Restaurants in Cartagena
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Snack Bars
Plenty of snack bars all across the old town serve typical local snacks such as arepas de huevo (fried maize dough with an egg inside), dedos de queso (deep-fried cheese sticks), empanadas and buñuelos (deep-fried maize and cheese balls).
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La Bodeguita del Medio
Eat and drink under the watchful eyes of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro in this hard-core Cuban café de la revolución.
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La Mulata Cartagena
This stylish comida corriente (set lunch) option is both outstanding and cheap. A daily set menu offers a handful of excellent choices and aguas frescas (fresh juices) in an atmosphere entirely too hip for the price. It’s arguably the best value in Cartagena. There’s no sign outside – it’s under the Defensoría del Pueblo.
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La Vitriola
This foodie find inside a 400-year-old colonial home is revered the country over. Seafood is the main attraction, specifically mero (grouper). The Don Román version, with a tamarind and chili sauce, is superb. There’s an extensive Chilean and Argentinian wine list to go with the menu as well as live Cuban music nightly.
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8-18
Very innovative takes on modern costeña cuisine is immerging from the glassed-in kitchen at this intimate and trendy boutique restaurant decked out in lime-vegetation decor. The creamy calamari rice with blue cheese is thoroughly satisfying and the bull’s tail stewed in red wine is the best seller. One of Cartagena’s best.
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La Casa de Socorro
This is a good little spot to try comida costeña, the typical food of the coast. It’s a casual spot with nice design touches like paintings on recycled walking planks, and the menu features staples like robalo (sea bass) smothered in cheese and garlic, along with more adventurous fare such as snail or turtle soup.
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BrianZola
This is the spot to cool off with Italian gelato in a plethora of exotic Colombian flavors like mora (blackberry), arequipe (milk caramel), zapote (a type of red avocado) and guanábara (soursop). It also does recommendable pizzas. It’s attached to Juan Valdéz cafe.
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La Cevicheria
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain dined at this tiny seafooder for his television show and for good reason: unconventional ceviches (shrimp with mango, passion fruit, garlic butter, mozzarella cheese and white wine, for example) offer a culinary quest into the exotic ingredients of Colombia’s coast.
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Parrilla Argentina Quebracho
The gutted pig slowly roasting inside the giant glass oven may not be too appetizing, but this place does offer some great steaks cooked in the pampa style, and a long list of Argentine wines and champagnes. It's easy to spot, thanks to a big bull at the door.
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El Bistro
This casual, German-run restaurant serves up a daily-changing chalkboard menu of Euro bistro fare accompanied by German bread prepared in-house and Erdinger served in proper ½L glassware. It’s hip without trying too hard, and the food is quite good.
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Restaurante Pelíkanos
This arty, bohemian two-level restaurant is different from any other. It has just one set menu daily, consisting of six Caribbean-style courses (four entrées, main course and dessert), plus unlimited Chilean wine included in the price.
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El Santíssimo
This upscale casual spot is doing some very interesting things with the flavors and food of Colombia, and each dish is paired with a suggested wine. The obatala, a traditional costeña beef stew, is divine. Don’t miss it.
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Plaza Santo de Domingo
Plaza Santo de Domingo is home to six open-air cafés which serve a varied menu of mains, snacks, sweets and drinks. It's a popular place for people-watching, although prices are a little higher than they should be.
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Bocaditos Madrid
This working-class lunch counter is a great place to try homey local food at rock bottom prices. There’s no menu, just a few daily changing options like chicken with maracuyá (passion fruit).
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La Dulceria
If you’re escaping more chaotic El Centro for the plush suburbs of Bocagrande, this is a good option for an excellent selection of salads, sandwiches and Arab sweets such as baklava.
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Gato Negro
This new German-run option concentrates on breakfast – omelettes, Nutella crepes, muesli – and offers a set COP$5000 lunch as well. There’s also wi-fi, a rarity for whatever reason.
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El Rincón de la Mantilla
Decorated with baskets and seashells that gently wave from the rafters, this atmospheric Colombian place specializes in typical coastal fare. Service can be a bit rough.
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El Burlador de Sevilla
Giant bulls' heads mounted to the wall stare down at you as you dine on some excellent Spanish treats, including paellas, tapas and jamónes (hams).
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Restaurante Mesón Caribe
Dozens of simple restaurants in the walled city serve set meals for less than around US$2. They include Restaurante Mesón Caribe in San Diego.
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Girasoles
In San Diego, Girasoles, a veggie restaurant and health food store, does a set menu of PETA-friendly options that changes daily.
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Restaurante Donde Olano
This cozy place offers fine French and Creole specialties, plus a nice brownie and ice-cream concoction for dessert.
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Confectionery Stands
Try typical local sweets at confectionery stands at El Portal de los Dulces on the Plaza de los Coches.
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Street Vendors
Very characteristic of Cartagena are butifarras (small smoked meatballs), only sold on the street by butifarreros, who walk along with big pots, striking them with a knife to get your attention. The peto is a sort of milk soup made of maize, similar to Antioquian mazamorra, sweetened with panela (unrefined sugar) and served hot. It, too, is only sold by street vendors.
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