Maru Rico

Maru Rico is the kind of place you find by following the lunch crowd. It sits in Guayabal, it is large and entirely no-frills, and around midday it fills up with local workers who are there for one reason: the food is good, it is generous, and it costs very little.

The reputation rests on the frijoles. They come the way they should — with hogao and arepas — and they are what most of the room is eating. The house does its own version of the bean plate, and it is worth knowing about: instead of the usual minced beef, Maru Rico serves it with grilled beef. That grill is the restaurant's other strength, and the grilled meat plates are what to order if the beans aren't calling you.

Set your expectations accordingly and you will eat very well. This is a weekday lunch rather than an evening out — a big, cheap, satisfying plate in a working neighbourhood, eaten shoulder to shoulder with the people who work there.