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Eating in Cartagena (Colombia)


Eating in Cartagena (Colombia)

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Cartagena features a rich fusion cuisine, combining ingredients and methods of the New and Old worlds, as well as of the original African, Arabian and other legacies of its inhabitants. Eating set menu lunches and dinners in local restaurants called 'corrientes' costs around COP $6,000 pesos ($3). A typical dish consists of fried fish (if you are by the beach), chicken or meat, served with coconut rice (arroz de coco), fried plantains (patacones) and salad. There are many places that sell $1 fruit juices. Colombia boasts a very good range of exotic fruits that can be mixed with water or milk. In the old town, dozens of good restaurants can be found dotted around the streets. They are particularly concentrated close to the Plaza Santo Domingo in El Centro, such as: Note that many of the below restaurants are not open on Sundays - La Cocina de Carmela is not open for dinner at all (late Sept 2011), El Bistro and La Suiza are closed on Sunday.
  • A great 'corriente' is Donde Chandy on San Augustin 6-15. COP $5500 for salad and main.
  • Don't be fooled by the name Pizza and Pasta on Calle Arzobispado. Try their special menu of the day for dinner, just COP$1800 for salad, main, and choice of drink.
  • Club de Pesca - great seafood and great atmosphere. Located in Manga with view to the bay and marinas of Cartagena.
  • Saint Michel, on the northwest corner of the Plaza. If you fancy a change from the usual seafood or Italian restaurants, this French option serves some very tasty fondues as the main courses in its three-course menus, very good value at around USD$10, as well as plenty of other dishes and wine at more reasonable prices than at most restaurants in this area.
  • El Bistro, in Calle Ayos 4-46, 2 blocks from Plaza Santo Domingo. Excellent European Kitchen, German Bakery, reasonabel prices.
    • There are also several around the smaller but more intimate San Diego Plaza next to the Santa Clara hotel and include:
  • La Cevicheria, Calle Stuart, opposite Hotel Santa Clara, Tel: 6642760. A great selection of hot and cold ceviches, around USD$8 a dish.
  • Pazza Luna - Good, super thin crust pizzas, but expensive considering what is available nearby. There are other dishes as well such as pastas. Located on Plaza San Diego. Live music as well.
  • La Vitrola - Considered the best restaurant in town. Cuban ambience, good food - high prices. It is located Calle Baloco on the corner front to the historical walls.
  • La Cava - Very good restaurant in the calle Santo Domingo. Dishes around 16 USD.
  • Quebracho - Argentinian restaurant at its best. Goood meat, good ambiance. Dishes around 18 USD. It is located Calle Baloco.
  • Crepes & Waffles - Very nice Colombian franchise restaurant which offers very good dishes to excellent prices (dishes around 5 USD). It is located Calle Baloco.
  • El Corral - very nice colombian franchise hamburger chain. Good quality hamburgers for $10,000-$15,000 pesos for a combo. One is located in Boca grande; there are probably more.
  • La Cocina de Carmela - Colombian gourmet food in the Calle Santisimo close to Parque Fernandez de Madrid. Dishes around 12 USD. Hard to find open.
  • Cafe El Santisimo - One of the must see restaurants of Cartagena. Dishes around 16 USD.
  • Atahualpa had the best dinner 'Menu of the Day' I had seen. Peruvian place with fresh fish. Set dinner Soup, Main and Juice for only COP$12000. At end of Calle de Tablada at the Plaza de Managua.
  • Restaurante Casa Suiza, Calle de la Soledad 5-38 Centro Historico (Near Juan Valdez and the Universidad de Cartagena), ☎ 312-678-9309, . 7:30am to 8pm. Great food at a great price. The swiss trained chef offers a daily lunch menu starting at US$4 including a fresh fruit juice, soup, mixed salad, main dish, and coffee. All meals are made from scratch. Even the bread and pasta are made in house. Pastry and pie dishes are also available. Check out the breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu on their website. $4 and up. �
  • Gelateria Paradiso has unreal ice cream. Fans of coffee ice cream must stop by for a scoop. COP$4000 for small cup, COP$6000 for medium. Corner of Calle del Cuartel and Calle de la Estrella.
  • Abaco Cafe & Book Store is a great place to relax and get some peace and quiet. Local books on Cartagena in addition to great coffee. Calle de la Mantilla
  • Sol de la India, San Diego: Calle Tumbamuertos 38-43, ☎ 6609476, . 11:30AM-10PM. Excellent Vegetarian Indian food in the old town. For lunch they offer an all-inclusive (also drinks) buffet for 15,000 pesos that varies every day. They also offer yoga classes (around US$8) and massages. Supernice and enthusiastic restaurant owners. �
    • There are many good restaurants in the Bocagrande area with the most interesting one we found on the beach. The food was of decent quality, but the delight was being directly on the beach - the water was coming up to the restaurant on the stormy night we ate there. But the host was a delight, a young man who spoke English, Spanish, French, some Portuguese and Turkish! El Laguisto Beach Club is at carrere 1 ra. No. 1A - 23 .
  • La Mulata, Calle Quero 9 58, ☎ 66 46 222. A choice of a few set lunch options. Different menu every day of the week. Delicious and unpretentious. �
  • OTRO MUNDO (Bistrò-Bar-Pizzeria), Centro, Calle San Agustin 6-68 (Cartagena de Indias), ☎ +57 5 6602314. 09.00-24.00. Otro Mundo Bistrò-Bar-Pizzeria it is located in Centro Historico de Cartagena de Indias, Calle San Agustin 6-68, close Universita de Cartagena (Cartagena University). There you can eat excellent Croatian dishes, pastas, and the best pizza of America. Ambient is rustically tip, very clean with excellent service. The price of dishes and pizza is very good. Croatian Cevapcici 18.000 COP (10 US$), Pasta frutos del mar 20.000 COP (11 US$), Pizza small from 12.000 COP (6,70 US$), Pizza medium 25.000 COP (13,90 US$), until Pizza large 35.000 COP (19,50 US$). In the local you can use gratis WiFi internet connection. They do also pizza delivery. �

    • The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Cartagena (Colombia)


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