Shabbat in Bogotá

Eruv: unknown

Not found online as of Nov 2026 (checked lubavitchcolombia.com, cib.com.co, the TotallyJewishTravel listings, Wikipedia's list of eruvin and Hebrew and Spanish searches). No status page found. Treat Bogotá as having no eruv and do not carry unless Casa Lubavitch (+57 601 635 8251) confirms otherwise.

Kosher Express Bogotá

Restaurant plus kosher meat and grocery shop; reviewers say challah, pitas and baked goods are stocked Friday morning and that it delivers. Closed Shabbat

Hours: Mon-Thu 9:00-17:30; Fri 9:00-16:30; Sat closed; Sun 9:00-16:00 (Google) · +57 601 369 0203

Manhattan Delicatessen

Deli (pastrami, burgers) and butcher; a reviewer had kosher meat shipped to Medellín. No Shabbat-meal service found. Closed Shabbat

Hours: Mon-Thu 9:00-17:30; Fri 9:00-16:00; Sat closed; Sun 10:00-16:00 (Google) · +57 313 390 8090

Babka Bar (kosher bakery)

Babka, pastries, coffee; a reviewer bought challah here for Friday night. One reviewer found it closed during posted hours, so call first. Closed Sat and Sun

Hours: Mon-Thu 9:00-18:00; Fri 9:00-17:00; Sat-Sun closed (Google) · +57 316 832 8589

HaMakom

Israeli-style falafel, shawarma and schnitzel; takeaway available. Closed Shabbat

Hours: Mon-Tue 12:00-21:00; Wed-Thu 12:00-22:00; Fri 12:00-16:00; Sat closed; Sun 12:00-17:00 (Google) · +57 310 315 9506

Imma Food

TJT lists Shabbat meals; a reviewer says Shabbat food must be ordered in advance. Israeli-owned, Google shows food delivery; hotel delivery not confirmed

Hours: — (not published; call) · +57 315 360 3364

PizzaTOV / SushiTOV / KikiriTOV

Kosher pizza, sushi and pastries; delivery operation. Closed Shabbat

Hours: Mon 12:30-19:00; Tue-Thu 12:30-20:00; Fri 12:30-15:00; Sat closed; Sun 12:30-15:00 (Google) · +57 314 692 5751

La Esquina Kosher

Reviewers mention many vegetarian options. Google shows it OPEN on Saturday 8:30-23:00, so Shabbat observance is unconfirmed; strictly observant guests should ask first

Hours: Mon-Thu 8:30-22:00; Fri 8:30-14:00; Sat 8:30-23:00; Sun 9:30-22:00 (Google) · +57 302 661 1774

Carulla El Retiro (mainstream supermarket)

No source confirms a kosher section at any Carulla (Google reviews of the Country and Calle 63 branches, checked Nov 2026, mention bakery, butchery and wine but no kosher shelf). Useful for fruit, vegetables and sealed packaged goods with international kosher symbols. Open on Shabbat

Hours: Mon-Sat 6:00-21:00; Sun 8:00-20:00 (Google) · +57 1 800 0428800

Catering CIB (Centro Israelita de Bogotá)

Take-out food, frozen items, desserts and event menus. The site mentions no Shabbat-meal or hotel-delivery service; ask. The CIB Asador Kosher is also billed '100% kosher'. About 5 km north of the Chapinero hotels (taxi)

Hours: — (not published; call) · +57 305 4057776 · catering@cib.com.co

Judaica Colombia (Judaica shop; kosher meat per a reviewer)

Judaica and ritual-items store (4.9 from 30 reviews); one Google reviewer (undated) says it also has kosher meat options, and others mention delivery. No hechsher stated. About 8 km from the Chapinero hotels. Closed Saturday and Sunday

Hours: Mon-Thu 10:00-17:00; Fri 10:00-14:00; Sat-Sun closed (Google) · +57 301 2269539

Mikvah Calle 79 (Comunidad Hebrea Sefaradí)

Booking: By appointment only: Mrs. Aljabar or Mrs. Yerushalmi · +57 1 256 2580 or +57 1 321 5609. Bor al gabai bor, Chabad minhag; supervised by Rabbis Rosenfeld / Aljarar

