La Soledad: the neighborhood that refused to age
If you walk through La Soledad on a Sunday morning, the smell of freshly ground coffee will find you before you even see the facades. It's not the aroma of an international chain or a minimalist spot with metal tables. It's that dense, almost burnt-caramel scent that comes out of a 1970s drip coffee maker. Here, in this neighborhood of low houses and front gardens with lemon trees, time didn't pass in vain: it stayed for a cup of tinto.
La Soledad was born as a middle-class Bogotá neighborhood between the 1940s and 1960s. While the downtown filled with tenements and the north began building towers, these blocks were populated by families of doctors, lawyers, and merchants who wanted a house with a patio. Today, in July 2026, the neighborhood is still that: a refuge of tree-lined streets where old-style cafés are not a vintage fad, but a habit that never went away.
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This article is not for those looking for latte art with almond milk. It's for those who want to sit on a wooden chair, order a tinto criollo, and listen to what Bogotá sounds like when it's not in a hurry.
What to do in La Soledad (besides drinking coffee)
La Soledad is not a neighborhood of tourist attractions with lines and ticket booths. It's a neighborhood for walking, looking, and above all, sitting. But if you have time, there are several things that make the visit worthwhile beyond the cup.
Stroll through Republican-style architecture
The facades of La Soledad are a catalog of styles: Republican, English, Art Deco, and even some modernist touches from the 1950s. Many houses have plaques that tell who lived there. Look at the details: the wrought iron grilles, the stained glass doors, and the clay tile roofs. There's no official map, but walking along Carrera 16 between Calles 34 and 40 you'll find the best examples.
Visit the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
At the corner of Carrera 13 with Calle 37, this church with a neo-Gothic facade is the heart of the neighborhood. It was built in 1946 and still preserves its original tower clock. On Sundays at 11 a.m., the mass has a choir of ladies who sing with a force that gives you goosebumps. It's not a plan for everyone, but if you like religious architecture, it's worth a peek.
Shop at the antique store El Solar
Next to Café El Solar, there is an antique store that looks like a museum in disarray. They sell everything from 1960s Olivetti typewriters to English porcelain dinnerware. The prices aren't cheap, but they are cheaper than downtown. The owner, don Álvaro, will tell you the story of each object if you buy him a tinto.
Where to eat and drink: the three cafés that are temples
La Soledad has dozens of cafés, but only three deserve the title of "old-style." They are the ones that keep the same recipe, the same furniture, and in some cases, the same family since the 1970s. Here I'll tell you about them one by one.
Café El Solar: the 1975 machine that still works
Address: Carrera 15 # 37-12. Open Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
El Solar is the most famous of the three, and for good reason: they have a 1975 Faema E61 espresso machine that still works daily. It's not a museum piece; they use it to prepare every tinto that comes out of the bar. The owner, don Carlos, bought it used in 1982 and has only changed the gaskets twice since then.
The atmosphere is from another era: Formica tables with aluminum edges, 1960s-style wooden chairs, a small Transversal that almost always has an 80s soccer game in black and white. The menu is short: tinto criollo ($2,500 COP in July 2026), coffee with milk ($3,200 COP), and a pack of Saltín Noel crackers if you're hungry. Don't expect a specialty menu. You come here to drink coffee, not to show off.
Fun fact: the Faema E61 machine was the first to use a pre-infusion system that extracts coffee in two stages. Don Carlos says, "the Italians knew what they were doing, but Colombian coffee is better." And he's right.
Café La Flor de la Canela: the one for the neighborhood ladies
Address: Calle 36 # 14-28. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This café is smaller and more intimate. It's run by doña Lucía, a 68-year-old lady who inherited the business from her mother in 1995. The name was given by her grandmother, who was a fan of the song by Chabuca Granda. Here there's no espresso machine: everything is prepared in an 80s electric drip coffee maker, the kind with a glass carafe with a flower painted on it.
