Premios La Barra 2026 Medellín Nominees: The Full List

Revista La Barra published its nominee list for the 21st edition of Premios La Barra 2026 on September 4, 2026, and Medellín’s metro area came away with one of the strongest showings outside Bogotá (Revista La Barra). Premios La Barra is Colombia’s most-watched restaurant-industry award, and the 2026 shortlist puts Medellín, Envigado, Sabaneta and even nearby Guatapé in contention across eleven of the awards’ 22 categories — a ready-made eating itinerary for anyone visiting the city this fall.

What Premios La Barra is, and why it matters

Now in its 21st year, Premios La Barra recognizes restaurants, bakeries, chefs and bar programs across Colombia, judged by the industry trade publication behind the country’s HORECA (hotel-restaurant-catering) sector coverage. The 2026 edition spans 22 categories in three groups: 12 restaurant-format categories (from Cocina Tradicional Colombiana to a new Parrilla y Ahumados grilling category), six individual awards (including Mejor Chef and Chef Revelación), and four special recognitions such as sustainability and lifetime achievement (Revista La Barra).

Winners announced: November 11, 2026, in Bogotá. The gala takes place at Hall 74 - Centro de Eventos, an event the organizers expect to draw more than 300 industry guests (Revista La Barra).

Premios La Barra 2026 Medellín nominees, category by category

Here’s every Medellín-metro nominee named in the September 4 announcement (Revista La Barra):

• Mejor Chef (Best Chef): Sergio Echeverri, Medellín
• Chef Revelación (Emerging Chef): Diego Ramírez, Envigado, and José Alejandro Santana Quiroz, Guatapé
• Panadero o Pastelero (Baker/Pastry Chef): Camilo Restrepo, Envigado, and Agustín Eduardo Romero, Medellín
• Nuevo Restaurante (New Restaurant): Mia Rooftop and Bigzza, the pizzeria with locations in Laureles (Rappi) and El Poblado’s Manila neighborhood (Rappi), both Medellín
• Pastelería (Pastry Shop): Arte Dolce, the Italian gelato and pastry shop in El Poblado (Arte Dolce), and Repostería Astor, the Swiss-founded bakery chain dating to 1930 (El Colombiano), both Medellín
• Heladería (Ice Cream Shop): Amoracuya, the Medellín gelato brand with locations in El Poblado, Laureles and San Lucas (El Colombiano), Medellín
• Parrilla y Ahumados (Grill and Smoked): Don Diablo Steakhouse, the dry-aged-beef specialist opened by the founders of Carmen (The Bogotá Post), and Torillo Estación de Parrilla, both Medellín
• Restaurante Casual (Casual Restaurant): Pesqueira, the El Poblado seafood restaurant (Degusta), Medellín, and Handai Cocina Asiática, Guatapé
• Cocina Tradicional Colombiana (Traditional Colombian Cuisine): Hacienda Origen, the Antioqueño-tradition kitchen operating in El Centro since 1991 (Medellín Guru), Medellín
• Cocina de Autor (Author’s Cuisine): Mar y Fuego, Medellín, and Gabriela Laboratorio de Cocina, Sabaneta
• Comida Rápida (Fast Food): Local de Perras, Sabaneta

The name to know: Sergio Echeverri

The Best Chef nomination for Sergio Echeverri connects directly to one of the Cocina de Autor nominees: Echeverri is the chef and owner behind Mar y Fuego, the El Poblado restaurant built around Colombian regional ingredients and techniques, which drew its own nomination in the author’s-cuisine category the same day (Revista La Barra; Mar y Fuego). Echeverri, who is self-taught and grew up in Caucasia (Mar y Fuego), was named Antioquia’s best chef at Premios La Barra 2020 (Vivir en El Poblado) — this year’s nomination is for the national title.

New Restaurant: Mia Rooftop and Bigzza

The Nuevo Restaurante category — reserved for recently opened concepts — puts two very different Medellín openings side by side: Mia Rooftop and Bigzza, the pizzeria with locations in Laureles and El Poblado (Revista La Barra). It’s the same recent wave that produced the openings at Wake Medellín, though neither Mia Rooftop nor Bigzza is part of that project — a reminder that El Poblado’s new-restaurant pipeline runs wider than any single address.

What it means for a visit

None of these nominations are wins yet — that’s decided at the November 11 gala — but the shortlist itself is a useful filter for anyone planning meals around a Medellín trip this fall, especially paired with the city’s recent No. 20 global ranking from Time Out as one of the world’s best food cities.

Worth knowing before you book: Colombia’s 2026 labor reform has raised restaurants’ payroll costs across the city this year, and industry group Agacol has publicly asked for tax relief to offset the impact (Infobae). Treat any menu price you see quoted elsewhere as dated the moment it’s published, awards nominees included.

Revista La Barra has published the mechanism for its public-favorite category — an open regional vote for “Restaurante votado por el público” (Revista La Barra) — but no voting dates or link as of September 5, 2026; check revistalabarra.com/premios directly for updates ahead of the November ceremony.