Inside Celele, Where Jaime Rodríguez Reimagines the Colombian Caribbean

"On a balmy October evening in Cartagena, the best meal of my life nearly slipped away until a last-minute walk‑in table led me into a tasting menu of wild flavors, indigenous ingredients, and the remarkable palette of the Colombian Caribbean. Guided by chef Jaime Rodríguez’s Project Caribe Lab—an ongoing effort to preserve native ingredients, rescue ancestral knowledge, and strengthen the rural communities that farm them—the kitchen sources nearly 90% of its products from Colombia, much of it wild‑harvested. A fifth‑course standout—delicate mackerel lightly smoked in coconut husks, half‑buried beneath edible yellow flowers and glossy plum leaves—turned into a silky, surprisingly creamy calducho as everything was stirred together, its richness from a tahini‑like paste of native orejero seed, warmth from a roux made with za’atar, and depth from sesame; it tasted unlike any ceviche I’ve had. The featherlight, naturally fermented journey cake nods to San Andrés and Santa Catalina, pulling apart with a cloud‑like texture to dip into tangy vinegar infused with limón de oro. For dessert, a coconut sorbet infused with ylang‑ylang arrives inside a bright green grapefruit and crowned with edible flowers, a personal tribute to a memory and to Rodríguez’s mother, who taught him the pastry techniques that shaped his path. Accolades back up the experience: a fixture on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list for six consecutive years (most recently No. 5) and No. 48 on the 2025 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. This is contemporary Colombian Caribbean cuisine told through constant investigation and deep respect for the territory—one I’d return to again and again." - Annie Brown Verdin