Restaurante La Provincia — Restaurant in Medellín

Restaurante La Provincia was recommended to us by a friend who’s from Colombia. We originally planned to stop by for dinner but were in the area at the Centro Comercial Santafé (Mall) and decided to go for lunch. It was an easy walk from the mall but was a little confusing to locate the entrance of the restaurant. Nonetheless, we arrived and even without reservations were seated right before the lunch rush with a nice view of outside. Being American and only speaking very little Spanish, I appreciated them having an English menu. Personally, I prefer the menu to be in Spanish and have the English translations as I like to use the opportunity to practice ordering in Spanish.

We started by reviewing the drink menu. It’s been very tough for me to find a drink that I like here. However the server was very accommodating and allowed me to order a shot of vodka with fresh lemonade (lime). It was a refreshing drink to have after walking around the mall for a few hours.

They bought out breadsticks with a pepper sauce which I loved and couldn’t stop eating and fresh baked bread which was hot and delicious with butter. Since it was still early in the day, we opted to order a few appetizers:

Sopa de cangrejo en leche de coco (Crab Soup with Coconut Milk). I’m a big fan of crab in soup but I haven’t had it with coconut milk and it was a perfect compliment to the sweetness of the crab. The fresh vegetables of peas and carrots provided texture and a chunkiness which was welcomed.

Corazon de alcachofa con higaditos de pollo al jerez (Artichoke Hearts with sautéed chicken livers in a red wine reduction). Tho is not a dish I’ve ever heard of but I was hoping this would be an elevated take on a more home style Colombian dish. I tried to research it to understand its origins but wasn’t able to make that connection. I still hope that’s the case though. The soft texture of the artichoke with the tenderness of the chicken livers was a nice contrast. The red wine reduction provided a hint of sweetness that offset the stronger flavor of the livers. When eaten together, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the dish.

Gratin de cangrejo con setas salvajes (Crab Meat au Gratin with Mushrooms). This was my favorite dish as it reminded me of my childhood growing up in New Orleans. It was served in a scallop shell and topped with melted cheese. The creaminess of the crab and mushroom filling with the crunch from the melted cheese was exciting and I loved every bite.

I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and will definitely go back for dinner when I have the time. There were a number of other dishes I...

I was recommended to this restaurant by our airport driver who said their food was amazing and was sold with their Trip Advisor reviews and pictures. We arrived on a Saturday night, my boyfriend and I, and a waitress who played host, greeted me and said "how can i help you?" I tell her "a table for 2 please" and she sizes up my 6'0 (black) boyfriend that was standing behind me and says "let me see if we have any tables available", I looked inside the restaurant and there were only 3 tables occupied in the whole place...So while we waited for her to come back, a valet guy walks past us and sizes up my boyfriend again now making us uncomfortable. But it was too late to find another restaurant and we were really hungry.. She comes back, staring at my bf and sits us at a table practically in the kitchen. We dk if it was his stature or his race but we did not feel welcome there.. It had a really nice, romantic ambiance.. the food was OK but not worth the cost. Similar to Seasons 52 with...

La Provincia definitely lived up to its reputation as one of the best restaurants in Medellín! The atmosphere was perfect and service phenomenal (despite my very poor Spanish skills, thankfully they have menus in English and a very friendly and understanding staff!). For appetizer we got the fried calamari and prawns and that was the only thing that was just “okay.” For platos principales, I got the sorrentinos rellenos duxelle de champiñones (mushroom ravioli) and my fiancé got the chateaubriand con salsa de vino tinto. Both dishes were exquisite and to my surprise he actually admitted I ordered the better dish (which never happens, especially when steak is involved). For dessert we had the coconut pie and we were so happy we left room for it because it was perfect in every way.

Bottom line- you absolutely must make a reservation at La Provincia if you are...