The tinto criollo at La Flor de la Canela is different from El Solar's: it's milder, with a touch of panela that doña Lucía adds to the bottom of the cup before serving. It's accompanied by a piece of homemade pan de yuca sold for $1,500 COP. The place has only five tables, and on weekends it fills up with neighborhood ladies who come to chat after mass. If you want to feel like just another neighbor, this is your spot.
Reference price: tinto criollo $2,800 COP (July 2026).
Café El Ocaso: the bohemians' hideaway
Address: Carrera 14 # 35-62 (entrance through the interior passage). Open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
El Ocaso is the least known of the three, and perhaps the most authentic. It's located in a passage that looks like an alley, behind a fabric store. It was opened by don Pedro in 1978, a man who was formerly a musician with the National Symphony Orchestra. The walls are covered with photos of bolero and tango singers from the 1940s: Gardel, Libertad Lamarque, Carlos Vives (yes, Vives is also there, but in a photo from the 80s).
Here, coffee is served in thick white earthenware cups, like the ones grandmothers had. The tinto criollo costs $2,200 COP, the cheapest in the neighborhood. But the real reason to come is the atmosphere: at 6 p.m., don Pedro puts on vinyl records of boleros on a record player he bought in 1980. No Spotify, no playlist. It's vinyl or nothing. The customers are older men playing dominoes and women reading the newspaper. If you're a foreigner, they'll look at you with curiosity, but if you order a tinto and sit down quietly, they'll accept you as one of their own.
Price and atmosphere comparison: La Soledad vs. Zona Rosa
If you come from Zona Rosa or Parque de la 93, the contrast will hit you in the face. There, a coffee with milk in a designer spot costs between $8,000 and $12,000 COP. They serve it in an artisanal ceramic cup with a butter cookie. The music is soft electronic, the waiters wear leather aprons, and the tables are recycled wood with iron legs.
In La Soledad, the same coffee with milk costs you $3,200 COP. They serve it in an earthenware cup that might have a crack. The music is a bolero by Los Panchos or the 12 o'clock news. The waiter is don Carlos, who will ask you, "how's the family?" even if it's the first time he's seen you. No pretensions, no Instagram filters. It's real coffee, in a real place.
The difference is not just in price: it's in attitude. In Zona Rosa you pay for the atmosphere, for the curated experience. In La Soledad you pay for the coffee, and the atmosphere comes as a gift.
The tinto criollo recipe: how they make it in La Soledad
Tinto criollo is not just any coffee. It's a tradition that has been lost in modern cafés, but in La Soledad it remains alive. Here I'll tell you how they prepare it at Café El Solar, step by step, so you can replicate it at home or simply know what you're drinking.
Ingredients
- Ground Colombian coffee (preferably Caturra or Colombia variety, medium-dark roast).
- Filtered water (never tap water, because chlorine changes the flavor).
- Panela (optional, for natural sweetening).
- Cinnamon stick (a small splinter).
Preparation (according to don Carlos)
- Boil water in an aluminum pot (no stainless steel, says don Carlos, because "aluminum gives it the old-time flavor").
- When the water is boiling, add a tablespoon of ground coffee per cup. Don't use instant coffee, "that's dirty water," says don Carlos.
- Let it simmer on low heat for 3 minutes. No more, or it becomes bitter.
- Turn off the heat and add a splinter of cinnamon. Cover the pot and let it rest for 2 minutes.
- Serve in an earthenware cup. If you want to sweeten it, add a small piece of panela at the bottom before serving. Don't use white sugar: "white sugar is for kids," says don Carlos.
- Drink it hot, in silence, without rushing. "Tinto is drunk alone," he says, "or with a good piece of gossip."
At Café El Solar, the secret is in the resting time with the cinnamon. Don Carlos says, "the cinnamon isn't for flavor, it's so the coffee tastes like home."
