Most Spanish restaurants abroad name themselves after a city, a dish or a grandmother. Bulería chose a flamenco rhythm. It has two locations in Colombia, one in Cali and one in Bogotá, and both sit inside hotels: the InterContinental in Cali and the Estelar Parque de la 93 in Bogotá. This post is about the Bogotá one, on Calle 93 #11-19.
What a bulería is
In flamenco, a palo is a musical form with its own rhythm and mood. The bulería is one of the fastest. It runs on a 12-beat cycle, it is closely tied to Jerez de la Frontera, and it is the form flamenco gatherings often end on, when people clap along and take turns stepping in to dance a few bars. It is loose and sociable rather than solemn.
That fits what the restaurant says about itself. Bulería describes its food as shared plates first, with wine and sangría alongside, and it tells guests to "create their own rhythm" at the table. Music and atmosphere are a big part of the pitch.
What is on the menu
According to the restaurant's own description, the cooking is traditional Spanish with a contemporary touch, led by experienced chefs. The things it names are:
- Tapas built for sharing, which it treats as the centre of the menu
- Paella-style rice dishes
- Other Mediterranean-leaning plates
- Spanish wines and sangría
That is a fairly broad brief, so it is worth going in with a plan. If you want to judge the kitchen, order a couple of classic tapas and a rice, and share them the Spanish way: everything in the middle, everyone picking. Our guide to ordering tapas covers the pacing, and how to spot a bad paella tells you what to look for when the rice arrives.
Why the hotel location matters
A restaurant inside a hotel works differently from a neighbourhood tasca. Bulería serves hotel guests who may want a late dinner without leaving the building, and it also has to pull in locals from the streets around the park. Parque de la 93 is one of Bogotá's busiest dining areas, so that second group has plenty of other options.
Other Spanish restaurants near Parque de la 93
The area has more Spanish listings in our directory than any other part of Bogotá, which makes it easy to compare. Within a few blocks of Bulería:
- 5&Quince, at Calle 93a #12-35, a contemporary Spanish restaurant with a wide wine list and its own shop. It is also known for cocktails and live shows.
- Vitapas, at Calle 94a #11a-90, a gastrobar built around wine, tapas and paella. It also delivers.
A bit further north in Usaquén, La Puerta de Alcalá has been running for more than 24 years. Its specialities are tapas, ham, paella, wine and sangría, with a lot of flamenco music, so if Bulería's name got you curious about the music, that is the older place to hear it with dinner.
You can see every Spanish listing in the city on our Bogotá page.
