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Restaurant File: Cartagena’s Top Cafes, Alfresco Dining & Festive Seafood Spots
Stylish Restaurants and Culinary Hotspots in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
The culinary scene in Cartagena de Indias is almost hotter than its tropical climate! Several new restaurants have popped up lately in the colonial port city, many set within mansions from the 18th and 19th centuries. There's no shortage of impressive places to eat in town, but here are some choice spots not to miss …
Club de Pesca
A gorgeous spot for sunset cocktails and a gourmet dinner on the waterfont. "The stylish restaurant has a beautiful and historic setting," says John Halley, a British expat and longtime Dockmaster at the neighboring yacht marina, Club Nautico Cartagena. "I once met the British ambassador there, and my cruising friends and clients rate it very highly." Pesca is on Manga Island, just southeast of the old city, on the remains of an old fort. You can take a taxi—or park your boat right next to the terrace; then park yourself at a table there for late afternoon drinks and watch the boats come in. Be sure to sample the kitchen's elegant take on traditional Colombian seafood dishes (some of Pesca's chefs have trained at such elite culinary schools as Le Cordon Bleu and LeNôtre). Weekend evenings are fun too, with live bands playing Latin music.
Club de Pesca
Fuerte San Sebastian del Pastelillo
Manga
Cartagena de Indias, Bolivar
Colombia
+57 5 660 4594
El Santisimo
Book in advance for this local favorite, an atmospheric, upscale restaurant in the historic San Diego neighborhood with a pretty interior courtyard. The ambiance is nice for either a romantic meal or a festive group dinner with friends. Feast on the Cordon-bleu meets Caribbean inspired seafood dishes paired with a bottle from their impressive (for Cartagena) wine list.
El Santisimo
8 – 19 Calle del Santisimo
Centro Histórico
Cartegena de Indias, Bolivar
Colombia
+57 5 664 3316
restauranteelsantisimo@gmail.com
El Refectorio at Sofitel Hotel Santa Clara
Best for a romantic gourmet dinner. Expect top-notch European service and one of the city's best wine lists at this gorgeous fine-dining restaurant in the Sofitel Hotel Santa Clara, located in a stunning former convent. Try to book a table in the outdoor coutyard.
Sofitel Hotel Santa Clara
39-29 Calle Del Torno
Barrio San Diego, Centro Histórico
Cartagena de Indias, Bolivar
Colombia
+57 5 650 4700
La Vitrola
Don't even bother trying to eat here during high-season unless you've booked over a month in advance. The receptionist will practically laugh and hang up on you if you call to make a last-minute reservation. La Vitrola is the most popular restaurant in town, and deservedly so. Every night you'll find a worldy well-heeled crowd dining on the Cuban and Caribbean seafood and salad plates. The Cuban musicians keep things lively, inspiring patrons to get up and dance between tables as the night rolls on and the mojitos kick in …
La Vitrola
2–01 Baloco
Centro Histórico
Cartagena de Indias, Bolivar
Colombia
+57 5 664 8243
Restaurante 8-18
A relative newcomer to the historic district's blossoming restaurant scene, 8-18 brings some South Beach flair with its sleek, all-white interior. Large parties should book ahead for group seating on the second floor, which my editor Chantal prefers to the tiny main floor (although on the ground floor you can watch the action in the open kitchen). Nice pasta and seafood menu.
Restaurante 8-18
2 – 124 Calle Gastelbondo, Local 8
Centro Histórico
Cartagena de Indias, Bolivar
Colombia
+57 5 664 2632
Mila Cafe & Patisserie
"I was tipped off to this amazing cafe and bakery by Andrés Busquets, the chef at nearby Guantanamera," says my editor Chantal, who recently visited Cartagena. "Go there for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon coffee and snack. You can sit in the sleek, air-conditioned cafe or outside in the small courtyard garden. The pastries made by chef/owner Camila Andrea Vargas, a young and talented chef, are some of the best I've ever seen, especially the cakes with an unusual shimmery gold frosting." Insider Tip: Camila just opened a champagne bar and lounge on the rooftop terrace, which you can rent out for private dinners and parties.
Mila Cafe
35 – 76 Calle de la Iglesia
Centro Histórico
Cartagena de Indias, Bolivar
Colombia
+57 5 664 1347
milacartagenacentro@hotmail.com
La Perla
Brand new in the historic district, this chic little Peruvian and Mediterranean seafood restaurant serves some of the best, expert-mixed cocktails in town—especially anything made with pisco. La Perla is a joint venture from Gean Carlo Mayorga Machiavello, a Peruvian chef, and Roberto Carrascal, a mixologist and partner in Scirocco Bar, one of the hottest nightlife spots in Bogota. His signature drink, La Perla, is a cucumber, basil and gin martini in a bluish color. Oddly, the bar of the narrow, sea and beach inspired dining room is quite small, so it's better to book ahead for dinner and settle in at a table for a freshly prepared meal of oysters, tiradito, ceviche, lomo saltado and squid ink risotto (paired, of course, with some of their inventive drinks). A large group of up to 18 or so can fit nicely at the banquette and tables along one wall. Ask Roberto to help you with any special requests; he speaks perfect English.
La Perla
4 – 42 Calle de Ayos
Centro Histórico
Cartagena de Indias, Bolivar
Colombia
+57 5 664 2157
Guantanamera
A bit of Old Havana! Open only since January 2009, Guantanamera is the newest hotspot in Cartagena's flourishing restaurant and nightlife scene. "Our concept is contemporary Caribbean and Cuban cusine," says Chef Andrés Busquets, who just left his post at the stylish Hotel LM to join his restaurateur brother, Manuel, in this new venture. The tiny, shabby-chic restaurant evokes Havana of yore with pink and yellow striped walls, crystal chandeliers, and live Cuban music nightly. Chef Andrés went to culinary school in New York, and honed his skills at Spice Market, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant, as well as Park Avenue Cafe, so you know you're in good hands. Try his traditional ropa vieja Cubana; braised bull tail; and baby back ribs in rum sauce. "With no fear I can say that ours is the best mojito in town," boasts Andrés, who recommends the ones flavored with tamarind and passion fruit. (We can't officially vouch for that because to do so we'd have to try every mojito in Cartagena—maybe next time …) "We also have the best selection of rums from around the world, plus wines from from South America." Cheers!
Calle Santodomingo & Gastelbondo (at corner)
Centro Histórico
Cartagena de Indias, Bolivar
Colombia
Palma
A little-known secret about this chic, contemporary restaurant is that they have a small (very small) al fresco dining terrace on their roof, which has views of the city and overlooks the Santa Clara—a 17th-century convent turned luxury hotel—as well as the backyard and home of famed Colombian author and Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez. If you book in advance, they can arrange a group dinner there for up to 8 people. The air-conditioned main room is a symphony of white, and fills up every night with a stylish international clientele dining on Caribbean-Italian fusion cuisine.
Palma Restaurant
38 – 137 Calle del Curato
Barrio San Diego, Centro Histórico
Cartagena de Indias, Bolivar
Colombia
+57 5 660 2796
palmarestaurante@yahoo.com
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