Ajiaco Colombian Bistro

My hubby and I were looking for something unique. We found this Colombian restaurant. It was delicious!! Parking is a pain off Central but it's worth it!We like to order a few things to try different flavors. We have never had Colombian food before. We started with the arepas with creole sauce, plantains and ajiaco soup. The creole sauce had a nice Caribbean flavor with the arepas. The soup was amazing full of flavor. We also drizzled a little creole sauce in the soup. That was great. The sweet plantains were yummy. We had the paella and the arepas sandwich. The sandwich was unique and delicious. The paella was awesome. Full of shrimp, squid, mussels with rice, onions and red peppers. The sandwich came with a side salad with a light, sweet passion fruit dressing. It was great. The decor fun, light and cozy. The music was great. The server was friendly and helpful. We brought all our food out hot. It's a small cozy seating area with only about 7 tables inside and 1 outside. The bathrooms were very clean. Ver reasonably pricey. It was a very welcome change for us.

I had the Pollo a la Plancha, which was "boneless chicken breast marinated in homemade pineapple juice topped with pineapple pieces and served with rice, plantain slices, and salad." It was a decent, if unimaginative, meal that I would have been pleased with had I made it at home, but was not very interesting for dining out. The restaurant was hot, likely because it was 90° outside and I don't think they were running the AC. Another patron asked the server to turn the AC on, though since I saw an indoor wall unit I don't believe they have central air. The service wasn't attentive; we had to ask for our drinks to be refilled, and no one checked in on us. Overall, an okay experience, but one I'll likely forget about almost immediately.

Passing through Albuquerque with my sister. In the three years I lived in AZ, I never found a good Colombian restaurant. I'm in NM for 5 min and find an awesome spot. The venue is small but serves BIG flavor. Everything I had here reminds me of visiting my family in Pereira. Jugo de maracuya con leche to start. Thicker than I expected so I assume a lil yogurt or ice cream was added. It was absolutely DELICIOUS. Empanadas de carne because you just gotta. These were super crisp and the filling was loaded with beef and tasted identical to the empanadas I get when I visit Colombia. Picada for my sister and I to share. It was piled high with carne asada, chorizo, morcilla, chicharrón, yuca, plátano, papas, and arepa. The meats were freshly grilled and featured that hint of smoke that I absolutely love. I feel like I just had lunch in Colombia. Shame I can't eat as much as I used to. Después de ese almuerzo, me siento lleno.... lleno de orgullo.

While out of town, my group was looking for a nice meal Valentine's evening. A group of 6 ended up at Ajiaco after reading positive reviews. We were unable to make reservations but were seated probably 20 minutes after arriving. This is a small restaurant but we were grateful they were able to put together 2 tables for our group. I will say service was very slow, but considering it was a holiday, the restaurant was packed and they accommodated our group last minute, we happily waited.Knowing it would likely take some time, I ordered yuca frita and patacones for the table. Both were delicious and fried light and crispy. My mom had the pollo a la plancha and I ordered the arepa sandwich. The pollo a la plancha was a big portion - we probably could have shared the meal. The chicken was seasoned well, juicy, and I loved the pineapple. The meal was served with rice, sweet plantains and salad - all very fresh and tasty.The arepa sandwich was a style I'd never had before. The arepa "bun" was thin and crispy with a nice corn flavor. There was an ample portion of chicken inside and I was worried it would be spicy since I'm a wimp, but instead found lovely flavor and not burning heat. The sandwich it kind of hard to pick up, so be prepared to fork and knife it. It was served with the same fresh salad. I ate about half and took the rest back with me.There was a Valentines special that one member of the table took advantage of, but the rest of us ordered off the regular menu. If I'm ever back in Abq, I would totally love to return to this restaurant.

Ajiaco, the restaurant, makes a pretty tasty Ajiaco, the Colombian national soup, with chicken, potatoes, corn on the cob, guasca (Colombian herb), cream, avocados, and capers. Service is excellent, and the price is reasonable. They also have Arepas (Colombian corn cakes either stuffed or plain), I went with the traditional cheese and was not disappointed.

Super cute, staff is friendly and food was DELICIOUS. We will definitely be back. Not only was everything seasoned well, but it was also plated very nicely and was aesthetically pleasing

WOW!Tired of the same-old-same-old???Step out for some Colombian fare!Authentic, delicious, unique!Friendly staff, great service and delicious food!

I ordered a house salad and a cup of the ajiaco soup for pick up. Everything was ready and carefully packed when I arrived.The ajiaco soup was one of the best soups I have ever had. The balance between the chicken, potatoes, and corn were perfect - flavorful without anything being overpowering. The soup alone should put this place in the top 10 for gluten free restaurants in ABQ!

We stated with a chicken empanada, which was made with corn meal and fried. Amazing! My wife tried the passion fruit drink with water. Spectacular! We ate the bandeja paisa sample plate! Wow! I would come back for just the beans, rice, and plantains! We ended with platano con queso for dessert. Oh my! We will be back.

I recently visited this hidden gem, and I have to say, the Colombian food was absolutely amazing! Coming from New York, I was thrilled to finally find a place where I could enjoy a full, delicious, and affordable Colombian meal. The flavors were rich and authentic, and every dish truly exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend it to anyone craving authentic Colombian cuisine. You won't be disappointed!