During our week in Colonia del Sacramento, we were delighted by its cozy cafes and restaurants. Italian immigrants have impacted the Uruguay’s food culture, making Italian dishes a significant part of everyday eating, with adaptations using local ingredients and cooking styles. We think you’ll be impressed by the flavorful offerings of this charming port city.

Colonia Sandwich Coffee Shop

There are two locations for Colonia Sandwich Coffee Shop, but we preferred the one across from Basilica del Sanctísimo Sacramento because it was in such a peaceful location. Our server each day was friendly, and we loved the warm and gooey pain au chocolat, filled with chocolate sticks, which we prefer over a chocolate custard mixture. They had a thin glaze of honey on top, and plenty of chocolate inside without being cloyingly sweet. Bonus is that there are some friendly little birds here, but you might want to watch your crumbs, because they will eat them off your plate if you let them!

*Pain au chocolat here were lightly toasted!*

The size of their cappuccino was generous and you could order it with either or both cinnamon and cocoa. I of course indulged in both. No complaints about Kevin’s flat white, either. And these were served in the cutest mugs that were hand crafted for this shop, which enhanced the café’s charming atmosphere. It’s also right in front of the Basilica, which lent to the relaxing atmosphere of their outdoor seating. We also brought home a salad of the day. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, and quinoa, corn, and tomatoes kept it interesting. It didn’t have any sort of dressing (which typically consists of just oil, salt, and pepper here), but the freshness and variety in the salad made up for it. Kevin’s sandwich, the Clasico, had plenty of ham, cheese, fresh tomato and lettuce on a hearty bread.

Its other location is in a busier part of town. Still good, but we preferred the one below in the historic center because of its relaxing atmosphere.

📍Colonia Sandwich Coffee Shop, Gral. Flores 272, 70000 Col. del Sacramento, Departamento de Colonia, Uruguay

*Tasty pies in NAPO, a pizza parlor frequented by locals*

NAPO Pizza Napoletana

Unless you visit on a weekend when it’s also open for lunch, you’ll need to wait until 8pm for pizza at NAPO Pizza Napoletana. If you’re looking for an authentic experience with plenty of locals and decent pizza, it’s worth the wait. Our pies were pepperoni and margarita, respectively. Both were sauced well, and although you might not find pepperoni outside of Italy, it was the perfect complement with just the tiniest amount of spice. The also were thin, as true Napolitana-style pizza should be, and sized for a few leftovers. If you position yourself right, the open kitchen allows you for a great view of the dough getting tossed before being primed for the blazing pizza oven.

📍NAPO Pizza Napoletana, 18 de Julio 267, 70000 Col. del Sacramento, Departamento de Colonia, Uruguay

*What a surprise to sip wine produced in Colonia!*

Resto-Morriña

Resto-Morriña gets top marks by nearly everyone. And admittedly it started out really strong. The meal began with complimentary toast points and hummus. My lemonade was tasty and refreshing and Kevin’s Riesling blend produced in Colonia was crisp and clean tasting. The sunset views over the water were a beautiful backdrop, but we were surprised at how chilly it got in early December when the sun was going down. Bread was served in a bag, and alongside it was Uruguayan olive oil, which was light and mild. For an appetizer we had mushroom croquettes that were creamy and craveable and served alongside a garlicy aioli dip.

Perhaps it was the time of year we visited, but Kevin’s shrimp were smaller than he’d expected them to be and they weren’t deveined, although there was a generous quantity of them. Perhaps they should have been served with something other than spaghetti noodles, too, which were a smidge overcooked. My cheese ravioli on the other hand were al dente and topped with a flavorful bolognese sauce. Dessert was a cheesecake slice with a few squirts of fruit puree, which added a nice tartness.

📍Resto-Morriña, Arquitecto Miguel Angel Odriozola 215, 70000 Col. del Sacramento, Departamento de Colonia, Uruguay

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Save Money by Tipping!

Well, not exactly, but it sure feels that way! Uruguay has a tipping culture, which is typically 10%. However, restaurants will tend to back out the VAT taxes for tourists that automatically are charged to the bill, so even when we left a 10% tip, we ended up paying less than the original cost. We appreciated that restaurants allowed us to put the tip (also known as propina) on our credit card as well, which meant that we didn’t have to get Uruguayan pesos. Everything we bought in Uruguay could be paid by card.

