LA PUERTA FALSA, Bogota - La Candelaria - Updated 2024 Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number

Details

Manage this business?

CUISINES

Latin, Colombian

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours

FEATURES

Takeout, Seating, Table Service

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4.0

1,458 reviews

Excellent

688

Very good

525

Average

155

Poor

41

Terrible

49

Alexandra

15 contributions

Delicious tamales and ajiaco soup!

Apr 2021 • friends

We stumbled upon this cute tiny place with authentic atmosphere and we were very pleasantly taken back. Very sweet and attentive staff (gracias, Sergio!), delicious tamales and fantastic ajiaco, which satisfies even those very hungry travellers. The waiting time is really short and if you're lucky to find a place to sit, you can enjoy your delicious meal within minutes :) Highly recommend! The hot chocolate comes very sweet, just beware.

Written May 12, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jckeys

Marathon241 contributions

An experience to try

Mar 2023 • family

A local friend took us there and said the ajiaco (chicken soup) was the best, which it was. We tried the tamal which was also tasty. The downfalls are that we had to wait in line on the street 45 minutes and the place is super tiny, everyone crammed inside and it’s worse when you are seated upstairs. This required climbing very skinny steps and sitting rubbing elbows with others. Trays of food are carried over your head which are balanced by experienced young servers (who also have to run up and down the same steps). An adventure for sure, glad we went to the “oldest” restaurant in Bogota. Photos are of outside.

Written March 17, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jmaple

51 contributions

Now that's a tamale

Jan 2023 • none

We went there after watching an Anthony Bourdain episode and, as usual with his recommendations, we were not disappointed. The place is small, so fills up quickly and always seems to be impossibly busy. Waiters dance around crowded benches and tables covered with cold beer and the restaurants signature tamales and Ajiaco Santafereno. There is a constant flow of patrons arriving and leaving, so food arrives fast, hot and incredibly delicious. This is as much about the "Bogata experience" as it is about the food, and you won't be disappointed with either. Highly recommended

Written February 10, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kattia M

Bogota4 contributions

1 hour waiting for our food

Sep 2022 • friends

We are from Costa Rica but we live in Bogota and we’ve been inviting our family and friends for lunch here for 5 years. Today we waited for one hour for 4 main dishes. We asked for a second round of drinks while waiting and never came so we went downstairs to buy Water in the street so we could drink something. My vegetarian bandeja paisa was cold and uncooked and my friend ordered a grilled chicken that came also uncooked. This is the last time we invite our foreign family and friends to this place. They gave us pencils to paint while starving… nice gesture!

Written September 3, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

free-heelinUT

Salt Lake City281 contributions

Unique restaurant experience

Jan 2020 • none

The food was worth the wait. The tamales were the most flavorful I have eaten and the ajiaco was delicious. We sat crammed up in the balcony and enjoyed the ambiance of this small restaurant. If you are claustrophobic this restaurant is not for you. The service was fast once you were seated.

Written January 5, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CosmopolitanGirl8184

San Francisco110 contributions

Authentic Food

Dec 2019 • none

If you are looking for an authentic Colombian food experience here it is! It is a very intimate dining experience where only a few people can fit in the restaurant, but worth the wait. We ordered the soup and that will keep you full for hours. The service was very quick and everyone was super nice. Recommend it when you are in the heart of the city!

Written January 5, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dan L

35 contributions

The tamales are as amazing as advertised

Dec 2022 • none

We stopped by mostly to try the tamales that Anthony Bourdain famously recommended on his show. We loved them. Really amazing. We also tried their famous chocolate drink with cheese, and as expected, discovered it is not our thing. But this one on us. We arrive to the place a little late (~3pm) and the wait time was less than 2 minutes. The service was super fast. Overall, a very nice experience in a famous institution that has been keeping this high quality for decades.

Written January 2, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Arele T

1 contribution

Very basic service

Sep 2022 • solo

I went alone to the restaurant La Puerta Falsa on 1 september 2022 in the downtown Bogotá. I had good attention but there was not a great variety of dishes on the menu, the place looked quite old and dirty. The ajiaco had a lot of salt, for its price it was not worth the service, I ordered a strawberry juice which was delicious and I liked the rice. I don't recommend it to go alone because of its high prices on food and drinks, maybe I recommend for to go family.

Written September 9, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Denise S

Cabo San Lucas197 contributions

Lunch

Jan 2021 • solo

My tour guide brought me here and we decided to have lunch. They have pretty much 2 main items...tamales and ajiaco. We got both and shared them. Amazing! I expected them to be spicy but they weren’t (I like spice!). Service was quick and enjoyable! Will go back! We got lucky there wasn’t a line as there usually is since this the oldest restaurant in Columbia seats only 20

Written January 21, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

eloro87

Guadalajara174 contributions

Great traditional food

Feb 2024 • family

This place was amazing! It has a great price to taste local traditional Colombian food. The tamal was very big with a great taste just beware that they put the whole chicken bones and all inside of the tamal. My wife had the Ajiaco great taste. The service and our waiter was amazing and very attentive. This place is highly recommended.

Written February 24, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mykell

239 contributions

Good food

Jan 2022 • none

If you are worried about covid, this place might be the place for you. As one commenter mentioned, there's no protocols at all. Space is very limit and not existent. I stopped by during lunch time and there was a line outside. I decided to comeback after an hour or so and was able to sit on the 2nd floor. I got the famous soup and let me tell you, if you are hungry, this will hit all the right spot. Very right, very hearty, and very local. I would recommend to vist just for the food.....

Written January 29, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AMsays

Thornhill4734 contributions

Oldest restaurant in Bogota

Aug 2024 • solo

La Puerta Falsa is the oldest restaurant in Bogota and possibly Colombia, serving customers since 1816. Small restaurant, maybe 25 seats, known for its snacks and local dishes, spawning its own food culture referred to as comida santafereña. It’s on a narrow street in the Santa Fe neighbourhood, which has been around since 1538. The restaurant’s name – The False Door – came about because of its proximity to the false door at the Cathedrale Primada.

Written September 9, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kamhi

Vancouver147 contributions

Ajiaco

Apr 2024 • solo

It is a very small venue with a mezzanine that has been open since 1816. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. We tried “Ajiaco”, Colombia's traditional dish / soup. A soup made from boiled corn, rare potatoes and chicken breast. It is served with rice and avocado on a small plate. The place is very small and always busy. You can come here for touristic purposes to try traditional dishes.

Written April 26, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chase V

Oklahoma City779 contributions

Worth the wait and the hype.

Nov 2022 • friends

The two traditional dishes are beyond amazing. Service is quick, place is cramped but it’s part of the experience. Will be a line all around lunch time but our wait was about 30 minutes. Three must try dishes are the tamale (which is huge) the abijaca soup and the hot chocolate with cheese is also outstanding. Cash only. Best lunch spot near Plaza de Bolivar for authentic Colombian food

Written November 10, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sebastian Suarez

Cartagena2 contributions

"Only Cash"? What an archaic place, ridiculous

Mar 2022 • friends

I find it ridiculous that a place so traditional, touristic, crowded, renowned, only takes cash. I understand that it was founded over 200 years ago but that stupid policy makes me feel like the people who run it are still 200 years old. I'm gonna withdraw and still eat but here is my review

Written March 15, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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