REVIEW · BOGOTA
Gastronomic Crawl in Bogotá, Colombia
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Bogotá tastes better on a schedule. In about 4.5 hours, you’ll move through Usaquén on a friendly food path: Colombian dinner at Canasto Picnic Bistró, dessert at La Rosconería, a cacao stop, then a rum-bar finish at Pedro Mandinga.
I love how the stops stay focused on Colombian flavors without making you hunt around on your own, and I love the guided pacing that keeps you moving (but not rushed) across the sweet and savory spectrum.
One thing to watch: the price covers the big tastings, but drinks at the rosconería and cacao stop, plus drinks at the rum bar, are not included, so you may want to budget extra if you plan to order cocktails.
In This Review
- Key highlights
- A simple plan for eating your way through Usaquén
- Price and value: what your $75 buys you
- Timing and logistics: start at 5:30 pm, wander lightly
- Stop 1: Canasto Picnic Bistró (Usaquén) and a real Colombian dinner
- Stop 2: La Rosconería and choosing your stuffed roscon
- Stop 3: Legado – Cacao Experience and the taste of regional chocolate
- Stop 4: Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar and the 20% off finale
- The guides make the difference (and names worth knowing)
- Drinks strategy: how to keep your budget under control
- Group size and pace: you’ll get people time without the chaos
- Weather and comfort: plan for a flexible evening
- Who should book this tour
- Should you book Gastronomic Crawl in Bogotá?
- FAQ
- What’s included in the $75 ticket?
- What are the stops on the tour?
- Is the tour offered in English?
- How long is the experience?
- Where do I meet the group?
- Where does the tour end?
- Are drinks included at every stop?
- What happens if the weather is bad?
Key highlights
- Two-course Colombian dinner at Canasto Picnic Bistró, including an artisanal soda
- Stuffed roscon dessert at La Rosconería with six traditional flavor choices
- Cacao tasting at Legado: two filled bonbons plus a small 70% bar from regional varieties
- Rum bar finale with a discount: get 20% off at Pedro Mandinga
- English-friendly tour with a mobile ticket and smallish group size (max 50)
- Uasquén street time built into the route, not just restaurant hopping
A simple plan for eating your way through Usaquén
If you only have one evening in Bogotá, this kind of food crawl is a smart way to get results fast. You’re not guessing what to order, and you’re not sitting through one long meal after another. Instead, the rhythm is: one proper dinner, one iconic dessert, one cacao tasting, then a grown-up rum finish.
What I like most is that the tour leans into Colombian specialties rather than trying to be a “little of everything” buffet. You start with a two-course Colombian menu and end with regional cacao and rum-adjacent flavors—so the experience feels like a theme, not a random snack tour.
If you're still narrowing it down, here are other tours in Bogota we've reviewed.
Price and value: what your $75 buys you
At $75 per person for about 4 hours 30 minutes, you’re paying for a full sequence of tastings plus guided stops. The key value is that the included items are spread out across the evening:
- Dinner at Canasto Picnic Bistró (appetizer + main) plus an artisanal soda
- Dessert: a sweet stuffed roscon
- Cacao tasting at Legado: two filled chocolate bonbons + a small 70% cacao bar
- A 20% discount when you check out at Pedro Mandinga
Meanwhile, drinks at the second and third locations aren’t included, and drinks at the last location aren’t included either. So if you’re the type who orders extra beverages, treat the included tastings like the main event and keep a little room for add-ons.
Timing and logistics: start at 5:30 pm, wander lightly
The tour begins at 5:30 pm in Usaquén at Canasto Picnic Bistró (Cl. 118 #6-45). You’ll finish close by at Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar (Cl. 117 #6a-05).
This timing matters. Evening in Bogotá often feels more walkable than the midday rush, and the route is designed to keep you moving between places without turning dinner into a late-night marathon. Also, the tour is near public transportation, so you’re not boxed into a complicated taxi plan if you’re coming from elsewhere.
Stop 1: Canasto Picnic Bistró (Usaquén) and a real Colombian dinner
Your evening kicks off with a set menu at Canasto Picnic Bistró in Usaquén. The tour includes a two-course meal—an appetizer followed by a main course—plus an artisanal soda. The idea here is straightforward: get you seated, fed, and oriented to Colombian flavors using local ingredients.
This first stop also works as a social warm-up. You’ll be around other people from the group while you settle in, and the guide can explain what you’re eating as you go. One review also highlighted the experience as a good fit for couples because the menu format makes it easy to share and try more than one dish.
Practical note: since it’s an included meal, this is where you’re getting the biggest “for the money” value. If you tend to skip appetizers back home, don’t do it here. The appetizer sets the stage for the flavors you’ll taste later.
Stop 2: La Rosconería and choosing your stuffed roscon
Next comes the dessert stop that gives the tour its fun side. La Rosconería is built around roscones—and you’ll get a sweet stuffed roscon here.
You can choose a stuffed, sweet roscon with six traditional flavor options. That choice is part of the payoff. Even if you’ve had roscon-style sweets before, this format makes it a personalized tasting rather than just “here’s dessert.”
