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Too lazy to read? Rappi is the best food delivery app for getting all your meals delivered to your door.
Hungry but feeling lazy, hooked on a binge-worthy series on Netflix, or struggling to order food because your Spanish isn’t up to a phone conversation yet? There’s an easy solution in the palm of your hand.
Like almost everywhere else on earth, food delivery apps in Colombia have taken off, especially during the lockdown.
While there’s no replacement for discovering the city’s culinary charms by eating in situ, you can now easily explore Medellin’s foodie scene from the comfort of your Casacol hotel, vacation rental, or long-stay apartment.
So, are you ready to order some grub back to your hotel? Here’s what to know about in terms of food delivery apps in Medellín.
The king of Colombian convenience in Medellin is the Latin American super app, Rappi.
Rappi, has established itself as the country’s first unicorn ($1B+ company valuation) by connecting its users to whatever they need rapido (or fast). The app has the same “ask me for anything” approach that has made the Chinese super app, WeChat, so powerful in Asia.
Whether you’re in Medellin for a few days, weeks or months you should download Rappi. With it, you can:
Everything you need will be delivered to your door with the option of paying in cash or by card.
All of your orders will be handled by one of the multitudes of “Rappi Tenderos” (the hard-working employees that work for the company).
Rappi has even explored the use of robots to deliver food in Medellin at the height of the pandemic!
The app is easy to use – set up like a supermarket where you can explore the different sections or “shops” and find what you’re looking for. Plus, you’ll enjoy easy communication at all times (albeit in Spanish) with the Rappi Tendero assigned to you for your purchase.
Okay, so you know about the delivery app options. And, you know that Rappi is likely your best choice. But what kinds of partnerships will you find on the app?
Let’s take a look.
The largest grocery stores and supermarkets in Medellin – Carulla, Exito, and PriceSmart (annual membership needed) – all have a presence on the app. They sell pretty much everything you can find in their stores online.
And, if you’re wanting to find creature comforts that you miss from home? Try PriceSmart! This shop is great for comfort food that you might be missing from the US.
Nearly every restaurant in Medellin is now using the app to connect with clients that don’t want to leave their Medellin vacation rental to “eat out”.
It’s not just the fast-food chains shipping their fare online, either. You’ll find some of the best restaurants in Medellin listed on these apps with a wide variety of options for every taste and budget.
Just remember – if you want to help the local restaurateurs recover from being hit by the pandemic, then ordering directly will help put money into their pocket rather than feeding big tech.
Most of the restaurants on the list will have their own delivery service hooked up to their Instagram feed. Plus, some may even offer a discount if you order with them directly to avoid having to pay up to 25% commission to Rappi!
As well as delivering your food fix, you can cure your hangover or headache and avoid a trip to the drug store with an online order at one of the biggest pharmacy chains in Medellin.
La Rebaja and Farmatodo both operate 24 hours a day.
You’d be surprised about what you can order over the counter in a Colombian drug store.
f you need money for something and can’t leave your Medellin vacation rental for whatever reason, then you can request it online. The Rappi Tendero will withdraw the cash and bring it to your apartment for you to pay with your credit or debit card.
If you’re thinking about staying in Medellin for a month or longer, the super app offers its super users discounts and free delivery if you sign up to Rappi Prime.
All you have to do is pay a small monthly subscription (less than US$7) and make payments with your credit card (including almost all foreign cards).
Rappi currently accounts for almost two-thirds of food delivered via an app in Colombia. However, there are other smaller rivals out there that do the same thing, including:
Now, while you’re more than welcome to use these apps, we have a recommendation. If you‘ve found a place in Medellin that you love and want to support, cut out the middleman.
Most of these businesses have set up Instagram + Whatsapp and have teams dedicated to food delivery.
When you use their dedicated Whatsapp, you actually save yourself (and the business) money!
Most delivery apps have a pretty good service radius around the city.
You might have more trouble ordering food if you are staying far to the south or way out in Rionegro, however.
The advantage of staying in any of Casacol’s hotels, vacation rentals, long-stay apartments, or Airbnb options in Medellin is that you’re always within a 20-minute radius of the best restaurants in the city.
Staying with Casacol guarantees a superior food delivery experience than if you were to stay outside Poblado or Laureles.
With nearly all of the top restaurants in Medellin having branches in Poblado and Laureles, your food should arrive as fresh as you could possibly hope for from a food delivery service.
All restaurants on the app take their food hygiene and health safety measures seriously and will wrap your food to ensure minimal contact.
Pandemic rules and regulations sometimes mean you have to collect your food from the reception of the building or ask them to leave the delivery inside the elevator and send it to your floor.
