La Cocina de Pepina

The 35 Best Restaurants in Cartagena, Colombia | Eater

"Anyone who can’t afford a coastal getaway will find a taste of seaside comfort food here. Although founder María Josefina Yancés has handed over her small restaurant to her nephew Christian Sepúlveda, the kitchen carries on her extensive work with traditional local foodways, paying tribute to biological and cultural diversity in the Caribbean. Typical ingredients include cassava, plantain, eggplant, chiles, beef, pork, hens, ducks, and plenty of fish from rivers and the sea. Look for mote de queso, boronía (eggplant and sweet plantain puree), pasteles and hallacas (types of tamales), gallina monteriana (chicken stew from Montería), or viuda de carne salada (salt-cured meat with garnishes). Seating is first-come, first-served. [$$]" - Juliana Duque