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A detailed guide on where to eat in Cartagena. It’s an absolute pleasure to go out to eat in this beautiful city.
Where to Eat Ceviche in Cartagena
One of the things I look forward to when visiting Cartagena is the ceviche. There are a few great places in the historic Old Town to try it.
La Cevichería
First and foremost is La Cevichería, located just off Plaza de San Diego in the San Diego neighborhood. Made famous after a visit by Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018) in 2008, this place makes some of the best ceviche I’ve ever had.
We walked up to the hostess and were told it would be about an hour wait, so we headed off to a nearby bar to grab some beers. When we came back our table was ready. We began trying to decide which mouthwatering dishes would fill our bellies that night.
Our first dish was the devil’s shrimp, which is spicy shrimp in lime juice and red onion. It went perfectly with the house hot sauce, aptly named ‘crocodile in flames”.
We shared two different large ceviche dishes. Both were spectacular and incredibly fresh. One had shrimp, calamari, and octopus. The other had a Colombian twist to it, adding avocado and plantains. I can’t describe the flavor, which seemed to linger deliciously in my mouth so much so that we asked for bread to sop up the juices. Bourdain was definitely onto something.
La Cevichería is definitely not a budget restaurant, but we had no qualms about paying the big bill for our dinner. I guess that’s the price you pay for visiting a restaurant that has exploded in popularity thanks to a celebrity chef.
Cancha Cevichería
With the popularity of La Cevichería, you could expect some self-proclaimed trendsetters who detest them and try to prove their success wrong. Cancha Cevichería (formerly Cebiches y Seviches) seems to be the favorite of those who don’t see the point of paying a premium for Bourdain-approved ceviche or waiting over an hour for a table. I visited the former location on Plaza de los Coches in El Centro. All the photos are from that location.
We walked in as the place opened for lunch and ordered a combo of three ceviches. Each one was excellent and had a unique flavor, but it didn’t come close to La Cevichería. Still, it’s an excellent choice for a meal and much more friendly on the wallet.
Pescadito Cevichería (Permanently Closed)
Pescadito is located on a quiet street near Plaza Fernández de Madrid. They only have five tables, and we popped in just as one was clearing up.
We ordered a shrimp cocktail, traditional ceviche, and a Cartagena-style ceviche with plantains and coconut milk. All of them were great, but our favorite was the traditional ceviche. Overall, it was good but not quite as good as the first two places.
El Boliche Cebichería (Permanently Closed)
The first time we walked past El Boliche on Plaza Fernández de Madrid, we saw that it was completely empty. On a return trip a few weeks later, I was alone and decided to pop in.
I ordered the coconut ceviche, which was delicious, but the portion was much smaller than expected. We got a larger portion at La Cevichería for the same price. I would like to try other ceviche dishes there before judging them on price alone, but based on this experience I would have to say El Boliche is second to La Cevichería in quality.
Where to Eat in the Old Town of Cartagena
There are several options for food in the Old Town of Cartagena, from street food to gourmet restaurants. You can pretty much find whatever cuisine you’re looking for.
Mistura
One of my favorite restaurants in the Old Town of Cartagena is Mistura, which is located on Plaza Fernández de Madrid. We actually take our Paisadventure tour groups there for dinner on every trip to the city. There are other branches in Medellín and Barranquilla, but I haven’t visited either of them.
On my first visit, it easily became my top choice for dinner in the entire city of Cartagena. The friendly service, live music, and comfortable atmosphere make it a great place to spend an evening.
Mouthwatering appetizers of grilled octopus, prawns, ceviche, and sushi get you excited for your main courses. There are several other great dishes I have yet to try. My personal favorite is the octopus, but the ceviche is also excellent.
You can never go wrong with the spicy seafood rice dish, which is something I always enjoy ordering. The pan-seared salmon is also great. One of our guests had a steak and mushroom risotto dish which is excellent. Honestly, not one guest I’ve taken to Mistura has had a bad meal.
Juan del Mar
Juan del Mar is located in San Diego and serves excellent seafood. I had the grouper with tabbouleh and it melted in my mouth. The ceviche is also worth a try. It’s quite expensive, however, by Colombian standards.
Candé
Candé was recommended by our hotel. They specialize in 100% Cartagenan dishes. Servers wear colonial outfits and the dining room is in a beautiful setting. About once an hour, a traditional dance performance took place.
