Just in case you don’t know, an arepa is a gluten-free corn flour pocket, cooked on a hot grill until golden crispy, and filled with a range of tasty options.
it’s an essential ingredient of the culture of venezuela, eaten by millions every day.

The predecessor of the arepa was a staple of the Timoto-Cuicas, an Amerindian group that lived in the northern Andes of Venezuela. Other Amerindian tribes in the region, such as the Arawaks and the Caribs, widely consumed a form known as casabe made from cassava (yuca). With the colonization by the Spanish, the food that would become the arepa was diffused into the rest of the region, particularly in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Panama.

Although the arepa originates from Venezuela, Colombians also view it as a traditional national food, as it has a long tradition in both countries, with local recipes that are delicious and varied.

At Cruzao Arepa Bar we serve them freshly cooked, with their healthy and affordable authenticity, in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, clearly reminiscent of the settings in which they are traditionally found.

Our current menu includes a selection of traditional recipes that preserve the slow-cooked, flavourful essence of  authentic Venezuelan cuisine, with a fresh, homely gusto . Arepa fillings include carne mechada – slow cooked shredded beef in a tomato salsa; reina pepiada – a traditional chicken and avocado mix named after Venezuela’s first international beauty queen, 1955 Miss World Susana Duijm; pernil – pork leg marinated in garlic, red wine and sugar cane; domino – slow cooked black beans and feta cheese, among others.