Ethical eaters will be spoilt for choice for the upcoming week, as Vegan Burger Fest 2024 has arrived in the city. It’s running until February 18 and features a whopping 31 restaurants around the city. And at just COP$16,000 for a top-class meat-free burger, it’s open and affordable for all.
You might wonder how there’s a vegan scene here at all, with traditional Colombian dishes often being rather meat-heavy. However, that’s also true of many countries that are now embracing new diets, whether that’s full vegan, pescatarian or simply cutting back on meat. If you’re thinking about doing the same, Vegan Burger Fest 2024 will give you food for thought and belly.
So what is a vegan burger, you may ask? Well, it depends on where you go. Some places will simply make a patty from lentils, chickpeas, or beans, ground down and shaped just as you would with minced meat. Other restaurants may substitute whole mushrooms in place of a patty. Finally, some use fake meat such as seitán, usually formed from soya, wheat, or other grains.
It’s the seventh edition of the festival, but merely the first of a number of similar annual events, with pizza and empanadas having their own dedicated Vegan Fests later in the year. While Bogotá isn’t the world’s premier vegan destination, there’s a quietly impressive scene here when you know what to look for. Open up the HappyCow app on your phone and take a look at what’s on offer.
Vegan restaurants tend to cluster around the areas one would expect, with a heavy cluster between Calle 72 and 60, quinta to 13 or so. There are also a lot around Parkway in Teusaquillo and the Candelaria. Usaquén centre stands out for having particularly few options, although there are some around the autopista.
Last year, the event began to work only with fully vegan or plant-based restaurants and that is continuing for Vegan Burger Fest 2024, meaning that there’s no risk of contamination. Unsurprisingly, almost all venues are pet-friendly, so feel free to bring furry (or scaly) friends with you.
The Bogotano vegan scene is also unpretentious, so the burgers are at COP$16k. If you want fries or a drink, each of them costs COP$3k. That means a full combo is clocking in at a mere COP$22k, which is extremely competitive. Not everywhere offers combos, but the burger price is fixed.
Where to visit in Vegan Burger Fest 2024?
De/Raíz and Mimanchi share a location on Calle 65 just up from Séptima (Cll 65 # and are reliably tasty. Down Séptima a few blocks, vegan pioneers Cocinita Verde (Cra 7a #64-24) have a Neoyorquina burger featuring seitán facon. Nearby, Veggie Beans (Calle 64 #7-71) boast a beer-bap and tempura mushrooms in one and fishless BBQ in the other. A little further down, Pianta (Cll 57#5-17) have a fake chicken burger.
Nuve Nutrición Verde (Carrera 45a #123-15) are doing their popular Jack Daniels burger, featuring a whisky sauce. Elsewhere in Usaquén is Dalia Mexican (Cra 12b #140-21) with a Chula double-burger featuring BBQ seitán and crunchy aubergine. Cardamom (Cl 137 #57-28) has a classic lentil burger. Chapiyork (Cra10A #69-35) have an orellana mushroom offering.
Down in Teusaquillo, there’s hidden restaurant Persea (Cra 19 #30-07) which has shiitake mushies and Caja de Pan (Cra 20 #42a-39) has a fake rib burger. Tribu de Fuego (Cl 45 #14-54), better known for pizzas, have a black bap filled with tofu and there’s Philidelphia cheese style tofu at Cero Pollito (Cra 13 #40c-29), famed for their chicken substitutes.
And of course, there are plenty more options if none of those take your fancy. Let us know which ones are your favourites and keep an eye on our social media. We’ll be uploading as we visit different places throughout the week and we love to hear recommendations.
Vegan Burger Fest 2024, February 9-18, various locations around Bogotá (map). Burgers at COP$16k, fries an extra COP$3k, drink also COP$3k.
