8 Best Restaurants in The Caribbean Coast, Colombia

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.
Café Quick Bite $ Fodor's Choice
Calle San Jun #25–60, Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia
5-647–2912
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No lunch or dinner

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

$$$ Fodor's choice
One of the most recommended local favorites is a no-frills bastion of Cartagena cuisine built on the impressive research and skill of chef and culinary historian María "Pepina" Yances. Although Doña Pepina passed away in 2014, her energy and recipe book have been carried forward by her family, and the restaurant remains a must-visit for those keen to sample local classics. The blackboard menu changes daily, although staples like the mote de queso (a soup of yam, coconut milk, and local cheese) and cabeza de gato (balls of mashed plantain and yam with a zingy tomato-onion relish) will always be on hand. Keep an eye out for the peppers stuffed with ground beef, another punchy perennial favorite.
Caribbean Lunch Dinner $$$ Fodor's Choice
Callejón Vargas 9A–06, Cartagena, Bolívar, 130001, Colombia
5-664–2944
Known For
  • recipes from a local celebrity chef
  • mote de queso (yam, coconut, and cheese soup)
  • peppers stuffed with ground beef
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.–Mon.

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El Fuerte Restaurant

$$$ Fodor's choice

Set in an almost cavernous space with double arches reaching up to the 15-foot-high ceiling, the warm and welcoming staff at this 18th-century fort turned restaurant serves great drinks and a solid Italian menu. Quality is paramount here—pizzas are thin and wood fired and pasta is handmade with freshly prepared sauces.

Cash only.

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.

Lulo Cafe Bar

$$ Fodor's choice
One of the best places to hang out in town, Lulo gets it right with fresh juices, light healthy food, and a warm, easygoing vibe. The smoothies are outstanding, the wraps and gourmet arepas never disappoint, and breakfast is delicious. There are plenty of vegetarian options too, and they serve good local coffee from the Sierra Nevada.

Ouzo Restaurante

$$$ Fodor's choice

From its prime position on the Parque de los Novios, Ouzo serves up tasty Mediterranean food with deftly applied Greek influences that make for a refreshing change from the norm. The high-ceilinged interior is kept cool by whirring fans and the pleasant ambience, which is somewhere between Greece and colonial Colombia. In the evenings, a table on the balcony or plaza can't be beat. Try as many of the appetizers as possible, and don't miss the wood-fired pizzas or house specialties like Greek paella or Makaronia me Keftedes (Greek meatballs) if available. Reservations are advised.