Mikvah at Centro Israelita de Bogotá (members)

Booking: Its site says the modern facilities are always available to members whenever needed (no hours or booking process published); visitors call +57 320 8996755 or switchboard +57 601 625 4377 · info@cib.com.co

• Where to stay: Zona T / Chapinero Alto (Calle 79-85, Carreras 8-13) puts you 2-13 minutes' walk from the Calle 79 Sefaradí shul and within about 1 km of Kosher Express, Manhattan Deli, Babka Bar and HaMakom. Click Clack / Parque 93 is 6-10 minutes from Casa Lubavitch and Adat Israel but about 1.5 km from the kosher shops. No hotel found states a Shabbat key or lift, so ask for a mechanical key and a low floor when booking.
• Shabbat meals: Chabad's site publishes no visitor page or meal booking, and one traveller reported unanswered Thursday email and calls. Call Casa Lubavitch (+57 601 635 8251 or 635 4065) and the Sefaradí community (+57 601 256 2629) the week before, since the two seem closely linked. Backup: pre-order from Imma Food (TJT lists Shabbat meals) and buy challah on Friday morning at Kosher Express or Babka Bar.
• Friday closing: Google shows Kosher Express 16:30, Manhattan Deli 16:00, HaMakom 16:00, Babka Bar 17:00, PizzaTOV 15:00 and La Esquina 14:00. Hours are not always accurate (Babka Bar was reported closed during posted hours), so shop by midday and call ahead. Shabbat falls close to 18:00 all year; check candle lighting for Bogotá on chabad.org.
• Security and registration: a Canadian visitor was turned away at Adat Israel for not having filed the authorization form (TJT points to colombiavisitas.com). Contact each shul before travelling, carry your passport, and expect ID and bag checks. Casa Lubavitch and the Sefaradí community also tend to want advance notice.
• Hechsher: TJT lists the Vaad Hakashrut de Bogotá as the supervisor of Kosher Express, Manhattan Deli, Imma Food and others. HaMakom, Babka Bar, PizzaTOV and La Esquina state no agency, so confirm their certificate. Mainstream Carulla supermarkets have no confirmed kosher section; check sealed goods for international hechsherim.
• Altitude and logistics: Bogotá sits at 2,640 m, so hydrate and expect hill walks to feel slower. Allow extra time for taxis on Friday afternoons and walk where you can. BOG to Chapinero is about 40 minutes by taxi, so arrive by Thursday if you can. There is no known eruv, so plan Shabbat carrying accordingly.
• Centro Israelita (CIB): its site lists Kabbalat Shabbat every Friday at 18:15 with Rabbi Goldschmidt, and the building has a mikvah, an Asador Kosher and Catering CIB ('100% kosher'). It is in Usaquén, about 5 km north of the Chapinero hotels, so a Friday-night visit means a taxi and a hotel nearby; its Orthodox status is not stated, so ask before relying on it.
• Hotel keys and lifts: no Bogotá hotel has confirmed a Shabbat key or lift. One Tripadvisor review (Aug 2025) says GHL Bioxury's key card selects the elevator floor and runs the room lights, and Booking lists key-card access at several others. Request a mechanical key, a low floor and stairs access in writing before booking.
• Checked and not listed (Nov 2026): Asociacion Israelita Montefiore (Carrera 23 #103-41) is Masorti (Conservative) per jewishlatinamerica.com, which names its rabbi as leading the Masorti community. Maguen Ovadia: no listing found in Google Places, the Chabad directory or TotallyJewishTravel (Kolel Maguen David, Carrera 1 #77-61, is listed above but its Orthodox status is unconfirmed). Cocina Sababa exists in Google (Carrera 68D #24A-51, +57 310 5707395; no hours or reviews, far west of Chapinero) and TotallyJewishTravel's Cocina Sababa and Yum Babbka at Calle 79 #9-66, plus an unnamed 'kosher restaurant, 2nd floor Carrera supermarket' (Carrera 11 #76-19), could not be matched to any trading listing. Carmel Club (Calle 153) is members-only. Hotels beyond a 15-minute walk: Four Seasons Casa Medina (about 1.2 km), W Bogotá (Usaquén, about 4 km), bh Bicentenario (La Candelaria, about 7 km).