17 Best Restaurants in Cartagena, The Caribbean Coast

Cafe del Mural

$ Fodor's choice

A draw for serious coffee lovers, this tiny, charmingly rustic and colorfully cluttered café is the perfect place to delve into the wide world of Colombian coffee. Owner, roaster, and barista David is passionate and knowledgeable and with no pretense or frills. He offers an impressive array of modern methods of preparation—from Chemex, Aeropress, and cold brew to traditionally (and impeccably) prepared espresso—but also a mad genius edge by offering coffee from machines from as far abroad as Germany or Vietnam. The café also offers a wide variety of cold coffee, fruit drinks, and creamy caffeinated cocktails. Go when you have some time to sample beans from various regions around the country, or just sit at the wooden beam bench outside and watch a Getsemaní afternoon pass by. However, it's only open from 3 pm to 8 pm.

Carmen

$$$ | Centro Fodor's choice

This smart restaurant promises and delivers a quality high-end dining experience with a tantalizing menu offering a modern take on superbly sourced local ingredients with well-integrated Asian touches. The dining room is divided into three distinct spaces: an internal salon dominated by an exposed brick wall and teardrop lamps; a courtyard soothed by the constant sound of running water; and a small rooftop terrace, perfect for drinking up the Cartagena sunset and a welcoming cool breeze. Following in the steps of the flagship Medellín original, service is sharp without being stuffy, and the drinks menu impresses with a suitably exotic list of cocktails. For a treat, indulge in one of the five- or seven-course tasting menus.

Cocina de Pepina

$$$ Fodor's choice

One of the most recommended local favorites is a no-frills bastion of Cartagena cuisine built on the impressive research and skill of chef and culinary historian María "Pepina" Yances. Although Doña Pepina passed away in 2014, her energy and recipe book have been carried forward by her family, and the restaurant remains a must-visit for those keen to sample local classics. The blackboard menu changes daily, although staples like the mote de queso (a soup of yam, coconut milk, and local cheese) and cabeza de gato (balls of mashed plantain and yam with a zingy tomato-onion relish) will always be on hand. Keep an eye out for the peppers stuffed with ground beef, another punchy perennial favorite.

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Gelatería Tramonti

$ | Centro Fodor's choice

There are few things more welcoming in the tropical Cartagena humidity than cold, creamy gelato, and this tiny corner offers the best in town, outshining the competition with quality ingredients, creative flavors, and friendly service. Owners Davis and Mateo have not only succeeded in bringing the true taste and texture of Italian gelato from their homeland, but they also offer a range of flavors based on local fruit, including lulo and guanabana, that surprise and delight.

La Cevichería

$$$ | Centro Fodor's choice

Lively and colorful, this is what a cevichería should feel like. Choose from the tables outside, white wrought-iron stools at the kitchen bar or small wooden tables in a small but festively decorated space marked by its blue-and-white chequered floor and plenty of nautical details. Besides an excellent rendition of a classic Peruvian ceviche, also be sure to try the Douglas ceviche with mango, shrimp, lemon, and red onion, or splurge on the tropical paella.

Agua de Mar

$$$ | Centro

A wave of gin bars has rolled onto the shore in Cartagena, but this restaurant, thanks to Spanish owner Mar Alonso, has focused on a more gastronomic twist. He offers some of the best bites in the city, going well beyond standard tapas into a unique blend of Mediterranean and Caribbean fusion fare. The decor is modern, albeit a little more cold and cavernous than you might want, but the warmth of the friendly, top-notch servers and a serious selection of gin drinks more than make up for other failings. As the evening slides on, the bar crowd takes over, and a classy crowd of cocktail lovers sips until the early hours of the morning.

Beiyú

A tiny café that is easy to miss on one of Getsemaní's main streets, Beiyú provides a welcome respite from all things fried and heavy (which dominate local cuisine) with a selection of healthy wraps and juices. There is a small but good breakfast menu at bargain prices, but it's the juice and smoothie menu that will bring you back time and again. A huge variety of fruit is available, and more exotic jungle superfruit like acaí and copuacú offer a cool, energizing kick to keep the tropical heat at bay.

Café San Pedro

$$$ | Centro

This restaurant's main attraction is its location on Plaza San Pedro Claver, since some tables have beautiful views of the eponymous church. Although it serves Colombian fare with a particular focus on seafood, this restaurant's eclectic menu also includes dishes from Thailand, Italy, and Japan. In the evenings there are few better spots for people watching if you manage to grab one of the outside tables for a drink or dinner.

