Story & Photos by Rudy Waldner
Blending family tradition, ambition and a genuine sense of community, Casa Milano Bistro in Bogotá, Colombia, has found a recipe that works wonderfully well: excellent pizza, warm hospitality and just enough charm to make you reconsider your life choices back home.
I first noticed Casa Milano Bistro while heading to a reservation across the street in Bogotá’s Usaquén district. The courtyard dazzled: umbrella-covered tables, an outdoor fireplace, vines curling around an arched brick entrance, and a rain-covered patio that screamed my name. The curb appeal alone hooked me.
So naturally, I returned the next evening.
As with most wise decisions, this one began with wine. To my surprise, the list included an Austrian Zweigelt from Burgenland, which I ordered immediately. That was winning move No. 2. No. 1 was coming back.
Winning move No. 3— and the knockout punch—was ordering the Margherita pizza with extra cheese, my standard test for every pizza restaurant. Casa Milano Bistro pizzaiolo Nicolas absolutely nailed it. The crust arrived perfectly blistered and crisp, the tomato sauce bright and refreshingly unsweetened. It tasted like tomatoes were actually invited to the party.
I returned four more times that week.
The prosciutto, arugula and burrata pizza was equally outstanding. In fact, while editing this article, I found myself pricing flights back to Colombia purely for “research purposes.”
So who’s behind all this? Lina Camacho—with a little guidance from Dad. When I asked how she got into the business, she laughed, pointed at her father, and said, “I blame him.”
Raised in a restaurant family, Camacho (pictured with me below) wanted to create something that reflected both hospitality and sustainability. Alongside the bistro, she opened a secondhand clothing shop aimed at giving fashion a longer life and landfills a little less work. The shop sits between the restaurant and a bustling takeout window, where pizza makers sling pies directly to pedestrians with the confidence of seasoned technicians.
Camacho’s community spirit extends beyond the business itself. Within walking distance of the restaurant, she’s helped Daniel, Willy, Teo, Provolone, and Parmigiana—some human, some furry, all recipients of her generosity. One handles restaurant setup, another trash disposal, two were foster cats, and one was an injured rescue dog. I’ll let you guess which ones ended up being named after cheeses.
From this reviewer’s perspective, Casa Milano succeeds because it feels rooted in something bigger than pizza alone. Camacho clearly cares about her staff, her neighborhood and even the planet. That goodwill seeps into the experience as surely as the aroma from the pizza oven drifts into the street.
And once again, the universe confirms a simple truth: Pizza makes the world go round.
Rudy Waldner is a restaurant consultant, food writer, world traveler and the author of “Marketing from the Trenches: Your Guide to Retail Success.” Visit his website to learn more about him at rudywaldner.com.
