Discover the top ten of the best restaurants in Cartagena!
Cartagena is the romantic jewel on the Colombian caribbean cost. In fact, this city is full of vibrant history. But today it’s a favorite stop for the jet-setting elite, celebrities, and young travelers alike.
One of the main Cartagana’s attractions is the cuisine. Indeed, it is an eclectic mix of influences from local to all over the world ingredients. You won’t resist the fresh ingredients sourced straight from the local seas and mountains.
With all this at your fingertips, how do you know where to start?
For this reason, we’ve curated a list of our top 10 best restaurants in Cartagena. Use our list to guide you through the melting pot of flavor and experience in this Colombian port city. And remember that in Cartagena you can also have a VIP chef service ir you want too.
Best Restaurants in Cartagena
Carmen – Best Overall
Let’s star with Carmen. It is located in the heart of Cartagena’s historic downtown. Carmen serves outstanding Colombian cuisine plucked from every corner of the countryside.
Trained at Le Cordon Bleu San Francisco, chefs Carmen Angel and Rob Pevitts provide a curated seven-course tasting menu. A dining experience celebrating the biodiversity of Colombian ingredients. Or, if you prefer to order a la carte, choose from a sensational menu of fresh, sourced food.
Moreover, you can dine indoors or enjoy the warm evening in Carmen’s gorgeous tropical courtyard. Carmen is, in our view, one of the best restaurants in Colombia.
Donjuán – Best Elevated Menu
Onother one of the best restaurants in Cartagena is Donjuan. If you’re looking for some of the best seafood in town, try reserving a table at Chef Juan Felipe Camacho’s Donjuán. With a focus on pure ingredients, the menu brings out the best flavors of Caribbean cuisine.
In fact, you’ll enjoy fresh seafood, local meat, and seasonal vegetables. They all togueter make an elevated experience between a Caribbean gourmet restaurant and a French bistro. The space is beautiful, with high ceilings to allow for a vast wine collection.
We recommend trying the grilled octopus – and don’t skip the decadent dessert menu.
Di Silvio – Trendiest Neighborhood
Surely, Di Silvio clasifies in the Cartagena best restaurants list. It is located in the uber-hip culture quarter, Getsemani. This restaurant embodies the neighborhood’s laid-back, artistic, youthful vibe. Enjoy sidewalk jazz, a jumble of locals and international travelers, and vibrant street art on your way to Di Silvio’s, just outside of the old town.
The restaurant is and old home constructed of coral and mortar walls. It has an open architecture extension that merges interior and exterior. The menu focuses on comfort foods like thin-crust pizza, calzones, and ravioli. If you’re lucky, you’ll get there on a night with live music.
Marea by Rausch – Best Waterfront
Marea is one of the best restaurants in Cartagena for dining on the waterfront. Brought to you by one of Colombia’s most famous chefs, siblings Jorge and Mark Rausch. While the restaurant sits in the corporate center of town, the vibe is coastal, cosmopolitan, and romantic.
Find there Peruvian and Caribbean cuisine. They are blended together for a gastronomic exploration of local seafood and more. You can opt to dine indoors in the ocean-themed dining rooms, but our favorite spot is outside along the harbor.
Mar Y Zielo – Best Caribbean Flair
You will truly feel like you stepped back into the golden age of the Caribbean at Mar Y Zielo. Both, restaurant and gastro bar, Mar Y Zielo thrives in a historic old townhome with zany tiled floors and hanging basket lights.
Choose to experience the vibe in the main dining room, one of two bars, or a luxurious outdoor terrace. In fact, the menu blends the international flair of Peruvian cuisine with classic Caribbean seafood plates.
We recommend the Chicharrón de cerdo, a slow-roasted pork dish with yam puree and pineapple ponzu.
Restaurante Pizzería dal Maestro – Best Pizza
Are you looking for a more laid-back, family-style spot? So must try the famous restaurante Pizzeria dal Maestro.
The owner is Pietro, an Italian chef who opened the pizzeria with his wife, Judith. Together they combine the best flavors of handmade Italian pizza with a dash of Colombian ingredients and spice. Indeed, their seafood pizza is a perfect example of the two cuisines blending for the best of both worlds.
You’ll get an authentic local experience at a tablecloth-draped picnic table with plastic chairs.
Los Fritos de Dora – Best Food Truck
Need a pit-stop on a wild night out? So taste the best food truck in town, Los Fritos de Dora, open 5 pm to midnight.
Located right off the water in Plaza de San Diego. Los Fritos de Dora serves traditional fried snacks like beef empanadas or carimañolas, a traditional Colombian meat pie in a yuca fritter. We couldn’t find better street food anywhere else in Colombia.
The founder, Dora Gaviria, first opened the truck at this spot over 57 years ago. Now it’s mostly run by her son and grandchildren, but locals still line up around the block to taste these fried delights.
It’s not every day a food truck can measure up to the best restaurants in Cartagena.
La Mulata – Best for Breakfast or Lunch
La Mulata is the perfect place for a breakfast or lunch break while you’re out walking in the city – or before a big day on the beach.
The fare is delicious Colombian home-cooking. It features ingredients source only from small local vendors. In conclusion, if you want authentic Colombian seafood without paying an arm and a leg, this is the spot to go.
Try the incredibly fresh ceviche, or the seafood served on plantain leaves.
Townhouse Boutique Hotel & Rooftop – Best Nightlife
The Townhouse Boutique Hotel is one of the hottest spots for young people visiting Cartagena. It is also one of t Cartagena’s best restaurants.
Start your night off with happy hour cocktails on the rooftop bar overlooking the city skyline. In fact, the bar features strong cocktails, beautiful people, and usually a DJ spinning dance tracks. The bar snacks are perfect for sharing with friends as you gather for a night out.
We recommend checking out room reservations at this excellent hotel.
Zaitún Cartagena – Best Fusion
We love Zaitún for its unique fusion of Colombian and Lebanese cuisines. Indeed, the restaurant’s tagline is “a space full of flavor and joy,” and that’s what they deliver.
Chef Álex Quessep opened the original Zaitun in the nearby city of Barranquilla. The Cartagena installment brings even more romantic zest and party spirit to the interior, with the same signature menu. The fare includes classics like falafel and stuffed grape leaves alongside Caribbean sirloin and vegetables.
You might not be able to visit them all but we hope you get a chance to check out at least half of them. Or if you’ve found few more hidden gems, we’d love to hear from you.
Read our blogs for more information on the top activities in Cartagena and more.
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