Recommended Medellin Services

This is NOT an affiliated blog post. I get nothing for these recommendations besides goodwill. However, mentioning that you found them on the dannybooboo blog would be appreciated.

After living in Medellin for more than a decade, I’m sharing all of my recommended Medellin servieces providers because you cannot take a recommendation from a Colombian.

If you’re Colombian and reading this, well, you know it’s true. I figured this out years after living here. If you get a recommendation from most Paises (a Colomiban from Medellin), it will be because there is some kind of affiliate or bonus kickback in place. It has nothing to do wit the service quality.

Us gringos are unfamiliar with these types of recommendations. In the USA, if you were to recommend a service, most likely it’s because you or a friend had a good experience with the business.

There is also limited certifications to start working, and no review service like AngiesList or Thumbtack where you can check what others thought.

You might also like: my favorite Medellin dining guide.

Barber Shop

London City Barbers – There are a few locations in Poblado. I have used them since before I had grey hair. I use Pepe (or Felipe) most often, though I have tried various, and three of four times barber is excellent. Compare this to other barber shops, mostly outside of Colombia, where the chance of you getting a mediocre cut is three in four visits. They are expensive at $50+ for a full haircut, beard trim, short massage, and face mask.

CALE Barber Studio – My friend Melissa told me about this one as it’s owned by one of her friends. I visited, and I had to double-check the price three times. Twenty dollars for a haircut and beard trim. It’s the same experience as London City Barbers, except the space is nicer, including a coffee sho. At 40% the price, I’ll be visiting more often. There’s only one problem and that is the location. Not terrible, but you’ll need a taxi. That will cost only about $2 leaving from The Belmonte Penthouse, but your extra travel time is worth much more.

Spanish Teacher

Yadi Casas (+64.27.209.4918) – I have used dozens of teachers across the globe and Yadi in one of three I would recommend. I like in-person classes and, unfortunately, she has moved with her husband and two young children to New Zealand. Given her quality, her prices are cheap at $15 per hour. Highly recommended if you want to learn Spanish. She speaks fluent English.

See, also: my step-by-step guide to learning any language conversationally.

Organic Groceries

One of my complaints about Medelin is the grocery stores. All offer the same product, no matter where you go. The only one that could have been considered somewhat of a specialty grocer was Merka Organica in Tesoro, now out of business. There are no high-end or specialty shops for rare ingredients. The best you could do is go to a ‘naturalista’ or google an organic shop, but then again, all of them pretty much offer the same product. Today, I come bearing great news! Things are a changin’ and please do show your support.

Melelé (+57.312.276.7920) – This seafood restaurant sources fresh, ocean-caught fish, etc. flown in one day per week. You can eat there or have them deliver a selection of fish to you. My last order was 128,000 (~$30) for, from left to right:

• Filet of Sea Bass
• 400 grams of Tuna
• 250g langostinos (like shrimp)
• 250g colas de langostinos
• 400g large shrimp (not pictured)

This year, I ate at the restaurant and saw crab meat. I bought 2kg for 170,000 (~$40).

Note: poor service; they’ll promise you a delivery time, and it will either not arrive or will arrive much later. You’ll have to follow up often, and they delay or forget to respond to your texts. However, this can be expected from all companies listed here. For most Colombians, making money is the third or fourth priority (not saying that’s a bad thing!).

La Banquiva (+57.311.324.6880) – Specialists in chicken. All the usual stuff plus skewers, bone broth, heart and liver, nuggets, and more. They say injection-free (great!), but they don’t post anything related to their farm on the IG account. I am investigating. They also have some fish options, but unsure if that’s worth it as they did they are Chilean farmed Salmon.

My most recent order, for 134,000 / $33:

• Chicken thigh (1kg)
• Bone broth (500ml)
• Chicken bites (500g)
• Chicken liver (1kg)

La Boxteca (+57.301.775.4255) – I finally got around to eating at this restaurant while living in San Lucas neighborhood and their Wagyu burger is delicious (although the one at Maluma’s restaurant, Casa Eterna, is better). What surprised me more was the Denver cut of Wagyu I ordered (~10oz for 170,000 or $42). It was nearly identical to authentic Wagyu that would’ve cost $500! Now, there are two types of Wagyu: real Wagyu that costs $30+ per ounce and fake Wagyu. There are many types of fake Wagyu. To be certain, La Boxteca serves fake Wagyu; however, not all fake Wagyu is created equal. I give their Wagyu an 8 out of 10 compared to the real stuff. I bought a fillet to go. Compare that to the fake Wagyu I purchased from the more popular Medellin steak delivery service, Steak Market, which I put at a 3 out of 10. I didn’t even finish my first (and last) order from them. Why is La Boxteca Wagyu better than the other impostors? I’m not sure. They said they buy the embryos from USA Wagyu and raise them here in Colombia.

Verde Salvia (+57.320.682.5768) and Abrete Sesamo (+57.315.242.7040) – Specialty products and spices.

My most recent order with Verde Salvia for 140,500 / $35:

• 50g cinnamon
• 100g mustard
• Vegan Parmesan (60g)
• Black Garlic (3 cloves)
• Natural vanilla extract (the normal grocery stores only sold fake crap)

Abrete Sesamo has Corn Syrup, I was not able to find this is any grocery story in Medellin.

@productos.delahierba (+57.313.616.0162) – Natrual goods

Interior Designer

Keren Monsalve (+57.313.580.5122) – She specializes in Airbnb/short-term rental designs and speaks fluent English. Her team can complete an Airbnb re-design in only one month. While I haven’t yet used her design services, she has shown me her work, and I’m impressed. She’s also a real estate/immigration lawyer and I can personally recommend her for those services, too.

