Cartagena Best Restaurants
Looking for the best restaurants in Cartagena? From traditional Colombian cuisine to exotic international flavors, Cartagena always has something for everyone. Get ready to explore the best this city has to offer.
Cartagena boasts an incredibly rich culture that is reflected in its diverse cuisine. From seafood to traditional Colombian dishes, there is always something to satisfy every palate. The city has been influenced by its many inhabitants, who have brought flavors from around the world. With its vibrant nightlife and bustling markets, Cartagena is a fantastic destination for food lovers. Whether you’re seeking a romantic dinner or a casual meal with friends, Cartagena has something for you.
Here are what we consider the top five culinary destinations in Cartagena: exquisite and traditional dishes like olla de cerdo murciana, made with beans, pork, blood sausage, potatoes, and rice, among other ingredients; pulpo a la cartagenera, grilled octopus with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice; conejo al ajo cabañil, rabbit cooked in a special sauce made with garlic, vinegar, water, and salt; or the famous Marinera, a tapa made with a bread ring topped with Russian salad and an anchovy. Bon Appétit!
1621
It was in the year 1621 when the Clarissa sisters settled in what would be their home for 240 years. The Santa Clara cloister holds more than one story buried under 400 years of history, between the crashing waves of the Caribbean Sea and the cannonballs of English and French forces. This is how the 1621 restaurant was born, in this former dining room of the Clarissa nuns, watched over by the Mother Abbess from the current wine cellar. The 400-year-old dining room has become a theater of elegance, where the Chef invites guests to enjoy a tasting menu and experiment with the best local ingredients, offering a detailed and surprising cuisine for an unforgettable experience.
Executive Chef Dominique Oudin prepares contemporary gourmet cuisine by combining French culinary techniques with the freshest ingredients from Colombia’s Caribbean coast. His creative and exquisite gourmet offerings, paired with an extensive selection of the finest wines, special cocktails, and personalized service, create a charming ambiance that makes 1621 a must-visit restaurant in Cartagena. History, art, perfection, and high standards are the pillars of the 1621 restaurant.
Agua de León
Located at Calle de Ayos # 4-46, in Cartagena, Agua de León Bar Restaurant is a place that has built its philosophy on satisfaction as a superior goal and the foundation of its existence. This international and fusion-style restaurant offers a wide variety of delicious dishes and a unique culinary experience.
The menu at Agua de León Bar Restaurant features a vast selection of international dishes and creative fusions. Guests can enjoy a comprehensive fusion cuisine menu with innovative options that combine the best of different culinary cultures. In addition, the restaurant offers a great selection of wines to pair with the dishes.
Some customer reviews highlight the excellent service and the staff’s knowledge in making food and drink recommendations. They praise the variety of complimentary bread offered at the beginning of the dining experience, such as coconut, tomato, and yellow chili bread with ginger and tomato butters. Appetizers like the shrimp taco “al pastor” and the hummus with eggplant are also frequently mentioned as delightful.
Beyond the excellent food, Agua de León Bar Restaurant also provides a relaxed atmosphere with good music and exquisite service. Guests can enjoy their meal inside the restaurant, which has a full bar, or outdoors with unbeatable views of the cathedral tower.
Agua de León Bar Restaurant is the perfect spot for those seeking a unique culinary experience in Cartagena. With its extensive international fusion menu in a cozy environment, this restaurant offers a highly satisfying dining experience for all patrons. It’s also an ideal place to enjoy a drink in the evening.
Carmen
Colombian inspiration. In a beautiful, intimate, warm, and elegant house in the historic center of Cartagena de Indias, Carmen offers contemporary cuisine inspired by Colombia’s biodiversity, with a special focus on products and flavors from the Colombian Caribbean. In any of the three cozy settings of Carmen Cartagena, accompanied by unmatched service, a unique gastronomic experience is guaranteed. This experience is complete with an original selection of artisanal cocktails that highlight fresh fruits and ancestral liquors.
