Fodor's Expert Review Carmen

One of the forerunners of Medellín's gastro boom, Carmen serves fresh, inventive cuisine in one of the city's best settings, where clever design integrates the surrounding garden with the dining areas, and wood and exposed brick complement the green, airy style. Choose a seat in the glass conservatory, on the soothing patio with its central water feature, in the modern formal dining room, or in the upstairs salon, which has a clear view of the open kitchen. The dishes, while Colombian at heart, have plenty of Asian influence and contemporary flare---try the 12-hour cooked pork belly with a tamarind-and-cane-sugar glaze, sweet-potato puree, and charred Szechuan-style green beans with ginger and wild Colombian "mint" vinaigrette. Reservations are encouraged, and arrive early to grab a first-rate cocktail like the Purple Pussy (with violet-and-apple-infused gin), or the Too Old Fashioned (with whiskey, brandy, and apricot bitters).