Testimony from an original owner: don Carlos of Café El Solar
Don Carlos is 72 years old. He opened Café El Solar in 1982, after working 15 years in a textile factory. "I got tired of being bossed around," he says while cleaning the Faema machine with a white cloth. "I bought this place with a lifetime of savings. I got the machine second-hand, at an auction of a café that went bankrupt downtown. I paid 50,000 pesos back then. Today I wouldn't trade it for anything."
I ask him why he never modernized the place. He laughs. "Look, I've seen a thousand fads come and go. Specialty coffees arrived, designer coffees, ones that sell coffee in little bags with drawings. And I'm still here, with my 1975 machine and my wooden chairs. People come because this is real. It's not a copy of something they saw on Netflix. It's the neighborhood, it's the history, it's grandma's coffee. And that never goes out of style."
Don Carlos says many customers are children and grandchildren of those who came forty years ago. "The other day a 25-year-old guy came with his grandmother. The lady told me: 'Carlos, this is my grandson, I came so he can taste the coffee I drank when I was pregnant with his mom.' That's priceless."
Don Carlos's testimony is the heart of this article. Because in La Soledad, the old-style cafés are not a business: they are a way of life. And as long as he's behind the counter, the taste of the 70s won't go away.
How to get there and transportation to La Soledad
Getting to La Soledad is easy from anywhere in Bogotá. Here are the best options depending on where you're coming from.
By TransMilenio
The closest station is "Calle 34" on the Caracas line (Line A). From there, it's a 10-minute walk west along Calle 34 to Carrera 15. You can also get off at "Calle 39" and walk south. Both stops leave you right at the edge of the neighborhood.
By bus or SITP
Several SITP routes pass through La Soledad. The most useful are the ones that go along Carrera 15 or Calle 34. Look for buses with signs that say "La Soledad" or "Chapinero." The fare is $2,900 COP (July 2026).
By car or taxi
If you're coming from the north, take Avenida Caracas south and turn right onto Calle 34. From downtown, go north on Carrera 13 and turn left onto Calle 37. Parking is easy on the streets, but watch out for the "no parking" signs on some blocks. A taxi from Zona Rosa costs around $15,000 COP.
By bicycle
La Soledad is flat and has bike lanes on Carrera 15 and Calle 34. There are several bike racks near the cafés. It's a pleasant ride from Chapinero or Teusaquillo.
Local tips for enjoying La Soledad like a Bogotano
- Go on a Sunday morning. The neighborhood is quiet, the cafés are full of regulars, and the mass at the church adds a special touch.
- Bring cash. Most old-style cafés don't accept cards. There's an ATM on Carrera 15 with Calle 36, but it sometimes runs out of money.
- Don't rush. The charm of La Soledad is in the slow pace. Order a tinto, sit down, and watch the world go by.
- Talk to the owners. Don Carlos, doña Lucía, and don Pedro love to tell stories. Ask them about the neighborhood's history, and you'll get more than just coffee.
- Try the pan de yuca at La Flor de la Canela. It's small, warm, and perfect with a tinto.
- Respect the silence at El Ocaso. It's a place for reflection, not for loud conversations.
Frequently asked questions
Does Café El Solar still use the 1975 Faema machine?
Yes, it's the only machine they use. Don Carlos maintains it himself and says it works better than any modern machine.
Is there any café in La Soledad that serves food besides coffee?
Yes, but not at the three old-style cafés. Nearby, on Carrera 15, there are a few bakeries and restaurants that serve typical Colombian food like ajiaco or bandeja paisa. Ask don Carlos for a recommendation.
Can I bring children to these cafés?
Yes, but they might get bored. The cafés are quiet and don't have kids' menus. If your children are calm, they'll be welcome. If not, it's better to visit the nearby parks.
Historical or contextual introduction
La Soledad is a neighborhood that has resisted the passage of time. While Bogotá grew vertically and modernized, these blocks remained faithful to their origins. The old-style cafés are a living testament to that resistance. They are not museums; they are spaces where the past and present coexist in a cup of coffee. This article is an invitation to discover them, to sit down, and to listen to the stories that each tinto carries with it.
