Medellin Reports

[AmorPorFavor]

CUON in Poblado (Below Parque Lleras) has good reviews but I only liked the seared tuna there, did not like anything else. I don't think Colombia is yet a fancy dining destination. I like the moms and pops pastel de pollo and pastel de carne with potatos. These can be delicious as well as a beef soup, should be $2-5 USD. Medellin has many good steak places however!

I had several girls from the Park over the last few weeks that agreed to stay all night and leave at 5 AM. This has become ridiculous. If you have to pay $200-300 US dollars to keep them all night this isn't worth it anymore even compared to other countries in Europe or even US. I think for those who live here or are on longer stays, it's the key to meet girls outside of the tourist monger areas. There are many many girls and the city is big, it's good to have a good company to go out and meet them. (I used to go out alone to music clubs etc but no longer feel safe).

I took a date to CUON recently and we shared several dishes. I liked all the seafood plates a lot and only the costillas de cerdo that she wanted were just OK. The chef is the same Michelin star guy from Cielo but at lower prices. The interior and the service were excellent. Can't wait to go back.

[Davvv100]

Seeking username: Mia.

Name: Ivana.

Age: 24.

Height: 5'3.

Link: https://members.seeking.com/member/8...8-4dee38e8936f.

All right guys, I want to share this review with you guys just in case you are considering meeting this girl.

Intro:

I saw this girl's profile a year ago when I first arrived in the city, I sent her a message and she was asking for 500.000 at the moment. Following the advice of this forum, I declined to pay that much. I did not try to negotiate and she did not try to convince me. Now, I started seeing seeking girls again and this time I'm willing to pay a little bit more, every now and then, to meet really hot girls (let's not start a discussion about hotness). So I contacted her, this time she asked me 1. 1 M for all day. I say I just wanted to meet for a few hours and she quoted me $135 USD (around 600.000 COP) for a few hours. Looking at her pictures I was not 100% convinced it was worth it to pay that much. Her pictures were not very clear and she did not show her body like other girls. I asked for more pics of her face and she sent me a few videos. She looked al right but still. There was something bothering me. So I asked her to meet for a coffee and we would see from there but she did not even reply. My thought process was, this is the second time I reached her and she doesn't compromise. She is not willing to lower her price so she must be worth it. (Yeah, I know. Kind of stupid in hindsight.) A few days later I said fuck it, and made an appointment.

The date:

I requested her uber. She arrived and I went downstairs to welcome her. As soon as she got out of the car I knew I had made a terrible mistake. She was not only uglier than in the pictures but she was also wearing a cheap black dress. Even though the dress was black and loose around the waist I was able to see she had a belly. She looked like Betty la fea (a colombian soap opera) I did not know how to react. Is not the first time this has happened, it has happened with a few girls but girls but the difference between the pics and reality was not as big as this one, besides the other girls asked for 200.000. I greeted her and we went upstairs. We sat down and started to chat. She wanted to take a shower first and that's when I told her she looked very different from the pictures. She laughed and said this is the first time someone tells her that. She said it's ok, I just have to pay her and she will leave. I said I was going to pay her 200.000 for the 15 minutes she had been there but she wanted the $135 USD. I said no way, and she kept asking for the money, time after time. She was yelling and at some point she threatened to call her pimp or whatever. It's not that I didn't believe her, I just didn't give a fuck. So she called someone and I called the police. At this point she tried to grab my phone and I stood up quickly and pushed her. I was in fight or flight mode and I could feel my heart beating faster. I was so fucking angry but I calmed down, I told her to calm down and to sit down. She started crying and telling how hard this work is, blah, blah, blah. After 45 minutes I gave up. I had to find a way to get her out. I told her I would giver her 400.000 but we had to go to the ATM. She agreed. We walked to the ATM, I gave her the money and I headed back to my place.

I recorded the whole thing in a voice recording on my phone just in case.

Obviously, there are a lot of lessons to learn here:

First, listen to your gut, I knew something was weird with this girl and her pictures but I didn't listen.

Second, I'm going to start meeting girls for the first time at a public place. I stopped doing this after I met multiple girls at my place with zero issues but this is a good reminder that this stuff happens.

[Sean EZ]

CUON in Poblado (Below Parque Lleras) has good reviews but I only liked the seared tuna there, did not like anything else. I don't think Colombia is yet a fancy dining destination. I like the moms and pops pastel de pollo and pastel de carne with potatos. These can be delicious as well as a beef soup, should be $2-5 USD. Medellin has many good steak places however!

I had several girls from the Park over the last few weeks that agreed to stay all night and leave at 5 AM. This has become ridiculous. If you have to pay $200-300 US dollars to keep them all night this isn't worth it anymore even compared to other countries in Europe or even US. I think for those who live here or are on longer stays, it's the key to meet girls outside of the tourist monger areas. There are many many girls and the city is big, it's good to have a good company to go out and meet them. (I used to go out alone to music clubs etc but no longer feel safe).

