Celele.

Good atmosphere, beautiful presentation, but the service was too slow. The temperature was too cold on our side of the room. The only dishes that were amazing were the flower salad and cow tongue pastrami. It is a bit crowded and noisy, we didn't hear any ambiance music. We asked about the tasting menu, but they didn't have, we were celebrating our anniversary and they were notified on reservation, but nothing was done or mentioned during the meal service.

Wow, what a great meal. Going solo and English speaking, I felt welcome, comfortable and very well served. The crab app and pork main were beyond sensational. The pork was redolent in flavors and textures, with hints of orange, the crunch of the beans, and the perfectly succulent pork. Amazing! And of course the crab, which is flipped onto the Colombian bread (arape?), smoky and sensational! I would tried desert, but they wore me out. I highly recommend a reservation!!!

A Culinary Adventure in Cartagena If you're seeking a gastronomic experience that will transport you to a world of flavor, Celele is the place to be. Chef Jaime Rodriguez has crafted a culinary masterpiece that celebrates the vibrant flavors of Cartagena. From the moment you step into Celele, you're immersed in a world of sensory delights. The ambiance is warm and inviting, and the staff is attentive and knowledgeable. But it's the food that truly steals the show. Each dish is a work of art, combining traditional Colombian ingredients with innovative techniques. I highly recommend the tasting menu, which allows you to experience a variety of flavors and textures. Each course is a surprise, a delightful explosion of taste that lingers on your palate. If you're a foodie, you won't be disappointed. Celele is not just a restaurant; it's an experience. If you want to experience a moment on every bite just like how Ratatouille did when he 1st combined cheese and strawberry together and an explosion happened with his taste buds. This is the place to have that type of experience.

The restaurant is small, intimate, and the food is very good, with one or two dishes outstanding, but many were just good/ok. With all the incredible restaurants in Cartagena for fine dining, I do not personally thing Celele stands out amongst the rest, especially when it is so far from the center. The flower salad is a must order. The chicken was just not very good, and other dishes I felt were just average, not filling at all and the tastes weren’t out of this world. The beginning chips and butter we found flavorless. We went with a large group which I do not recommend at all, if you go here, keep it to groups of 1-4 people. Maybe this altered my experience, but I did not find the restaurant to be in the top 50 if I am being honest.

The food really was great, as I had been hoping. Our starters were all great, for mains we had the hen, pork and toasted prawns, where the first 2 were great, the prawns were a bit average. Cocktails were amazing too. Our waiter spoke English well, and was very attentive and great overall! The atmosphere was nice, but acoustic aren't great so it was very loud from people talking and we struggled to hear each other a little bit. Would recommend though!

Food here was simply amazing - every single dish was delicate and carefully constructed. I would have liked a fish option that wasn’t crustacean, but the goat stew I ended up with was tender and lovely (tastes like shredded lamb). The chicken dish looked like a winner, but the standout pretty dish was the Caribbean flower salad which to my surprise was quite tasty indeed! Also make sure to get the buffalo burrata... the staters are quite big and definitely sufficient to share between two to three people.

What a wonderful place. Every dish was totally unique and unlike anything we’d had before. Love the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant with top food and service. Highlights for us were the crab starter and calamari main. Highly recommend!

Celele is my go to restaurant in Cartagena. Worth a visit to simply understand the depth of ingredients and cuisines in the Costeño region of Colombia. It is pricier by Colombian standards but absolutely worth the expense, from the crab dish with cheese arepas to the flower salad to the magnificent squid and mussels dish. It’s the kind of place where you can’t miss the cocktails and desserts - which draw heavily on the best fruits in Colombia. With a 2.5 hour reservation time, you’ll never feel rushed and really will have a chance to settle into the experience.