Laureles Food Tour in Medellín: Local Eats & Hidden Spots

Salpicón, chicharrón, patacones, carimañolas, bocadillo—and the Laureles streets that connect them

A guided food tour through Medellín's Laureles neighborhood where you taste nine dishes at family-owned restaurants and street stops, walk the Jardín Avenue, and try aguardiente at a local green space. The guide is a Laureles resident who has run this tour for six years and knows the neighborhood's hidden restaurants and cafés that most visitors never find. The tour runs 2.5 hours and includes all food and drinks.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Laureles food and culture

• Meet guide and try Salpicón fruit salad
• Eat main dishes at family restaurant
• Walk Jardín Avenue and visit designer shops
• Visit unique café-bar in Medellín
• See cafes and coworkings in Laureles
• Enjoy green spot and try Aguardiente
• View restaurants on Jardín Avenue
• Try Carimañolas and sour guava juice
• End tour with traditional Bocadillo candy

The Experience

Laureles is where your guide chose to build a life, and that shows in how the tour moves. You start with Salpicón—a tropical fruit salad with ice cream—then move to a family-owned restaurant for the main stretch: chicharrón, chorizo, arepas, guarapo, patacones, grilled cheese. The stops are real neighborhood spots, not tourist versions of them, and the guide walks you past the Jardín Avenue's local designer shops and the unique café-bar that anchors the area.

Between the plates, you see how Laureles actually works. The tour shows you the cool cafés and coworkings where people spend their days, then takes you to a green space where you try aguardiente—Colombia's most traditional spirit—and taste carimañolas and sour guava juice, both originally from the Caribbean coast and hard to find anywhere else in Medellín. The day ends at the heart of Laureles with bocadillo, one of Colombia's most traditional fruit candies.

What’s included

• Salpicón with ice cream.
• arepa de chocolo and arepa blanca.
• chicharrón and chorizo.
• grilled cheese and patacones.
• guarapo.
• meat and cheese carimañola.
• bocadillo.
• aguardiente.
• a live English-speaking guide for 2.5 hours.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Real City Tours

Is this one for you?This is a shared group tour led by a neighborhood resident, so you walk and eat at the guide's pace and stops rather than choosing your own. It suits anyone who wants to taste real Laureles food without researching restaurants themselves, and who's comfortable eating meat-heavy traditional dishes at family-owned spots that cater to locals, not tourists.

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Top questions

What exactly do I eat on the Laureles food tour?

The tour includes Salpicón with ice cream, arepa de chocolo, arepa blanca, chicharrón, chorizo, grilled cheese, patacones, guarapo, meat and cheese carimañola, bocadillo, and aguardiente. All food and drinks are included in the price.

How long is the Laureles food tour and what's the pace like?

The tour runs 2.5 hours and moves at a walking pace through the neighborhood, stopping at restaurants and cafés along the way. It's suitable for all fitness levels and covers the Jardín Avenue, local shops, cafés, and green spaces between tastings.

Is the guide a local, and what language does the tour run in?

Yes—your guide is a Laureles resident who has been running this tour for six years and knows the neighborhood's hidden restaurants and spots. The tour is led in English.

What is Laureles like as a neighborhood?

Laureles is a residential and creative district in Medellín with local designer shops, cafés, coworkings, and green spaces. It's where locals eat and work, not a tourist zone, so the restaurants and food stops are the ones the neighborhood actually uses.

Can I do this tour if I'm vegetarian or vegan?

The tour is not recommended for vegetarians or vegans, as most of the included dishes contain meat or animal products. The menu centers on chicharrón, chorizo, cheese, and other traditional Colombian meat-based foods.

How do I get to the meeting point, and is parking available?

Public transportation options are available near the meeting point. If you're traveling with an infant, specialized infant seats are available on request.