scene.

Regardless of which you choose, you won’t have to sacrifice ambiance to eat at the 

best restaurants in Cartagena because, while pricing runs the gamut in the food scene here, aesthetics do not.

In this article we will explore some of the most beautiful restaurants in Cartagena for 2022 – and how much my tab was when I ate there.

and how much they cost?

I’m starting with Carmen because imo, this is the best dinner in Cartagena.

Carmen was founded by a Colombian-American raised in California, and her co-Cordon Bleu alum husband, Rob. One of 5 restaurants, the Cartagena location is known for its distinctly romantic setting. It has 5 rooms, the center one being a courtyard nestled into a centuries-old piece of fortress wall and stories-high trees, around which the restaurant was built. They often have an intimately-set stage with small, local musicians playing that perfect dinner-vibe music (you know, not too loud). 

The restaurant has an extensive wine list and features contemporary Colombian fusion with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. They also have amazing cocktails. If you ask to sit at the bar you’ll be entertained by Lucas and the other cocktail magicians for the duration of your dinner. The hostess always acts like it’s a weird request but then she seats us there so don’t be deterred by her reaction.

My Tab

The first 10x I went to Carmen’s I got either the 7-course or the 11-course dinner – always with wine pairing. The price for those is $64 and $92 and it’s a lot of food and a lot of wine.

This last time that I went, however, we decided to mix it up and go a la carte but we accidentally ordered dinner twice – so dinner and drinks for 4 – and our tab was $96.

Alma is a work of art. The restaurant is located in hotel Casa San Agustín (an old colonial house), and every detail has been meticulously thought out, if not already existing when the restaurant was built. Again, the walls of the venue precede the restaurant by hundreds of years. There’s a pool that runs through the venue, under an ancient aqueduct found when they built the hotel. Super casual. And most likely the picture you’ve seen if you’ve ever google image’d “Cartagena hotels,” or “beautiful Cartagena.” Or if you’ve seen Cartagena influencers on Instagram.

Pro Tip: If you can, stay at the hotel in which Alma is housed – it’s the best hotel in Cartagena.

My Tab:

A la carte dishes with a few cocktails each – sparing no expense our tab was $86.

The menu features traditional Colombian cuisine with a modern twist, and the food and the cocktails are outstanding. Chef Heberto Eljach specializes in fresh seafood, and signature dishes include seafood casserole, a variety of ceviches, and matured meat in various cuts. Not to be undermined by its competitors, there is live music from Wednesday to Sunday.

1621 is one of the best restaurants in Cartagena. It’s located in the Sofitel Legend, where everyone has their weddings. This restaurant is also effectively a museum. It was a convent dating back to 1621, and the area where the head nuns used to eat has been converted into a wine cellar. It has historical elements all over the restaurant and hotel, including crypts, wells, confessionals, paintings, doors, hidden windows, and ceramic objects. Ask the staff for a tour.

The food is exquisite and the atmosphere is very romantic. You can do the upscale dining experiences 10-course, or a more casual (but imo prettier) garden.

Our Tab

El Burlador is part of the same restaurant group as Candé and is beautiful in a less exotic way than the other Cartegna hot spots. It’s Spanish food and the eating there feels like you’re eating in Seville, Spain (not a bad thing!).

The food is excellent. Tapas, paellas, and cured hams squid stuffed with black rice and shrimp, and some innovative dishes such as Spanish chorizo on a beet puree.

My Tab

Anthony Bourdain was right. Per usual.

La Cevichería has been a Cartagena institution since Anthony Bourdain put it on the map during an episode of No Reservations — and unlike most Bourdain-approved spots that coast on the reputation, this one has actually earned it every year since.

Chef Jorge Escandón takes pride in handpicking the freshest seafood directly from Cartagena’s market, and you can taste it. It’s not a fancy room — it’s a cute, casual corner spot near Plaza San Diego — but the food is doing all the heavy lifting and it doesn’t need the ambiance to carry it.

Bourdain opened his Colombian culinary account here with a ceviche that has a distinctly local twist — it resembles a soup more than a salad, which tells you everything about what makes this place different. This isn’t Peruvian ceviche. This is Cartagena ceviche, and Chef Jorge has made it his whole identity.

