La Esquina de Basco

La Esquina de Basco is a neighborhood restaurant on the ground floor of the International House Medellin.

Opened and operated by Joel, who also rents out the apartments in the building he renovated himself, La Esquina offers an excellent menu that mixes up both traditional Colombian fare with Mexican, Italian, and pizzas.

Due to its prime location across the street from the Unidad de Deportiva de Belen (sports park), you’re as likely to see Colombians eating here after basketball games as you are the foreigners living on the floors above.

The restaurant also acts as a gathering place. Last year, I joined Joel and friends in La Esquina before we all headed off to celebrate Halloween at Mango’s Discoteca.

Later, in December, we met up again for a chiva tour of the Christmas lights in the valley.

But back to the food. As you can see above, I was all about the giant, cheesy pizzas. The crust is key to a good pizza, and the cooks at La Esquina deliver good ones. Not too thick, and not too thin, just the way I like it. A personal pizza costs 8,000 – 9,000 pesos ($4 – 5), while a full one is double that.

Other entrees include hamburgers, burritos, chicken sandwiches, chicken salads, and a variety of carne dishes.

The menus of the day are also worth considering. Mondays feature Ajiaco, my favorite, while Fridays are the classic Bandeja Paisa, and Sundays feature the hearty Sancocho soup.

An Aguila beer costs 1,600 pesos (84 cents), and a soda will run you 1,200 (63 cents).

La Esquina de Basco is open from 12 PM to 8 PM daily.

Buen provecho!