MARCHA: A SOPHISTICATED RESTAURANT INSIDE ONE OF BOGOTA’S MOST FAMOUS MUSEUMS
The Cost -$14 per person
The Atmosphere – Marcha is located in the inner courtyard of Bogota’s Botero Museum, one of the city’s top attractions. It’s a charming restaurant giving off modern French bistro vibes with a marble bar and wooden seating throughout the interior and on the large patio. The restaurant has a full menu as well as a full bar and is a potential spot for lunch, dinner, cocktails, or a light snack.
When discussing museums in Bogota, the most common thing you will hear is that you must go to the Museo de Oro (Museum of Gold) which features an incredible collection of pre-Colombian artifacts. However, even more enjoyable to me is the Museo Botero which features some of the most amazing works by Fernando Botero, Colombia’s most famous painter, as well as some of the other masterpieces from his private art collection including works by Picasso, Van Gogh, and Dalí. On my last visit to the museum, I wanted to take a short break and decided to sit down and enjoy a cocktail and an appetizer at Marcha, the restaurant located within the museum complex.
The Order –Sangria Lychees, Burrata Monterosa, and Pulpo Gratinado.
The Great – The Burrata Monterosa, a ball of burrata with Monterosa tomato, pesto, basil and jamón serrano, was the best dish I tried. Accompanied by two pieces of bread, the burrata combined nicely with the pesto, tomato and jamón to create layers of flavor and texture to each bite, especially when the ingredients were all placed on top of one of the bread slices. This dish is a perfect appetizer to enjoy with a cocktail or a great way to start off a meal.
The Okay – The Sangria Lychees, a mix of red wine, fresh lychees and grenadine, piqued my interest because of the fresh lychees and I thought it would be a refreshing cocktail to enjoy with the burrata. Unfortunately, the taste of the lychees didn’t come through enough in the drink and instead found myself wishing that the artificial-tasting grenadine was replaced with other fresh fruit. The Pulpo Gratinado, a version of potatoes au gratin with octopus, sounded creative and unique and so I gave it a try. While the octopus and the potatoes au gratin were both good on their own, I did not enjoy the combination of the two; the mozzarella cheese and octopus were not a match.
The Verdict – Marcha provides an excellent atmosphere and convenient location to enjoy a snack or a meal before, after or even in the middle of your visit to one of the best museums in all of South America. While a couple of items that I ordered were a miss, I believe that you can find some very good dishes on this menu, as evidenced by the burrata. If you can locate those worthwhile options, Marcha is a great value, especially for a high-end museum eatery.