Medellin
You're flying out of Medellin Airport, you have 90 minutes to kill, and you'd like to do better than a Pret. Good news: airport drinking has improved more in the last five years than the previous fifty. Pre-flight drinks at Medellin Airport range from chain reliability to surprisingly polished hotel-style bars in the airport hotels. This is barsforKings's editor-curated guide to drinking better at Medellin's airports.
Belen · $$
3 Cordilleras Brewery draws a steady local crowd in Belen. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$
The menu changes three times a year to follow what is growing. The current summer edition lists 14 cocktails built around lulo, maracuyá, corozo, and the region
El Poblado · $$$
Alambique Medellin draws a steady local crowd in El Poblado. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
El Poblado · $$$
Amor y Mezcal draws a steady local crowd in El Poblado. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Want a real drink before flying? The fastest play is to get to airport hotels next door — most run polished bars that beat anything post-security. We list them at the bottom. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, see our shortlist of bars in Medellin proper at the end.
Plays for Medellin Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 176 cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond Medellin? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.