A luxury vegan restaurant sounds like a contradiction to anyone who associates fine dining with Pacific seafood and lamb from Caldas. La Makha has those dishes, and they are among the most recognized on the menu. But it also has seasonal orellanas with goat yogurt foam and smoke powder, a watermelon ceviche with chontaduro tiger’s milk, and a buffalo stracciatella with smoked peas and poleo.
Vegan menu
We are a Cocina de Origen restaurant with a high capacity for adaptation. We have high-end vegan dishes by default and can customize much of our menu to meet the standards of a demanding vegan guest. — La Makha · Binn Hotel
There is no separate vegan section on the menu, nor a special card for intolerances. What exists is a kitchen that works with fresh, artisanal, seasonal Colombian ingredients, many of them plant based to begin with, and a team with real capacity to personalize the experience if the restriction is shared when booking.
Vegan dishes by default
- Orellanas: corn cake with pickled guatila, goat yogurt foam and smoke powder. For strict vegans, the foam can be swapped for a coconut emulsion if requested when booking.
- Pickled watermelon ceviche: the pickling technique compacts the fruit until it takes on a firmness similar to that of fish, bathed in chontaduro tiger’s milk.
- Crocante de maíz: vegan by default once the tuna tartare is removed, with an orellana mushroom emulsion providing umami.
That same versatility carries over to the seven course tasting menu, which can be adapted for vegetarian and vegan guests if communicated when booking, with at least three to five days’ notice. The pairing adjusts just as easily: signature cocktails like the Basil Smash, the Tom Collins or the Sabroso are vegan by default, as is the closing Carajillo, and for guests who prefer not to drink alcohol, the bar has non-spirit alternatives.
Gluten-free options
Most dishes at La Makha do not use wheat flour, so managing gluten intolerance tends to be simpler here than in a traditional kitchen:
Catch of the day: the main exception, served with house made wheat rigatoni. If shared when booking, the kitchen can prepare it with an alternative gluten-free base.
Local criollo chicken: served over a pipián cream from Popayán made with peanuts and criolla potato, gluten-free by default.
Coconut flan: with sunflower seed brittle, coffee toffee and bitter orange cream, naturally gluten-free.
Allergies and intolerances
La Makha’s strength for guests with dietary restrictions lies in the kitchen’s technical command over the vegetable ingredient. The same techniques that make the octopus or the lamb exceptional, fermentation, sous vide, emulsions, pickling and dehydration, apply just as well to Colombian roots and vegetables.
To manage a restriction safely, precision matters:
- There is a difference between gluten intolerance and celiac disease, which carries a real risk from cross contamination.
- The same goes for nut or shellfish allergies.
- For celiac disease or severe allergies, it is worth confirming directly with the dining room team upon arrival, even if it was already noted at booking.
Reservations
The process for sharing a restriction is simple. When booking through official channels, either online or by calling +57 604 3220289, it helps to include:
- The type of restriction (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or a specific allergy).
- How many guests have it.
- Whether the tasting menu or à la carte will be ordered.
For an adapted tasting menu, booking three to five days ahead allows the kitchen to design the full sequence with the seasonal ingredients available.
Hours
- Breakfast: daily, from 6:00 to 11:30 a.m.
- Dinner: Monday through Thursday, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, from 6:00 to 10:30 p.m.
- Sundays and holidays: closed.
To reserve, you can write to [email protected] or call +57 604 3220289.
Frequently asked questions about vegan and gluten-free options at La Makha
Does La Makha have vegan options?
Yes. La Makha has high-end vegan dishes by default, the orellanas and the pickled watermelon ceviche are the main ones, and it can customize much of the menu for demanding vegan guests if shared when booking. The full tasting menu can also be adapted into a vegan sequence.
Does La Makha have gluten-free options?
Yes. By working with fresh local fruits and vegetables and artisanal processes, La Makha can manage gluten intolerance naturally. Most dishes on the menu do not use wheat flour, the main exception being the catch of the day with house made rigatoni, which can be adapted if shared when booking.
What is La Makha’s best vegan dish?
The seasonal orellanas, with corn cake, pickled guatila, goat yogurt foam and smoke powder, are the most technical and complete plant based dish on the menu. For strict vegans, the yogurt foam can be swapped for coconut emulsion if requested when booking. The pickled watermelon ceviche with chontaduro tiger’s milk is another top tier vegan option.
Can you do the full tasting menu as a vegan at La Makha?
Yes. With advance notice when booking, a minimum of three to five days, La Makha’s team can curate a seven course sequence adapted for vegans or vegetarians, keeping the same technical and visual standard as the regular menu.
Can La Makha accommodate severe allergies like celiac disease or shellfish allergy?
Yes, with advance notice. La Makha works with fresh, artisanal ingredients in preparations that can be managed to avoid cross contamination if the specific allergy is communicated when booking. For celiac disease or severe allergies, it is recommended to share the restriction in as much detail as possible by contacting the restaurant directly at +57 604 3220289 or [email protected].