Everything on the menu sounds phenomenal, and the presentation of the food was incredible, but I was a bit disappointed in my main course. I had the grouper but I could tell it wasn’t fresh and it was a bit overcooked. The rest of the meal was excellent. I tried the cheese soup and ceviche and enjoyed both very much. My dessert, a cake called pionono drenched in coconut milk and topped with cinnamon, was excellent. We washed our meal down with a bottle of Malbec.
San Valentín
One restaurant I would avoid is San Valentín in the Old Town. It was good but overpriced and very geared towards tourists. I had the langostinos caribeños (Caribbean shrimp) and wasn’t happy with the portion size in relation to the price.
Atahualpa
Bidding itself as a Peruvian restaurant, I decided to stop in for a reasonably priced “ejecutivo” plate for dinner. I had grilled chicken and a lemonade. It tasted fine, but they originally brought me a plate of fried fish which I never ordered, and had to wait another 15 minutes for the chicken.
La Brioche
La Brioche is a café serving soups and sandwiches at reasonable prices. Service was friendly and the atmosphere was cozy. I had a French onion soup. It wasn’t perfect but it hit the spot.
Hard Rock Café
I have to admit, I was craving a burger and a shake and hit up the Hard Rock Café on Plaza de la Aduana. It was great comfort food.
Café San Alberto
Grab a cup of Colombia’s most award-winning coffee on an international level at Café San Alberto on Plaza de Santo Domingo. The original is far away in Buenavista, a small town in the Coffee Region, but the flavor is the same in every cup at this branch store. If you can’t get to the original, they offer coffee tastings here. The pictures below are from the former location
Época
Another great cup of coffee can be found at Época, a coffee house and bar that also specializes in brunch.
Their coffee comes from Finca La Rivera in the Risaralda department of Colombia, near Pereira. We had a Chemex for two, including a demonstration.
Gelateria Paradiso
If you’re craving gelato, this is a great place. There are about 20 flavors to choose from, and I haven’t had one I didn’t like. There’s even a comfortable seating area so you can eat your gelato without worrying about it melting in the Cartagena heat. The picture below is from the old location.
Gelateria Tramonti
A block away from Paradiso is Gelateria Tramonti, which is even better! This small take-away gelato place is run by an Italian man, and the gelato actually seemed creamier and more flavorful than Paradiso.
Zaitún (Permanently Closed)
Zaitún is a Lebanese restaurant that also offers a variety of Caribbean dishes. Prices are a bit high, but the food is delicious and the service is excellent. I had a mixed plate of Lebanese specialties and was very happy with my meal.
Grecia Café y Suvlaki (Permanently Closed)
Grecia Café y Suvlaki was a small Greek restaurant located in El Centro. After not tasting any Greek food in nearly a year, it was exactly what I needed! I went with Marisol for her first Greek culinary experience. We split a Greek salad and an order of souvlaki with tzatziki and fries. It was as authentic as it gets. The feta, which is very difficult to find in Colombia, was the real deal.
We also had a chance to speak to the owner. He was very surprised when I spoke to him in Greek and he treated us to a couple beers. In the end, it was a very reasonable price for a very delicious meal. I ended up going back with my father and his wife on my next trip.
Note: The owner has since moved on to Bogotá where he has opened another Greek restaurant, while his former partner has done the same in Santa Marta.
Street Food
Street food in Cartagena is worth trying as well. You’ll find several people selling fresh fruit (but it seems to be terribly overpriced). Try mango con sal y limón (mango with salt and lime). You’ll also come by street meat and arepa con queso, especially at Parque de Bolívar. Worth a shot!
Where to Eat in Getsemaní, Cartagena
Getsemaní is another neighborhood full of great restaurants. I’ve seen several great places come and go over the years, and it keeps getting better every time I go back.
Di Silvio Trattoria
Delicious pasta dishes and great pizza await at Di Silvio Trattoria. Located on Calle de la Sierpe, which is famous for its graffiti, this picturesque restaurant is definitely worth a visit for all things Italian.
I took a tour group there and everyone was very happy with their meals. I had spaghetti puttanesca while others had pasta dishes and pizza.
Basilica Pizzería Café
You won’t find a place in Getsemaní that uses fresher ingredients than Basilica. Why? They grow their own! Located on Plazuela del Pozo, it’s a lively place with friendly service, although it can be slow.
Try one of the delicious pizzas. You’ll also love the crema de pomodoro as a starter. The limonada de albahaca (basil lemonade) is amazing. They also have very good pasta dishes.