Caffé Lunático

$$$

Set on a lovely and generally calm Getsemaní street, this funky café dominated by a graffitti mural serves the tastiest breakfast in town. Try the arepita lunática for one of the best examples of the local breakfast classic. It's also an excellent choice for tapas in the evening. Ingredients are of notably good quality, and the Spanish owner-chef reliably impresses with a short menu that shows off some inventive and remarkably well-executed dishes ranging from a watermelon gazpacho with avocado and a shrimp brochette, to a corvina tiradito with banana and lemongrass, to a more traditional grilled octopus. All around, Lunático offers great value for the quality of the food.

Club de Pesca

$$$$

Time slips gently by at this 18th-century fortress-turned-restaurant by a marina in the Manga neighborhood, not far from the walled town. Fish is a focus, and the restaurant prides itself on its wine list. It's easy to linger on the waterfront terrace in the shade of a giant fig tree, and the refreshingly calm ambience has played a large part in making Club de Pesca a local favorite. The food, though fresh, doesn't stand up to other high-end offerings around town.

De Silvio Trattoria

The exposed stone walls and graffiti-covered exterior of an old Getsemaní home set the tone for this trendy Italian restaurant, which seamlessly blends the historical and modern faces of the neighborhood. Grab a table in the green, open-air courtyard and stick to the pizza. You'll enjoy a gently pleasant evening that isn't too heavy on the wallet.

El Boliche Cebicheria

$$$ | Centro

This tiny restaurant on a quiet, flower-filled street of one-story houses in the San Diego section of the historic town serves up impeccably fresh, creative ceviche and other seafood dishes. With six or seven basic tables—and the kitchen just behind them all—space is at a premium, but the food is worth the squeeze. Empanadas are stuffed with crab, coconut milk, lemongrass, and chimichurri; the cebiche coco comes with squid, shrimp, and conch, along with coconut milk, cilantro, and sweet peppers. Fried plantain chips are a perfect accompaniment, and cocktails are available. You have to love a place where, during a late lunch, the owner's child may be playing underfoot. Reservations are recommended for dinner.

Gaucha Resto Winehouse

$$$

Another hotspot in the Getsemaní nighttime firmament, Gaucha is a steak house seemingly lifted straight from the streets of Buenos Aires. Classy minimal styling includes weathered whitewashed walls; heavy, bare wooden tables; a chequered tile floor; and oversized wicker lampshades that create soft dappled light. Of course, the design takes a backseat to the star of the show, a range of quality cuts of meat, well-sized and impeccably grilled. The classic bife de chorizo (sirlion strip steak) is excellent, but rest easy that more typical and richly flavored Argentine cuts like the vacio (flank) or tira de asado (Argentine short ribs) are superbly done and worth trying. Splurge on a good bottle of Malbec—there's a decent selection—and don't pass up the classy starters.

I Balcone

Directly above the famous Cafe Havana, I Balcone retains its mantle of go-to spot in the city for fans of thin-crust pizza thanks to an excellent dough and all handmade ingredients. The pasta, also freshly made, is an equally good choice, with the creamy lobster linguine a standout. The interior lacks a bit of love, but get there early to assure a spot at the little tables squeezed onto one of the balconies, and you can enjoy the inevitably pleasant evening and lively street life passing below.

La Perla

$$$ | Centro

While Cartagena has a number of excellent ceviche restaurants, La Perla is a standout for it's variety of traditional Perivuan dishes, some novo-Andino styling, and inventive uses of local ingredients. The decor is simple yet elegant and creates an intimate dinner experience in the narrow restaurant, although the dining room can feel a little crowded when full. Peruvian chef Carlos Achinelli offers a short, frequently renewed but always interesting menu, which rewards exploring and reliably impresses with punchy flavors. Favorites are the stuffed squid and the tiradito (paper-thin slices of raw fish) in lime and yellow chili leche de tigre sauce. But don't pass up on the tasty cocktail menu.

La Vitrola

$$$$ | Centro

This friendly restaurant on a quiet corner in the walled city is the result of a New Yorker's love affair with the Caribbean. You can begin with ceviche catalina (fish and octopus marinated in lime juice); then try a zarzuela de mariscos (seafood casserole) or perhaps corvina con salsa de cebollin y jenibre (sea bass with scallion-ginger sauce). Ceiling fans, historic photos, and live Cuban music complete the mood. Be aware of their no-shorts dress code.

Mila Pastelería

$$$ | Centro

This upscale bakery and coffee shop offers touches of quaint, country-style decor and friendly service. Particularly popular for a midmorning coffee break or afternoon tea, the temple of pastry, cake, and silken mousse delivers a welcome respite, and you'll likely end up spending more time than you have planned. The pour-over filter coffee is good, and the lemon-coconut drink—a Cartagena classic—may be at it's best.

The Caribbean Coast

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