Otherwise, it is a door-to-door service.
Before DiDi Food, this company started out as a free app for hiring cab services and vehicles in China in 2012. Only in April of 2018 did DiDi launch its food service that works similarly to Uber Eats.
Moreover, DiDi was initially only available in China but soon ventured out to other countries to reach a wider audience.
DiDi Food features various restaurants and bakeshops offering various lunch and dinner meals. You can pay for your orders through cash or credit card. Plus, the app guarantees smooth and fast delivery.
For first-time users, you also get a 50% discount on your first order.
TaDa was formerly known as Tiendasya. It’s a famous food delivery app in Medellin specializing in snacks, ice packs, and cold beverages like liquors, beer, and more. This food delivery is owned by Anheuser Busch, one of the world’s largest brewing groups which also owns Budweiser.
You can use the TaDa app in the following Colombian neighborhoods and major cities:
One condition when ordering from the app is the minimum price of 10 thousand Colombian pesos. But before using the TaDa, you must verify and confirm you’re of legal age because most of its products are liquors.
The most famous fast food restaurant in the world actually has a convenient app where you can order your favorite treats. And the Mcdonald’s app is also frequently downloaded in Medellin!
Aside from convenience and hassle-free delivery, the app also lets you receive points for every order. You can accumulate points and win prizes such as a bucket hat, small potatoes, or a bandolier.
Registering in the app also gives you a chance to get exclusive offers and discounts.
Frisby is a famous pizzeria in Colombia. And recently, it introduced breaded chicken on its menu. Frisby currently has 265 restaurants and 4500 employees within Colombia. And with its application, you can enjoy the following functionalities:
Another food delivery app that sells different liquors and alcoholic beverages is Tap It. One of its benefit programs rewards points for every beer you order. And when you earn a total of 60 Tap It points, you get a thousand Colombian pesos.
The cash you earn from the accumulated points can be used as your payment when ordering on the app. But you can also use it in stores like BBC and TaDa. With the points earned, you can get free beer and exclusive experiences from Bavaria products.
We know Rappi is the dominant food delivery app in Medellin. But have you ever wondered what are the go-to restaurants of the users? Let’s check out the favorite places where food is mainly ordered on Rappi below.
If you’re craving grilled chicken, Kokoriko will not disappoint. Its meals are mainly grilled chicken bundled with rice, beans, and your preferred drink.
Archies is one of the best pizzerias on the app. But we also love the restaurant’s Mexican salad with avocado and chicken.
Il Forno is another authentic Italian restaurant in Medellin that serves bundled meals of pasta, meat, salads, and potatoes.
El Rancherito takes pride in serving hearty Colombian meals. And even though its selections are simple, locals love going back to this place because it’s one of the best! If you want to try Medellin’s local gastronomy, order at El Rancherito for lunch or breakfast.
Cuzco features the best Peruvian and Japanese food on Rappi, especially sushi. It also features unique seafood dishes that will be delivered fresh when you order on the famous food delivery app.
Even when traveling, avoiding overeating junk and switching to a healthy diet is nice. And if you’re looking for food delivery apps that offer hearty and nutritious meals, here are the top recommendations of your fellow ex-pats online.
Comida Fit is not a food delivery app, but it has a website where you can order and choose the best diet plan for your fitness needs. It was founded by head chef Nathaly Ascencio who specializes in making customized meal plans depending on your goal.
Moreover, you can also choose from Comida Fit’s smoothie plans to beat hot summer days in Medellin. Locals love this because it’s one of the city’s best healthy food delivery services. The price of the meal subscriptions depends on your chosen meal plan.
Repostera Fit Premium is perfect for bread lovers. It sells pastries and other lactose-, sugar-, and gluten-free breads. You can simply head to its Instagram page to order your favorite selections.
This one is close to the locals’ hearts because it supports local farmers. Siembraviva sources healthy products from Antioquia’s local producers. You can shop for various organic products, including flaxseed oil, frozen and fresh fruits, organic chicken, and other healthy snacks.
Siembraviva also features basket subscriptions you can choose from, depending on your nutritional cooking needs. Another great thing about this healthy food delivery are the events you can join in if you wish to meet health-conscious locals!
This one is pretty different. Carolina Toro, a health coach, owns it, and it’s not a food delivery app or a healthy meal plan subscription. Instead, it comprises different food coaching workshops and sessions to help you reach sustainable health goals.
The food workshops include tutorials on how to prepare healthy lunchboxes, snacks, and more.
If you’re feeling lazy and you want to stay home but eat out, download the app, set the table for two or more, and sate your culinary cravings from the comfort of your luxury Casacol apartment.
Bon appetite from the Casacol Team.
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