Bonche
I had a delicious burger at Bonche on Plazuela del Pozo. The Bonche burger was massive and juicy and was worth the 25 minute wait! They also make a tasty pulled pork sandwich.
Gelateria Ceiba
For some good gelato, try Gelateria Ceiba just off Plaza de la Trinidad. They have several exotic fruit flavors such as zapote, corozo, and níspero, as well as more well-known favorites like chocolate, pineapple, mango, and vanilla.
Café de la Trinidad
Café de la Trinidad is located right on Plaza de la Trinidad. They have outdoor seating that’s usually full on a weekend evening. They serve pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. I had a pizza on my first visit and a pasta dish on my second. Marisol had a sandwich which was huge. The food is decent and reasonably priced.
La Casa de Socorro
La Casa de Socorro was terribly overpriced for what we got. Both Marisol and I had ceviche and cherry lemonade. The portion was much tinier than we expected for the price. Avoid it.
Guatila (Permanently Closed)
Guatila is a gourmet restaurant on a quiet residential street in Getsemaní. They honor Colombian gastronomy by serving up dishes with ingredients grown in all regions of Colombia.
After a complimentary starter of a very light arepa with guiso, I had a delicious cream of guatila, which is a very mild tasting fruit also known as chayote. For my main meal I had the Caribbean rice, which is coconut rice mixed with shellfish and tempura shrimp and topped with a patacón. The rice was delicious but a bit salty. The coconut lemonade did the trick to wash it down.
Malagana (Permanently Closed)
At Malagana, we had a very light meal starting with an octopus and bacon appetizer which was excellent. For my main course, I had a chicken Caesar wrap and mango juice in milk. On my second visit, I had a salad and Marisol had a club sandwich.
Saint Roque (Permanently Closed)
Saint Roque is an Indonesian restaurant – the only one in Colombia – run by a man from Holland who has been living in the country since 2006. The restaurant benefits the Vecina Foundation (Fundación La Vecina), which aids underprivileged children in Cartagena. Saint Roque is open for dinner every day except Sundays.
Besides being for a good cause, they also have amazing food. We tried the chicken saté in spicy peanut sauce as a starter. I had the chicken in black bean sauce while my cousin Anna had the vegetarian meal in peanut sauce. Everything was incredibly good. It was one of the tastiest meals I had eaten in a long time.
On my visit with Marisol, we had the special menu which included two meat dishes and a vegetarian dish along with a complimentary bottle of wine. This was an amazing deal and the food was once again incredible.
Las Indias (Permanently Closed)
On Plazuela del Pozo, Las Indias offers excellent gourmet food as well as an affordable and delicious “ejecutivo” lunch menu. You can sit indoors or on the beautiful patio.
I went in for the ejecutivo, which included a fish soup, a choice of meat or fish, coconut rice, salad, and small dessert. You can also count on friendly and efficient service.
Con-fussion (Permanently Closed)
Con-fussion is a fusion restaurant right off Plaza de la Trinidad. It’s a quirky place with a couple of rooftop terraces, good service, and decent food. I tried the orange chicken and enjoyed it.
Where to Eat in Bocagrande, Cartagena
My experience is limited on restaurants in Bocagrande. I try to avoid the area and concentrate on the Old Town and Getsemaní.
Jardín China
Craving Chinese food, I walked into this restaurant for lunch (July 2017) not expecting much and to my surprise I found almost every table full. That was a good sign. I ordered the vegetable chow mein which was served very quickly. It was a lot of vegetables and not many noodles, but it was delicious.
Nassar (Permanently Closed)
Nassar is a Lebanese restaurant that opened in late 2016. It’s owned by a friendly man that makes sure you’re having a good experience. It’s located on a side street in Bocagrande.
I visited twice (July 2017) and both times had the bandeja mixta árabe, which included an assortment of excellent goodies, including tabbouleh, kibbe, hummus, a chicken kebab, and stuffed cabbage leaves. I finished it off with a coconut lemonade.
Restaurante D.F. (Permanently Closed)
This festively decorated Mexican restaurant had a good assortment of fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, and burritos (July 2017), but it was missing any type of seafood on the menu. I happily would have ordered shrimp fajitas, but settled on enchiladas mixtas (beef, chicken, and pork). They didn’t have pork (they asked me to wait 20 minutes so they could run out and get some), so I went with a beef burrito instead. It was good, but I’ve definitely had better. I wouldn’t go back again.