Medellin Airbnb Direct Rentals

Here are all of my rentals in Medellin.

Inhouse Real Estate (+57.300.358.1202) – I’ve lived in more than 10 Medellin neighborhoods. I’ve rented hotels, from individuals, professionals and amateurs. I’ve stayed in private rooms, dorms, houses, and mansions. The best Airbnb operator in Medellin with the largest, most diverse, and highest-quality inventory is Inhouse.

If you’re still trying to decide which neighborhood is best for you, then please watch my detailed breakdown below. I get very specific. You will know exactly where and in which neighborhood to stay for your trip to Medellin.

Sports Massage

Nordic Massage & Wellness – I first saw Mikko when I had a grade 1 shoulder tear in 2022. I am working through this currently and will update soon. I’m adding his business here because of a strong recommendation I got when introduced to his business. He is not cheap, charging 190,000 COP ($95) for an hour of treatment.

Related: Check out my recommended Medellin cafes and coworking spaces.

Professional Chef

Neomar Alfonso (+57.300.517.3882) – I hired Neomar for a December 31st dinner for me and a few friends. While I don’t know the going rate for this service, I don’t think he charged anything extra for coming on this date. The food was professionally presented and tasty.

Shipper/Importer

Santiago of USA Store (+57.301.406.4494) – If you need something in Medellin, you can send it to Santiago in Florida and he’ll bring in to Medellin one week after it arrived to him in Florida. His timing is about 80% accurate, though, there have been times when the delivery is delayed, especially around December. I have been using him consistently for years, even ordering a new smartphone, and all has been delivered. He’ll even return an item for you. I’m not sure how he charges, but it’s not expensive.

Recommended: my recommended bars and nightlife in Medellin guide.

Dentist (English Fluent)

Medellin Dental Solutions – This guy is good! The doctor (sorry, forgetting his name, but see video below) is really, really good. I’ve had a cavity filled in the visible front teeth and the job he did was A+ 100% new. I’ve also had various cleanings (Brazil still wins for that). And I even had my teeth whitened there.

Dance Teacher (Salsa and Bachata)

Mauro Cadavid (+57.300.423.3616) – He is expensive, but I felt like he was a great teacher who had your long term interested in mind. He was also able to add a few moves into my existing dance routine. This is VERY hard for most dance teachers who want to add in very complex and unrealistic moves.

Dancefree – I would only go to their group classes. Buying private classes is like applying for a loan. Once they tried to charge me double the cost to renew my experied lessons, rather than offering me to save money and buy new ones. Luckily, I knew how much things cost here and the price was even higher than Mauro.

Next Blog: all of the paid services that I use and recommend.

Electric Scooter Rentals

Movilidad Jager – I have purchased three electric scooters from them and gotten them serviced over the years without hassle, even many times for free. I do recommend them, but there is a caveat. I think the owner stepped back, and my recent experience was not pleasant. My charger stopped working. I brought it in looking for an ew charger, but they wanted to look at the scooter too. Ok. Makes sense. I returned the next day, and it was not yet ready. However, the next day was Sunday (they are closed) and I was planning to use it. I asked them to just give me a new charger. They did, for 120,000 ($30) plus they charged me 40,000 ($10) to review the scooter. I felt that service was horrendous to take it in for potentially three days, when all it needed, most likely was a new charger. Even the charger they gave me, which has a warranty for three months only, is not functioning properly.

Massage (not happy ending/sex)

Abybos Spa – Until I find a better one, I will list this. They were pretty good, fair priced, and didn’t need an appointment. For some reason, I don’t really like massages. Not like you like massages. For me, a good massage has 7 minutes of goodness, 35 minutes of neutral, and 18 minutes of boredom. The best massage I ever had in my entire life, by far was in Rio de Janeiro.

Noir Spa – This is the highest-rated spa in latin America, owned by a friend of mine, and conveniently in Medellin (obviously).

PRP Treatment

HERO Hair Institute – I have been here various times. PRP, supposedly, does work after a few treatments. Each treatment costs $125. Does it work? Who the hell knows? I do it because they seem professional. I can get my blood drawn in the same building. And it doesn’t hurt. When I got stem cells in my head in Bogota for $10,000, the PRP treatment hurt like a MOTHERFUKCING BITCH. I opted not to get my 2nd and 3rd included treatment.

Related Video: Everything I know about haircare and hair loss prevention.

Lawyer

Mauricio Monsalve ([email protected]) – I purchased The Belmonte Penthouse in 2021 and had to find quality lawyers, accountants, and handymen (see below). Much harder than it might seem. I hired the best, most expensive lawyer I could find in Medellin who really screwed up a lot for me in terms of buying, registering money with the government, and the visa process. Mauricio speaks fluent English and is moderately priced. I’ve used him for some minor things so far and recommend his services. He has 20 years of experience in legal consulting and litigation in Labor and Commercial Law. Additionally, he has 15 years of experience in Real Estate and Business consulting.

Contractor / Handyman

Walter (+57.302.446.0224) – I have been through a mountain of contractors and handymen here in Medellin. And I mean that. I think twenty-nine. Walter, while not the cheapest, does a good job, on time, and pays attention to details. He can do more complex projects.

Jesus Ventura (+57.318.637.9255) – While I don’t have any experience with Jesus on my real estate, he did come as highly recommended and he has worked on a few Airbnbs that I’ve stayed in. From what I gather, he is going to be cheaper than Walter.