Carmen Cartagena is one of the most important culinary destinations in Colombia, where gastronomic creativity in a modern and warm environment come together to offer a unique and delicious experience. At Carmen, they create culinary experiences that reflect the flavors and diversity of Colombia, directly supporting artisans, producers, farmers, and fishermen who make their craft and art possible. They raise the bar every day, connecting with foods and products that represent the rich biodiversity of Colombia’s regions. Carmen is committed to being more sustainable, always striving to contribute to a better world, both environmentally and socially. Every team member is dedicated to these missions, embracing a philosophy of working with passionate and dedicated people focused on evolution, both professionally and personally. The Carmen Cartagena team puts their heart into making each experience memorable, delicious, and fun.
The menu is a journey through Colombia, with a special focus on the Colombian Caribbean region, paying homage to small artisans, fishermen, and diverse farmers with unique and flavorful dishes that represent the culinary traditions, flavors, and culture of Colombia. Carmen is known for serving fresh interpretations of red snapper, crab, and lobster, among other typical regional delights, using contemporary cooking techniques while staying true to its Caribbean heritage.
Juan del Mar
This restaurant is located in an old restored republican house that preserves its architecture, its floors and the original walls, which contrast with an eclectic decoration. Upon entering, an interior patio stands out with its 19th century cistern, where you can see the depth of the well. There are contrasts in the decoration and you can see a lot of art and a collection of metal fish by a famous Colombian sculptor; Additionally, we find paintings painted by local artists, honoring their food, everything we can see alludes to the sea. The house is located in the exclusive Plaza de San Diego near the Hotel Santa Clara.
Juan del Mar, chef and owner, in addition to being a very successful artist and athlete who gave his all on the RCN television program, people can enjoy one of his greatest passions: cooking. In Juan del Mar, visitors can taste fish, seafood and typical preparations from Cartagena that are fused with some Italian elements. 25 years ago, the artist and athlete from Cartagena opted for cooking, since “the religion of my house was cooking,” hence his love for food. Juan grew up with an excellent cook, his mother, who taught him since he was a child everything that had to do with that art: “We played to guess the ingredients in the dish we were eating; and until we deciphered them, we couldn’t get off the table.”
Juan del Mar offers all the variety and cuisine of the Peruvian table, in a seafood restaurant full of contrasts and art in its decoration.
La Vitrola
In a typical and interesting corridor of Cartagena, located on Baloco Street in downtown, is one of the oldest and most recognized restaurants in the city. La Vitrola Bistro Bar, a name that has been around for more than 30 years since it used to be the after party of the Cartageneros. La Vitrola is a “tertuliadero” that has functioned as a bar-restaurant since the years in which the houses of bahareque, palms and boards were replaced by large mansions of calicanto, as this house is today, which has a Cuban-style decoration, but retains above all its colonial part.
In La Vitrola, gastronomy and the soul of the Caribbean have been living together for 30 years. One of the most iconic restaurants in the stone corralito, where tradition merges with modernity in a way that could only happen in Cartagena. From the moment you walk through the door, you are enveloped in a personalized attention that makes you feel at home, better yet, as if you were part of the family.
La Vitrola has been serving a variety of Cuban style dishes with local recognition and you can enjoy international cuisine with a Cuban style ambiance. Menu highlights include fried shrimp, yellowfin tuna, coconut flan and the best mojitos in Cartagena. The ambiance that will transport you to the best that Havana has to offer.
La Vitrola is the perfect place to lose yourself amidst stories and effervescent conversations, delight in our gastronomy and let yourself be carried away by the warmth of the staff; an experience where the Caribbean ambiance will leave you wanting to come back again and again. It also has a great music program: La Vitrola is the set of small things where you arrive and find a little touch of pleasant music to accompany a good dinner.
Discover more about our accommodation plans, wake up in paradise.
