Quick answer: Binn Hotel has two in-house dining concepts: La Makha, a Colombian contemporary bistro using haute cuisine techniques and locally sourced seasonal ingredients, and Etro Rooftop, a signature bar on the 16th floor with author cocktails and sharing plates overlooking the Valle de Aburrá.
Most hotels have a restaurant. Few have a restaurant that is a reason to book in itself. The difference is not in the number of stars or the price of the tasting menu — it is in whether the dining concept has its own identity or is simply a breakfast service with an extended card.
In Medellín, where the food scene grew considerably over the past decade, the standard is higher. Travelers arriving with serious culinary expectations do not have to settle for eating out every night. Some luxury hotels have concepts that compete directly with the best independent restaurants in El Poblado.
This guide examines those concepts with actual criteria, not the language of the menu description.
Why in-hotel fine dining matters
Eating outside the hotel every night makes sense when the purpose of the trip is to explore a city. But there are trips — or moments within a trip — where the option of not leaving is worth its weight in convenience, time and experience quality.
In-hotel fine dining matters when:
- The trip is short and the schedule is full. A business traveler with three days in Medellín and dense daytime meetings does not always have the time or energy to research where to eat well at night. A quality option inside the hotel removes a logistical variable without sacrificing the standard.
- Privacy is a priority. Business dinners or couples’ dinners that require discretion are easier to manage inside the hotel than in an external restaurant with tight tables and high noise levels.
- The hotel restaurant exceeds what is available nearby. This is the least common case but the most relevant: when the in-hotel concept has a stronger offering than most options in the neighborhood, staying in is not a concession — it is the right choice.
La Makha: concept and positioning
La Makha is Binn Hotel‘s restaurant. It is not a hotel café with linen tablecloths — it is a bistro with its own editorial identity that uses Colombian cooking as a starting point to build something that does not exist in most restaurants in the country.
Chef David Suárez Estrada built the menu around a specific principle: using Colombian products with high-cuisine techniques without pursuing fusion for its own sake. The result is what might be called Colombian contemporary cuisine — cleaner than that label, more localized than “haute cuisine” suggests.
Most ingredients in the menu are Colombian and seasonal. The menu changes according to ingredient availability, which means there is no fixed card guaranteeing the same dishes year-round. That model — called a “living menu” by the restaurant team — has clear advantages: what is served is at its best, and returning guests have a genuinely different experience on each visit.
La Makha’s atmosphere is designed for an unhurried experience. The space has neither the coldness of a conventional hotel restaurant nor the informality of a brasserie. It sits in a middle register that works equally well for a working breakfast and a celebratory dinner.
Related reading: La Makha: the journey of flavors Colombia has to tell
Etro Rooftop: gastronomy at altitude
Etro Rooftop, on Binn Hotel’s 16th floor, has a dining concept that complements La Makha without competing with it. It is not a formal restaurant — it is a bar with sharing-style food in which the cocktails are the main act and the food functions as quality accompaniment.
Etro’s menu was built around the hotel’s signature cocktail program: author drinks with Colombian ingredients — tropical fruits, artisan aguardiente, local spirits — approached from a contemporary mixology perspective. The sharing plates follow the same logic: portions designed for the table, flavors that do not compete with what is in the glass but complement it.
The main difference between eating at La Makha and eating at Etro Rooftop is the register of the experience. La Makha is a dinner. Etro is an afternoon or evening that may or may not include food, depending on how the night develops. They are two complementary concepts within the same hotel, and the option of using both on the same day — lunch or dinner at La Makha, drinks at Etro — is one of the concrete arguments for staying more than one night.
Related reading: Etro Rooftop: Medellín’s most exclusive dining experience
How to plan dining during the stay
For guests who want to make the most of Binn Hotel’s dining offering, there is a logical sequence that maximizes the experience without saturating it.
- First night: La Makha. The arrival dinner at La Makha allows guests to settle into the hotel’s register before going out to explore the city. The seasonal menu gives an initial read on the products and cooking style. If a tasting menu is available, that night is the best time to order it.
- Middle nights: alternate. For a stay of three to five nights, alternating between La Makha for formal dinners and Etro Rooftop for more relaxed evenings is the way to use both concepts without either losing its character.
- One night out: Provenza. It would not be honest to suggest guests should not leave the hotel to eat during their entire stay. Provenza, ten minutes from the hotel, has contemporary restaurants with sufficient quality to merit one evening. The concierge can make the reservation.
Hotel gastronomy as a selection criterion
In Medellín’s luxury hotel market, the dining offering is one of the clearest differentiators but one of the least researched factors before booking. Most travelers look at room photos, check for a pool and read a few reviews. Few research the hotel restaurant with the same depth they would apply to an independent restaurant.
That changes when the hotel restaurant is La Makha. Guests who arrive at Binn having read about the chef, the living menu and the concept of Colombian contemporary cuisine have a different experience from those who discover the restaurant upon arrival. Not because the restaurant changes — but because the attention brought to the meal is different.
| Binn Hotel | The Charlee | Hotel Dann Carlton | |
| Own restaurant | La Makha — Colombian contemporary bistro | Integrated restaurant | Chain restaurant |
| Signature bar | Etro Rooftop · 16th floor | Rooftop bar | Standard bar |
| Gastronomic identity | Chef with own editorial concept | Broad menu, no specific focus | International standard |
| Seasonal menu | Yes · living menu | No | No |
| View from dining | Valle de Aburrá (Etro) | City | Partial urban |
Frequently asked questions
What are the reviews of Binn Hotel’s gastronomy?
La Makha has consistently high ratings on TripAdvisor and Google, with frequent mentions of personalized service, ingredient quality and the differentiated approach compared to conventional Colombian cuisine. Etro Rooftop is regularly cited as one of the best bars with a view in Medellín.
Does Binn Hotel offer all-inclusive packages?
Not in the traditional all-inclusive format. However, booking directly at binnhotel.com makes it possible to coordinate packages that include breakfast, dinner at La Makha or drinks at Etro Rooftop. The concierge team customizes the offer according to the type of stay.
Is there access to Medellín nightlife from Binn Hotel?
Yes. Etro Rooftop operates as a nightlife destination in its own right, with an events calendar and DJ sessions. For guests who want to go out, Provenza and Parque Lleras are five to ten minutes by car.
Best rate guaranteed · La Makha + Etro Rooftop · Flexible cancellation