What makes this stop valuable is contrast. After dinner, you shift to something celebratory and unmistakably Colombian. It’s also a good break in the pace—about an hour total here gives you time to taste and chat without feeling like you’re on a conveyor belt.
Stop 3: Legado – Cacao Experience and the taste of regional chocolate
Now you move from dessert-adjacent sweetness to chocolate with a focus on ingredients and origin. At Legado, you’re at an artisanal cacao factory/shop that works with different regional varieties of Colombian cacao using a sustainability approach meant to support local producers.
The included tasting is clear and manageable:
- Two filled chocolate bonbons with tropical flavors
- A small 70% cacao bar
This is one of those stops that can quietly change how you think about chocolate. The 70% bar is a good anchor point because it lets you taste cacao more directly, while the filled bonbons bring sweetness and flavor profiles into the mix. You don’t need a food degree to get something out of it—you just need a willingness to slow down for a few bites.
Also, remember: drinks at this stop are not included. So if you want coffee or something else to pair with chocolate, plan to pay separately.
Stop 4: Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar and the 20% off finale
You finish at Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar, a specialized rum spot that mixes high-quality rum with other ingredients like local fruits and edible plants. The included perk here is a financial one: you get 20% off the check.
Even if you don’t drink much, this last stop is worth it because it’s another flavor shift. Dinner, dessert, cacao—then rum. It’s a logical progression that keeps the evening from feeling repetitive.
One practical tip: since drinks here are not included, decide early if you want to order cocktails. The discount helps, but you’ll still want to watch your total if you’re aiming to keep the night under a set budget.
The guides make the difference (and names worth knowing)
Food tours rise or fall on the guide. In the group you might meet guides like Liz and Carolina Navas, who are noted for being chatty, friendly, and very good at explaining what you’re eating and why.
Carolina Navas, in particular, is mentioned for combining great hosting with strong knowledge while also bringing in the character of Usaquén. That matters, because the tour isn’t just four receipts for snacks. It’s also a walk through the neighborhood feel of the area, with context tied to the places you’re visiting.
If you’re picking a time to book, this is the kind of tour where you’ll enjoy the explanations even if you’re not a “food expert.” You’re there to eat, yes—but also to understand what you’re tasting.
Drinks strategy: how to keep your budget under control
Because drinks are only partially included, you should plan your spending like this:
- Treat the included artisanal soda and the tasting items as the “base.”
- If you want to order at La Rosconería or Legado, that’s optional add-on spending.
- At Pedro Mandinga, use the 20% off to decide whether it’s worth grabbing a rum drink as your final treat.
This isn’t a deal breaker. It just means you’ll have a more enjoyable time if you’re not surprised when the bill arrives at the last stop.
Group size and pace: you’ll get people time without the chaos
The tour has a maximum of 50 travelers. That’s not tiny, but it’s also not so big that you’d feel lost in a crowd the whole time. Expect enough group energy to feel social, with enough structure to keep things organized at each meal and tasting.
The pacing is built around about one hour per stop, which helps you stay engaged. You’re not stuck in one place for half the night, and you don’t have to rush through your tastings either.
Weather and comfort: plan for a flexible evening
This experience requires good weather. If the weather is poor, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund. That’s a normal rule for walking-and-hopping style tours, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you’re traveling during a more changeable stretch of days.
On the comfort side, the tour doesn’t list special difficulty issues, and it says most travelers can participate—so it’s a good option for a wide range of visitors.
Who should book this tour
This is a strong fit if you:
- Want a guided way to try multiple Colombian specialties without researching each stop
- Like a mix of savory food and sweet tastings
- Prefer a planned evening in Usaquén rather than roaming aimlessly
- Want an English offered experience with a friendly guide-led explanation
It may be less ideal if you only want one meal out and you hate the idea of multiple stops. But if you enjoy sampling, this format is basically built for you.
Should you book Gastronomic Crawl in Bogotá?
Yes, if you want a simple, flavorful way to experience Colombian food culture in one evening. The price-to-content ratio is solid because you’re getting a real dinner, an included dessert, cacao tastings, and a built-in discount for the rum bar.
Before you book, just be honest about one thing: drinks at the rosconería, cacao stop, and rum bar aren’t included. If you plan to order cocktails or extra beverages, budget a little extra so the finish stays fun, not stressful.
FAQ
What’s included in the $75 ticket?
Your ticket includes dinner with an appetizer and main course plus an artisanal soda, dessert with a sweet stuffed roscon, cacao tasting with two filled chocolate bonbons and a small 70% cacao bar, and 20% off your check at Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar.
What are the stops on the tour?
The tour visits Canasto Picnic Bistró (Usaquén), La Rosconería, Legado – Cacao Experience, and ends at Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar.
Is the tour offered in English?
Yes. The tour is offered in English.
How long is the experience?
It runs for about 4 hours 30 minutes.
Where do I meet the group?
You start at Canasto Picnic Bistró (Cl. 118 #6-45, Usaquén) and you’ll receive the meeting details upon booking confirmation.
Where does the tour end?
The tour ends at Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar (Cl. 117 #6a-05, Usaquén).
Are drinks included at every stop?
No. Drinks at the second and third locations are not included, and drinks at the last location are not included. The first stop includes an artisanal soda with dinner.
What happens if the weather is bad?
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
