34

Afluente

Bogotá

A culinary celebration of Colombia’s unique Andean ecosystems

What's in a name? Afluente, meaning 'tributary' in Spanish, wouldn't exist without Colombia's páramos: biodiverse, high-altitude ecosystems, set along the Andean mountain range. The páramos are a vital source of clean water for city-dwellers in Bogotá; for centuries, they have also provided Indigenous people with land for agriculture and grazing, plus abundant plants for medicinal use. More recently, they have become a fertile muse for Afluente's head chef, Jeferson García.

Chef CV: García's culinary background is varied and impressive. Before opening Afluente, he worked in some of Latin America's best kitchens, including Boragó in Santiago, and travelled extensively around the world, honing his craft in Thailand (at Gaggan and GA) and in Denmark (at Jordnær and Kadeau, among others).

What's on the menu? Dishes at Afluente use a carefully considered selection of ingredients from the páramos and other connected ecosystems, drawing attention to these natural environments, their rich offerings and the workers who cultivate this produce. Fittingly, the tasting menu is called Conectividad (Connectivity), but if you opt for a la carte, dishes include a starter of prawns, plantains, Andean tubers and pumpkin and a main of rice, pork, insulso (steamed or baked sweet cornmeal dough) and local potatoes.

Style and substance: This connection to the natural world extends through the design of the dining room, too: the rough plastered walls, muted tones and wooden accents bring an organic feel to the space, while the beautifully considered lighting and crockery keep things chic.

Contact