Contemporary Colombian Caribbean cuisine celebrating indigenous ingredients
Calle del Espíritu Santo, Cra. 10c #29-200, Getsemaní, Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar, Colombia Get directions
COP 200,000+
"Regarded as Cartagena’s most exciting restaurant, this vibrant spot is led by pioneering chef Jaime Rodríguez, a 37-year-old from the Andean Boyacá region who has spent over 14 years traveling Colombia’s “savannah, mountain, and desert” documenting more than 300 native ingredients, especially the foods of the country’s 6.9 million displaced people. The menu showcases the Caribbean north with smartly elevated dishes such as pateburro sea snails and a dehydrated prawn and goat curry eaten by the Wayuu people of the Guajira desert. The aim is to demonstrate that Colombia’s Caribbean is a gastronomic powerhouse and to give a sense of home to communities for whom food may be the only home they carry with them, positioning the restaurant as both a culinary and cultural statement." - Stephanie Rafanelli
"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
"Made a new-entry debut on the 2025 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list at No. 48." - Erin DeJesus
"This intimate, must-book restaurant alternates between romantic and lively, with soft lighting, exposed brick, and striking murals that set the stage for a tasting-driven meal celebrating Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The inventive menu showcases the freshest local ingredients; highlights include a shared Caribbean crab that layers bright, coastal flavors and a vividly presented flower salad that’s as much visual art as food. For an authentic local touch, try any drink featuring corozo, a tart regional berry." - Ksenia Prints
