restaurant review: harry sasson in bogota

Outside Harry Sasson.

While researching places to eat while visiting Bogota, I wanted to make sure that our limited time in the city would not be wasted on bad meals. There were a few candidates and the final choice boiled down to Harry Sasson, which has received a lot of favorable reviews and has been dining destinations for heads of state. So, Mr. Sazy Rock and I thought that Harry Sasson should be a no-brainer.

The Scene 


We were not disappointed in Harry Sasson's aesthetics. Located in a beautiful and tony neighborhood of Bogota, the restaurant looked like a big, fancy European home. In fact, we almost missed it because the facade did not particularly look like what a restaurant's facade should look like. But, google maps did not lead us astray.


Inside, the main dining area was large. The glass walls, which faced a wall of greenery and did not face the street, and the glass ceiling made me think that brunching there would have been glorious. The woodfire oven also served as a great centerpiece to a very spacious room.

Inside Harry Sasson.

Inside Harry Sasson.

The diners appeared to be business people dressed nicely, or, on occasion, people on dates and even families with young children who were all also dressed nicely. Diners also tended to eat later in the evening and the buzz at that time was a low but lively hum.
The Food 


I should note that we came with plenty of expectations. If heads of state dined here - presumably to eat well and to eat the best of the capital - the food better be great, right?

• The bread was fluffy but not warm. The butter was topped with ground pepper.

Bread.

• The salmon and burrata was tasty enough although nondescript. The burrata was firm outside and creamy and runny inside and paired with pesto.

Salmon and Burrata.

• Similarly, the goat cheese - while smoky - was also nondescript.

Goat's Cheese.

• The crab bisque was the best dish of the evening. It was topped with basil oil, had generous chunks of crab in the bisque, and was rich. It was worth the calories because it was tasty.

Crab Bisque.

• On the other hand, the duck two ways disappointed. The first type - confit duck legs - was dry inside. It had crisp skin though. The second type - tamarind duck breast - was pan seared and served with mashed potato and asparagus. It was sour and sweet, and topped with crunchy coconut. The tamarind, coconut and asparagus made sense but adding mashed potatoes in the dish did not.

Duck Two Ways.

• The grilled corvina was flaky and buttery. It was a simple dish but it was a tasty one, which reminded me of what an instructor once told me: "Remember K.I.S.S.," which stood for Keep It Simple, Stupid (not my words but his).

Corvina.

The Service 

Our server was a bit surly. I don't know why. Also, he did not really speak English, which was fine because it was a Spanish speaking country. Our appetizers also all came too quickly and together, which meant that some of the dishes got cold.

Menu.

Menu.

The Verdict 

Compared to European and American fine dining restaurants, it was relatively cheap even with wines and tip at under $100 for two of us. But, given that the food was still more miss than hit, I wish we visited another restaurant in Bogota.