My Tab

204,315 COP — about $55 USD for 2 people. We got the Ceviche Colombiano, a Coco Loco Quimbaya, two red wine cocktails, complimentary chips, and a complimentary mango salsa. $55 or one of the best meals in Cartagena. 

Celele ranked #6 on the 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America list in 2024 and #48 on the World’s 50 Best in 2025.

Chef Jaime David Rodríguez spent two years surveying Colombia’s Caribbean territory before opening Celele in 2018, inventorying ingredients and techniques that most of the world had never heard of — and the menu shows it. This is not a restaurant that’s trying to impress you with a view or a vibe. The food is the whole point, and it delivers.

We got the Ensalada de Flores, Burrata, Cacao Pal Tigre, Cangrejo Caribeño, Gallina Criolla Confit, Salpicón de Pescado, Pesca de Temporada, Marrón de Cordero, Journey Cakes, and a round of Guayaritas, Negroni, and Aguardiente – and everything was incredible.

It’s the kind of table where you keep passing dishes around and nobody’s talking because everyone is just eating. The flower salad alone has petals from at least 15 types of flowers — it sounds like a gimmick until you try it and you realize it’s actually one of the best things you’ve eaten in Colombia.

It’s hidden behind a small door on one of Getsemaní’s colorful walls — you could walk right past it. Don’t.

Book in advance. This is not a walk-in situation.

My Tab

1,536,000 COP — about $414 USD for 5 people (~$83/person before tip).

For a top-50-in-the-world dining experience, that math is genuinely embarrassing in the best possible way.

La Mistura is a beautiful, upscale restaurant, originally from Medellin, but expanded to Cartagena and Barranquilla. The decor is a chic and elegant version of Spanish colonial, with distressed wood, authentic tiling, and a little bit of a wine cellar vibe. And while this is on my list of most beautiful restaurants, the food is what made this place famous – among both locals and tourists. Go for dinner so you can see the live music.

The mix at Mistura is like traditional Cartagena meets sushi. Think mango ceviche and octopus.

My Tab

Lunch for 2 was $33 (we had some drinks too, don’t judge).

If you’re looking for a breathtaking view to pair with your meal (and I know you are because you’re reading this blog), Mirador Gastrobar is the spot. This 4-venue operation has a cafe-bar, a restaurant, a discotech, and a rooftop restaurant. And guess what – it’s located in a colonial building.

I was drawn in first by the AC wafting out of the door, then by how cute the cafe-bar was, then by how good the espresso cocktail was. Then I walked up to the discotech, which was closed but looked really fancy. Then we went to the rooftop and had our breath taken right away from us. On the edge of the walled city, this open-air beauty has really stunning panoramic views of the city and the ocean – and the famous clock tower! There’s a stage where live music or a DJ plays nightly (and I think daily, too) and the staff is super friendly. Seems like a great place to hang out.

I didn’t actually eat or drink on the rooftop because I was doing some research and in a hurry but it’s #1 on my hit list next time I go to Cartagena. Their food seems basic – seafood, meat, pasta and burgers, but the atmosphere is a draw.

My Tab

My espresso martini was $5.

If you’re looking for a really beautiful and unique restaurant in Cartagena and the food isn’t your main objective, head to Alquimico. It’s a 3-story venue with a bar on the bottom, a bar with snacks on the second floor, and a rooftop with a bar and live music on the 3rd. The decor is like a mad scientist from 17th century France created a cocktail lab. It has red velvet chairs and large infusion jars on all the walls. You can feel the love and attention that the cocktail artists put into their craft, and the quality of the ingredients is apparent even before you taste them.

Start at the bottom and get a bespoke cocktail to your exact taste. They’re here for it. Then head to the second floor and get some dinner snacks. The yuca dumplings sound amazing. After your snack dinner go upstairs one more time. Get another drink at the bar and enjoy the music.

My Tab

Our tab for 2 drinks on the first floor was $12, and the yuca dumplings that I didn’t get because I was so full were $6.47.

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