If you haven’t been paying attention, you might not have noticed that gastronomy in Tunja is quickly on the rise. Just two summers ago, as the city struggled to emerge from the pandemic, finding much beyond the comida typica of Boyaca was a challenge. Asaderos were plentiful and cheap, but it wasn’t exactly a culinary experience that you would look for on a special night out. In fact, finding restaurants open much past 8 p.m. was a bit of a challenge in itself. I remember one of the better meals I had was an Italian spot close to the city center, that honestly wouldn’t have lasted long in any suburban locale in the U.S., much less in the downtown dining area.
However, the recovery that began last summer, as spots like Iki Comedor and Montevedra staked their claims to culinary distinction has accelerated with several new and dynamic restaurants vying for the attention of the slightly more sophisticated palate in the city. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to put Presttigio Rooftop at the top of the list.
Located near the Glorieta where Avenida Olimpica and Avenida Norte meet, Presttigio offers a fourth floor open dining arrangement with views of the hills and the city. Patio dining is available along with indoor seating. A well stocked bar offers both cocktail and bottle service. But the food is the star here and well deserved.
Entradas
We started with the Empanadas Carmen, and I am going to confess that I did not read the menu carefully enough. A typical empanada is a mix of meat, cheese or vegetables fried in a corn dough. But I forgot, this is Presttigio and a simple street empanada won’t do. These empanadas are a lightly fried sweet plantain shell, filled with shredded beef, yellow potato and cheese with a nice aji on the side. The fillings were great, but I just can’t do sweet plantains, so these were a no go for me. But my nephew Hamilton gave an enthusiastic thumbs up to this dish and gladly took my portion. The empanadas were 26,000 COP.
Entradas – Ceviche Andino
Of several ceviches on the menu, we chose the Ceviche Andina, which was a shrimp ceviche with pesto de cilantro in a nice lime-olive oil sauce with bits of fried papa criolla, avocado and cherry tomatoes. Served in a somewhat bizarre antler holder, the shrimp did not disappoint. It was perfectly cooked and chilled, with a nice tart flavor to the ceviche. The platano frito strip again went to Hamilton, though I do like those and would have happily tried it. This was a refreshing start to the meal, and made up for any disappointment I had (in myself) from the empanada debacle.
There are some dishes that I feel tell you a lot about a restaurant. Ceviche can be a challenge in a lot of ways. Cooking the fish just right, cutting it properly for ceviche (not an issue with the shrimp obviously), getting it to the right temperature and then finally, getting the sauce just right so that it brings out the flavor of the fish without overwhelming it. Presttigio hit it just right, and had us ready for the main course. 32,000 COP
Fuertes – NY Strip
After the ceviche, it was time to get down to business with one of several feature steaks on the menu. The New York Strip is listed as 500g, but this one definitely seemed more than that. With a thickness that proved a little bit of a challenge to get to a thorough “medium,” the steak is accompanied with fries and a chimichurri sauce. The chef left it a bit shy of medium (which is a much better choice than going the other way), and the steak proved a delicious, lean feature to the meal. The fries were also natural and seem fresh cut. The chimichurri sauce gave a little kick to the steaks if you wanted to use it. It wasn’t necessary as the steaks was well able to stand on its own, but it was a nice difference when I tried it on a few bites. At 70,000 COP, though on the pricey side for Colombia, this is a bargain for a steak that would cost three times that in the US. The steak is also served with an American style salad, nothing special but better than most Colombian green salads.
Risottos – Risotto 4 Quesos
As a final share, we tried the Risotta 4 Quesos. The dishes we selected, for the most part, we really tried to choose items that had that fusion element to it, as Colombian flavors were brought to other cuisines. The fusion in this Risotto comes from the inclusion of cheese from Paipa as one of the four cheeses. I can tell you that the taste of this Boyacense cheese did come through in the risotto, not in an overpowering way, but simply in a way that reminds you that you are in Colombia. The risotto was delicious, although I feel it was a little thicker than it should have been. A 4 Queso risotto calls for a creamier consistency, and this was close, but just a bit off. All of which is to say, it was far better than anything else I’ve found in an Italian restaurant in Tunja. The risotto is prices a 39,000 COP
Finishing Thoughts
New Prestiggio Rooftop: A Cut Above, Literally
- Food
- Service
- Location
- Parking
Presttigio Is Through the Roof
Two of us went to Prestiggio on a tasting quest. We split several items in order to give a broader opinion of the dining options. The items we tasted included:
- Empanadas Carmen
- Ceviche Andina
- New York Strip
The review above explains the ratings in more depth, but I highly recommend this new entrant to the growing culinary scene in Tunja. It’s as good as I have found and an enjoyable experience. Great views, great service, but the food is the star!