[Nil Admirari]

IMO Guatape is the only world class activity for tourists in the MDE area, although you can do any of the other stuff you mention if you want to fill up your day.
Food sucks in general.
The cheap restauraants dotted around town are terrible IMO - 20 different ways to serve the same handful of ingredients. But you can find a few great restaurants if you have the time to search them out? Which ones? - well, obvio depends on your budget. I like Govindas for day to day food, and I like Zaaika and Tabun for higher cost meals. I haven't been to any high end places for several years, so no comment on that..

To echo JustTK (second the motion), I'd agree that Guatape (both the town and the nearby rock formation, El Peon) is the only tourist destination within a one day, round-trip that qualifies as"not-to-be missed" even if one's on a brief vacation in Medellin. I also concur on the dining out options: I take a pass on the restaurants with typical Medellin fare (Bandeja Paisa, Mondongo, Arepas, etc]. At the high end, Colombian chef Juan Manuel Barriento's El Cielo in Miami, received the first ever Michelin star awarded to a restaurant in Florida. (Michelin doesn't rate Colombian eateries). I once splurged on his El Cielo in Poblado, and felt that it was overrated- (too heavy on the precious, presentation of small dishes). And I doubt one would find another Medellin restaurant that would merit Michelin awarding a star.

That said, as JustTK notes, one can find some great dining options--especially among those restaurants offering Nikkei (Peruvian / Japanese fusion), mariscos (sea food) or Italian cuisine. A few personal favorities (mostly In Laureles where I hang my hat when in town): for Nikkei try La Causa or Mitsura, for Italian--Carduff Pasta Fresca (owned by a Swiss Italian couple--black fetuccini with mariscos recommended), and Pan y Pomadoro; for seafood--Pescatori Pacfico, and in Manila,the upscale, somewhat pricey, Frutos del Mar.

To the newbies who wrote, do savor both the cuisine as well as the chicas.

[Anthony2023]

Absolutely bizzare to the point you should be enraged, it is scary because if these scumbags are allowed to prosper Medellin will turn into a hell on earth like Cancun. Please do not contribute to the corruption of this great city. I am happy to pay the service charge only for Colombians who are respectful enough to treat me like anyone else who eats there, not an opportunity to exploit.

Please consider giving 0, and since the tip was alceady on the bill for that, DEMAND they remove it. I have never removed it because I have never encountered scum like this. If they refuse to remove it, refuse to sign and email your credit card company to get a refund.

It is absolutely the extreme end of arrogance for a Colombian to do anything but the standard schpiel of "Do you wish to include the standard service charge?" (ALWAYS 10%, YOU DO NOT ALTER IT)

Nah you bugging, I always tip higher in Colombia, even in the states I tip more than the standard 20% for great service.

[JjBee62]

Absolutely bizzare to the point you should be enraged, it is scary because if these scumbags are allowed to prosper Medellin will turn into a hell on earth like Cancun. Please do not contribute to the corruption of this great city. I am happy to pay the service charge only for Colombians who are respectful enough to treat me like anyone else who eats there, not an opportunity to exploit.

Please consider giving 0, and since the tip was alceady on the bill for that, DEMAND they remove it. I have never removed it because I have never encountered scum like this. If they refuse to remove it, refuse to sign and email your credit card company to get a refund.

It is absolutely the extreme end of arrogance for a Colombian to do anything but the standard schpiel of "Do you wish to include the standard service charge?" (ALWAYS 10%, YOU DO NOT ALTER IT)

If the restaurant uses an electronic POS system, the 10% is put on automatically with an explanation that it's voluntary. There will be 2 totals. No need to demand anything, although talking to the manager is a good idea.

[Surfer500]

Pueblito Paisa is a good option for guys who are here for only a few days at a time. Guatape is amazing but it takes a day out of your trip.

Perhaps a disclaimer on Guatape as far as climbing the rock. There are guys here that have a hard time walking from the Poblado Metro Station up Calle 10 to Lleras. So there may be some who won't be able to make it up the rock as there are lots and lots of steps to climb at an elevation higher than Medellin.

[Surfer500]

Absolutely bizzare to the point you should be enraged, it is scary because if these scumbags are allowed to prosper Medellin will turn into a hell on earth like Cancun. Please do not contribute to the corruption of this great city. I am happy to pay the service charge only for Colombians who are respectful enough to treat me like anyone else who eats there, not an opportunity to exploit.

Please consider giving 0, and since the tip was alceady on the bill for that, DEMAND they remove it. I have never removed it because I have never encountered scum like this. If they refuse to remove it, refuse to sign and email your credit card company to get a refund.

It is absolutely the extreme end of arrogance for a Colombian to do anything but the standard schpiel of "Do you wish to include the standard service charge?" (Always 10%, you do not alter it)

I've never eaten anywhere in Medellin at a high end place where more than 10% has been asked for or already included in the bill. Unfortunately more of this is going to occur as more and more foreigners show up and people figure out how to squeeze them.

