Food and drink
What to eat in Santa Fe de Antioquia: tamarind, fruit and paisa food
If Santa Fe has one flavor, it is tamarind. You will find it as sugared pulp balls, as juice and at the stalls on the square.
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Tamarind pulp
Tamarind is the town's emblematic fruit and even has its own festival. The classic way to try it is tamarind pulp: the shelled fruit mixed with sugar and shaped into balls or bars, sweet and sour and sticky. It is sold at the stalls on the square and in downtown shops, loose or boxed to take home.
What else to try
- Valley fruit: the warm Cauca climate means plenty of fruit; ask for what is in season at the square.
- Fresh juices: tamarind, mango or lulo, to survive the heat.
- Paisa food: bandeja paisa, corn arepas with cheese, mazamorra with panela and buñuelos.
- Homemade sweets: the stalls sell cocadas, panelitas and other milk and panela sweets.
How to pick a restaurant
Around the square and nearby streets there are restaurants for every budget, from set lunches to chef-driven food in colonial houses. We do not rank restaurants because we have not tried them all; the useful move is to check recent Google Maps reviews and ask at your hotel. Several downtown hotels, like Mariscal Robledo, have their own restaurant according to their listing.
Have a big lunch at midday and leave the walk for the afternoon. To sleep near the restaurants, see hotels near the main square.
More ideas in things to do in Santa Fe de Antioquia and the town festivals.
Frequently asked questions
What is the typical food in Santa Fe de Antioquia?
Where can I buy tamarind pulp?
Sources
Checked on October 18, 2026. Prices and opening hours change: always confirm with the official source before you travel.