offer the citizens and
visitors of Bogot in 2014? I went on a
week-long mission to find out.

Felipan: Vegetarian Bakery

and Restaurant
A bakery downstairs, lunch upstairs. Was not impressed by the fact
that I could only buy the cake to takeaway and couldnt sit and eat it unless

I bought lunch. I could not get a coffee

either. The cake, however, was pleasant
enough - so if you are in the area and
just fancy a cake on the go, by all means
have a look. I didnt stay for lunch as it
seemed a bit pricy.
Clle 51 No.9-73

La Revolucin de la Cuchara
Great service, huge portions, good
taste and very reasonably priced. Cushions provide a nice option and the wall
paintings ooze character. The chips
(French fries) are like the ones I buy at a
British fish and chips. Soups are experimental and always improve my Spanish
vocabulary. Downsides, the free salad
bar can be a bit repetitive and you often
have to work out if the dishes of the day
contain enough protein. Also being
new, it is only open 12 to 3 pm which
means on hard long working days you
have to find somewhere else.
Cra 9A No.60-44B

grease, which is not so good if you have

a business meeting after.
Cra 5 A No.14-02

Pan de Nobles
The best thing about Pan de Nobles
is that there are three options to choose
from and they are all next door to each
other. The fast food bar and the bakery
are open long hours, seven days a week
which is great on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The plantain leaf-wrapped tamal

As a non-meat eater this is arguably

a place to take your girlfriend or boyfriend out for San Francisco-inspired
Chinese. Appetizers are very vegetarian, gluten free - such as their hallmark
lettuce wraps and crispy green beans.
There is also a section on the menu
dedicated to Vegetarianos and after you
experience the food and service, you
wont mind a bit of a wait at the door.
A true sign of Colombian business acumen stirred in with a Buddha Feast
and a wholesome take on Lo Mein.
Cra 9 No.82 -19

La Toscana
A student/teacher style canteen
with classic style deco, which is perhaps
not surprising given its close proximity
to one of Bogotas many universities.
Its self-service but the staff is friendly
enough. To test them out I took a friend
along and asked for an extra bowl and
cutlery. They were very obliging. The
taste is very good and there are various
vegetarian options but I found it on the
slightly expensive side.
Cra 8 No.48-70.

Loto Azul
A nice restaurant located in the
citys centre. The Indian corner upstairs
is a must if you visit there. The menus
and ingredients are interesting. They
do good stew (or in Spanish lay terms)
a cazuela. Portions are large and being
a foreigner they welcomed me with a
complimentary tea. The only downside
is that you do come away smelling like

march 2014

15