*Rustic artisan bread with plenty of avocado*

Café Rollito

Named after its signature rolled ice cream, Café Rollito is another great breakfast spot. The cappuccinos were a bit smaller than Colonia Sandwich, but I’m okay with that. We ate outside, and while we appreciated the umbrellas to block out some of the sun, the pole made having a conversation across the table a little more intrusive. Their avocado toast was tasty, the avocado was perfectly ripe, the scrambled eggs were done well, although I prefer mine a tad more creamy than these. The sprinkling of seeds on the top added some nice texture. Kevin opted for a Belgian waffle with fruit and whipped cream. The strawberries were fresh tasting and bright. The waffle itself tasted as though it had been frozen and reheated and was a little bit tough. In fact, there’s a disclaimer on the menu that indicates that it will take 20 minutes. We were fine with that, but my they didn’t serve our coffees until the food came out, which for most coffee drinkers, isn’t ideal. We’re fine to sip on coffee while we’re waiting for our food!

📍Café Rollito, Manuel de Lobo 439, 70000 Col. del Sacramento, Departamento de Colonia, Uruguay

*Loaded with banana, strawberries, and mango, Café Rollito’s waffle would have made a delicious dessert*

*You’ll find authentic Uruguayan cuisine at DOS 22*

DOS 22 Restaurante

What a nice surprise to eat at DOS 22 Restaurante. Our meal started with some complimentary seeded breadstick-type munchies with a buttery aoili, unlike any aioli I’ve ever eaten. It was very good. It was Kevin’s turn for sorrentini, which are a larger, more circular type of ravioli. His were stuffed with lamb and then topped with a bolognese, and Kevin devoured every bite. At the waiter’s suggestion, I enjoyed the lasagna, which was served atop of a velvety béchamel sauce. He also was friendly and attentive, something we always appreciate. The house red wine here had the perfect body for our meal and wasn’t too heavy.

📍DOS 22 Restaurante. Ituzaingó 222, 70000 Col. del Sacramento, Departamento de Colonia, Uruguay

El Buen Suspiro

Perhaps our favorite meal was the one we had at El Buen Suspiro (translated as The Good Sigh). It’s listed as a tapas restaurant, but it’s so much more. The menu boasted an assortment of charcuterie and empanadas, but they also had excellent Italian food that the waiter listed for us. The restaurant is housed in a building that had been a home in the 1720s, and that was an unexpected delight. While it originally seemed like it would be fairly small inside, when we walked through the curtain made of wine corks, we were shocked to see that the interior actually consisted of three small additional rooms for dining. There also are some locally prepared jars of food to take back home with you.

We chose to eat outside in the quaint courtyard, despite it being a very hot day. The chef prepared our food in a small little kitchen that wasn’t much bigger than a food truck kitchen. How he managed to do that was an impressive feat. Along with the glasses of wine we ordered—Merlot for me and Malbec for Kevin, we got a small dish of unsalted peanuts. Buttered soft toast points accompanied our meals. Once again I had ravioli, this time with a bechamel sauce on top. Inside though was a spinach cheese mixture that made me feel slightly more virtuous to get a vegetable in a meal. I especially appreciated the drizzle of Uruguayan olive oil again and some salty shredded cheese on the side. Kevin’s meal was croquettes stuffed with risotto and finely diced vegetables on a bed of creamy pureed carrots, which added a pleasant sweetness without being overpowering. They were drizzled with a wine sauce and accompanied by a lightly sweetened wine reduction. The croquettes didn’t need the extra flavor, but the wine sauce was delicious when I dipped my fork into it and wasn’t overly sweet. Our server was charming and gave us terrific service. We sometimes find that historic locations can sometimes have underwhelming food at inflated prices, but this was a gem of a place and we’d happily return here again.

📍El Buen Suspiro, Calle de los Suspiros 90 y 92, 70000 Col. del Sacramento, Departamento de Colonia, Uruguay

Where to Eat in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay