If it’s raining in Medellín and you want a good dinner without a complicated night, La Makha takes care of most of it before you even sit down. The restaurant is on the first floor of Binn Hotel, on Carrera 25 in El Poblado. It has covered parking at no cost for diners, and it opens for dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6:00 p.m. You don’t need to be a hotel guest to book a table.
The rest is what makes going out in the rain worth it: a cuisine of origin built on Colombian ingredients, a glass-walled dining room that keeps the night in view, and a menu made for lingering at the table.
A glass dining room for watching the rain from inside
Some nights the rain ruins the plan. Other nights it improves it. That tends to happen in places that are indoors without feeling closed in, and La Makha’s dining room is one of them. The glass walls blend with metallic accents, so whatever is happening outside stays present: the water, the street lights, El Poblado moving along. Meanwhile, you’re seated with the menu in your hands.
If you’re curious about how the space was conceived, this piece on La Makha’s design goes into more detail. For a rainy night, it’s enough to know that the room sets the mood without stealing the show, and that the restaurant has live music, which changes the pace of a dinner quite a bit when nobody is in a hurry to leave.
How to get to La Makha on a rainy night
When it rains, the tiring part of going out to dinner is the logistics: where to park, which entrance to use, how far to walk. At La Makha the route is short and you can have it figured out before leaving home.
- Book ahead by writing to [email protected] or calling +57 604 3220289. On rainy nights people tend to decide at the last minute, and it’s better not to show up hoping for a table.
- Use Carrera 25 as your main reference road. Binn Hotel is at Cra. 25 #10-51, in El Poblado.
- Turn into the road marked “Acceso Hotel Binn” from Calle 10. That’s the way into the parking area.
- Leave your car in the covered parking, which is free for restaurant diners.
That’s it. No hunting for street parking, no circling the neighborhood with the windshield wipers on full.
What to order when the night asks you to stay
The menu at La Makha is led by Nelson López, the restaurant’s executive chef, and it starts from a clear idea. La Makha describes itself as a local bistro built on Colombian ingredients, one that brings the country’s produce into high cuisine techniques and supports responsible farming, fishing and cattle ranching. At the table, that shows up as ingredients from different regions sharing the same plate.
If it’s your first visit, the chef’s recommendations are a good place to start. For a rainy night, these three make a lot of sense.
- Arroz y res (rice and beef). The most comforting dish of the selection: beef chuck braised for 12 hours at low temperature, served with a chalaca-style salad, fried rice, beef glaze, ají amarillo aioli, soy-cured egg yolk and powdered garlic oil. It’s the kind of dish you want to take slowly.
- Pesca del día (catch of the day). Fresh house-made rigatoni with a coconut prawn encocado, fresh leaf-wrapped cheese, mushroom powder and white fish from the Pacific, finished with a mandarin lime meunière and lime zest. You get the warmth of coconut and the brightness of citrus in the same bite.
- Crocante de maíz de los Montes de María (corn crisp). A good opener: tuna tartare, mushroom emulsion, sorrel paste, brown butter, freshly squeezed lime, spring onion powder, mushroom aioli, oxalis from the Bogotá savanna, cheese soil and green oil.
The tasting menu, for a dinner with no clock
If the rain has already decided the night will be a long one, the tasting menu is the most complete way to explore La Makha’s kitchen. It has seven courses and costs COP $420,000 with pairing or COP $330,000 without pairing, per person. Prices include taxes, and the 10% tip is voluntary and not included. It’s also the option that asks the fewest decisions of you, which on a gray evening is a small luxury of its own.
What’s interesting about the pairing is that it doesn’t stop at wine. The corn crisp comes with a Basil Smash, the catch of the day with a Tom Collins, the pork belly with a 2022 Cool Coast Pinot Noir from Chile, and the lamb with a Doña Dominga Carmenere. The finale is the coconut and coffee flan with a Carajillo made with Antioquian coffee, cured viche canao and Licor 43. On a cold, wet night, ending with coffee in your glass feels almost too obvious, but it works.
Signature cocktails to stretch out the evening
Some people come to La Makha to eat. Others come to stay. For the second group there’s the signature cocktail list, which makes it easy to order one more while the rain keeps falling.
The Esfumado (COP $38,000) brings together aged rum, Frangelico, tamarind and orange peel syrup and lime juice, and it’s served clarified. The Niebla (COP $60,000) combines Ojo de Tigre mezcal made from 8-year espadín agave with pennyroyal syrup and mandarin lime; the name, which means “fog,” suits a night like this. If you’d rather have something fruitier, the Sabroso (COP $45,000) mixes a red wine and berry reduction with mandarin lime, mint syrup, vodka and tonic.
Opening hours to check before heading out
Before the rain convinces you to go out, check the day. La Makha serves dinner Thursday and Saturday from 6:00 to 10:30 p.m. and Friday from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Dinner service is closed Monday through Wednesday, and the restaurant doesn’t open in the evening on Sundays and public holidays.
Breakfast is served every day from 6:00 to 10:30 a.m., in case the rain catches you early and you’d rather start the day slowly in El Poblado. There is no lunch service.
Frequently asked questions
Does La Makha have parking for diners?
Yes. Binn Hotel has covered parking that is free for La Makha diners. The entrance is through the road marked “Acceso Hotel Binn,” off Calle 10.
Which days is La Makha open for dinner?
Thursday and Saturday from 6:00 to 10:30 p.m. and Friday from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. There is no dinner service Monday through Wednesday, and it doesn’t open in the evening on Sundays and public holidays.
Do I have to stay at Binn Hotel to dine at La Makha?
No. Anyone can book a table at La Makha, whether or not they’re a hotel guest.
How much is the tasting menu at La Makha?
The seven-course tasting menu costs COP $420,000 with pairing and COP $330,000 without pairing, per person. Prices include taxes, and the 10% tip is voluntary.
How do I book a table at La Makha?
Write to [email protected] or call +57 604 3220289. On rainy nights it’s best to book in advance.
