Manizales' food scene reflects its character — practical, paisa, and shaped by the surrounding farms. Bandeja paisa (the regional plate of beans, rice, ground beef, chorizo, plantain, fried egg, and arepa) is everywhere; trout from the cold streams of Los Nevados is the other classic.
The university districts of Palogrande and Cable have the highest concentration of restaurants, ranging from cheap student set-menus to upmarket steakhouses. The Plaza de Bolívar area has more old-school options. Sunday lunch on a coffee hacienda is the regional ritual worth planning a day around.