La Puerta Falsa Restaurant

"This 200-year-old restaurant is located just a block away from La Plaza de Bolívar, Bogotá’s central public square, and is a beloved emblem of the capital’s cuisine. Tamales, almojábanas (cheese bread), and chocolate with cheese are essentials for either breakfast or onces, the Colombian equivalent of a morning snack or afternoon tea. If you stop by for lunch, try the ajiaco — the city’s signature soup — and one of the desserts from the vast spread." - Liliana López Sorzano

"La Puerta Falsa, Bogotá Near Plaza de Bolívar in the colonial Candelaria quarter, the city’s historic core, swing by La Puerta Falsa, a bakery and restaurant that has been run by the same family since 1816. Order the chocolate completo , a cup of hot cocoa mixed with water and melted cheese that comes with buttered bread and an almojábana (biscuit). Calle 11 No. 6–50, 57/(0) 1-286-5091. Image: William Neuheisel/Flickr.com"

What Bourdain ate: Tamales made with chicken and pork belly, combined with vegetables, rice and masa, wrapped in a banana leaf and slow cooked for hours.

"In Bogota, head to La Puerta Falsa to experience chocolate completo—hot chocolate served with a small piece of cheese and buttered bread. Don’t be afraid, the sweet hot chocolate combined with salty bread and cheese will leave you never wanting to go back to traditional hot chocolate. Drop small pieces of the cheese into the hot chocolate and let it melt, then use the bread for dipping. No need to thank us." - Travel + Leisure Editors

"For just over two centuries, La Puerta Falsa has been serving traditional Colombian food to hungry patrons. The tiny snack shop/restaurant barely sits 20 people, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in home-cooking and a palpable sense of history. The shop is located in an old colonial home a block from Bogota’s Plaza de Bolivar. Walk in and you’ll see a wooden bar to the right, with space enough to seat 10 people. Follow a small staircase to the upper level and you’ll find three or four tables where loyal customers—including politicians, artists, and scientists—have tucked into tamales and bowls of ajiaco soup (made of chicken and potatoes) since the place opened in 1816. The name of the restaurant translates to “The False Door.” When it first opened, La Puerta Falsa had no name, it was just a hole in the wall for hungry passersby. But across the street from the snack shop was a false door set into the side of the Catedral Primada. This door served to confuse any would-be assailants in times of war or turmoil, and was a notable feature in the street. So locals began to refer to the increasingly popular eatery as “the place near the false door,” which in time simply became La Puerta Falsa. Know Before You Go Today, La Puerta Falsa is well loved as one of the oldest and most traditional restaurants in Bogota, and it steadfastly hangs on to its traditional values. It's not flash, the menu is limited, service can be slow, and you won't find tacky souvenirs or other tourist trappings on display. As for the menu, La Puerta Falsa is best known for its ajiaco soup and its tamales, which are often ranked among the best in the city. It also sells traditional sweets and chocolate completo, a traditional Colombian hot chocolate with cheese, buttered bread, and a biscuit. Opening hours are roughly from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, but don't expect that to be set in stone." - Mitch Lang, Collector of Experiences, Tony Dunnell, ccesare