A perfect example of this happened to me two weeks ago. I met one of my Chicas at the Poblado Metro Station and we got in a yellow cab to go to a Hotel near Tesoro. I showed the driver the route on my phone and asked him to turn on the meter and he refused. He said the fare would be 20,000 COP so I told him that was insane and that I wasn't that dumb and got out of the Taxi and slammed the fucking door.

We got in another cab and the fare ended up being only 10,000 COP.

Moral of the story like you point out is don't put up with this shit.

However because things are so cheap here, a lot of times it's just chump change for many, and as much as this stuff pisses people off like you and I, can you blame them for trying to squeeze foreigners no different than other parts of the World.

[Surfer500]

I took this fare chart tonight. Maybe I am wrong, but I think it lists different price for different combination. That is where the discount coming from. Your Spanish is much better than mine, so maybe you can shed some light on what it is describing.

I don't know if my Spanish is any better than yours, and the chart is confusing but I did notice that if your a senior citizen you get a discount of something like 150 or 200 Pesos off the base fare, but I'm not sure how you get the discount. I'm assuming to get the discount your CIVICA card would have to be registered with your ID which they used to do years ago, and it might only apply to Colombian Citizens.

[Gabacho]

I took this fare chart tonight. Maybe I am wrong, but I think it lists different price for different combination. That is where the discount coming from. Your Spanish is much better than mine, so maybe you can shed some light on what it is describing.

The different prices are for the different types of cards. Look at the top row for example that is the row that will apply to most people using the metro system. If you have a tarjeta eventual (the old grey one but is now white) you pay 3280 pesos, if you have a personalized cared then you pay 2880. The lower rows are for different combinations of busses, tranvia, metro, etc. And the metrocable to go to parque arvi has a different price as well and isn't included in the fare for the Santo Domingo metro cable.

[NapataJohn]

Newbie on this forums but not a newbie when it comes to mongering.
Taxi or Uber?

https://www.escapeartist.com/blog/no-dar-papaya/

[Parasitius]

I went to a restaurant that I have been to before with a friend. The bill is under 400 mil total. What was weird was the waiter took out his translator to ask me how much tip I was going to give? 10%, 15% or 20%. My friend said it was no unusual in Medellin but it is for me and I have been to the same restaurant before and was even in the same seat as last time.

To put it into perspective, a regular girl told me she earns 45 mil for working a 10 hours night shift. My cleaner is 70 mil to clean and wash everything in the apartment.

Absolutely bizzare to the point you should be enraged, it is scary because if these scumbags are allowed to prosper Medellin will turn into a hell on earth like Cancun. Please do not contribute to the corruption of this great city. I am happy to pay the service charge only for Colombians who are respectful enough to treat me like anyone else who eats there, not an opportunity to exploit.

Please consider giving 0, and since the tip was alceady on the bill for that, DEMAND they remove it. I have never removed it because I have never encountered scum like this. If they refuse to remove it, refuse to sign and email your credit card company to get a refund.

It is absolutely the extreme end of arrogance for a Colombian to do anything but the standard schpiel of "Do you wish to include the standard service charge?" (ALWAYS 10%, YOU DO NOT ALTER IT)

[Menteng]

Btw..I tell chicas in the barrios Im a chino paisa hasta la chimba hpta!!! :)

I'm South East Asian and had lived in Medellin for about 10 years and still return there almost every year. That's how I earned that description LOL!

[Menteng]

I went to a restaurant that I have been to before with a friend. The bill is under 400 mil total. What was weird was the waiter took out his translator to ask me how much tip I was going to give? 10%, 15% or 20%. My friend said it was no unusual in Medellin but it is for me and I have been to the same restaurant before and was even in the same seat as last time.

To put it into perspective, a regular girl told me she earns 45 mil for working a 10 hours night shift. My cleaner is 70 mil to clean and wash everything in the apartment.

Tipping is still not compulsory in Medellin. Maybe the waiter was bluffing, knowing you're not a local. The common question they will ask when you ask for the bill will be: would you like to tip in cash or include that in the total amount. If you choose the latter, they will charge a 10% tipping, if you prefer to pay in cash, you can decide how much you will tip. When they don't ask, usually in the fancier places, the 10% shows as part of the total amount, though mentioned in a separate line. I have ignored that "tip included amount" several times, when I'm not happy with the service or quality of what was served.

[JjBee62]

I went to a restaurant that I have been to before with a friend. The bill is under 400 mil total. What was weird was the waiter took out his translator to ask me how much tip I was going to give? 10%, 15% or 20%. My friend said it was no unusual in Medellin but it is for me and I have been to the same restaurant before and was even in the same seat as last time.

To put it into perspective, a regular girl told me she earns 45 mil for working a 10 hours night shift. My cleaner is 70 mil to clean and wash everything in the apartment.

I think in that situation I would have not even paid the 10% tip and I would have let him know I won't be back.