Forget fusion: the food at El Local, one of the best restaurants in Bogota to sample local food, is all prepared by the best chefs with the best ingredients to create ‘cocina colombiana contemporánea’ – contemporary Colombian cuisine. Partner and chef Francisco Pinzón worked hard on the retro ambience, which is simple and largely neutral, but wholly appealing. Large bowels of fresh fruit decorate oak wood tables, and plenty of natural light flows through the large windows. A young crowd fills the place on evenings and the weekend, sipping their cocktails (the Alpargata, made with passion fruit, rum and blue curaco, is a firm favourite) and nibbling on empanadas in the fashionably organic setting. On the whole service is good, and the waiters will do their best to accommodate English speakers. Though you may want to open the water bottles yourself-Bogotá tap water is fine, but there’s no point in paying for it.