Food · Cartagena · Colombia
What to eat in Cartagena
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Cartagena, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sgonzalezb, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Arepa de huevo, Carimañola and Fried fish with coconut rice. Arepas, chorizos, hamburgers and fresh juices from stalls in Getsemaní's main square, eaten among locals as performers play. Lunch is the main meal for locals, and set lunches are much cheaper than dinner menus.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Arepa de huevo
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- A voluntary 10% service charge is usually added to restaurant bills; it is customary to…
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Street food
1.Arepa de huevo
A corn arepa fried, split, filled with a raw egg (often with minced meat) and fried again, so the egg cooks inside. It is the Caribbean coast's signature breakfast snack.
Where: Street stands in Getsemaní and around the walled city in the morning and evening; La Boquilla's beach shacks.
Snack
2.Carimañola
A torpedo-shaped yuca fritter filled with ground beef or cheese, fried crisp and eaten with suero (a tangy soured cream).
Where: Breakfast stalls, bakeries and street vendors across the city.
Dish
3.Fried fish with coconut rice (Pescado frito con arroz con coco)
A whole fried mojarra or red snapper served with arroz con coco (rice cooked in coconut milk and caramelised coconut), patacones (fried green plantain) and salad.
Where: Beach shacks in La Boquilla and on the islands, and local restaurants in Getsemaní.
Dish
4.Cazuela de mariscos
A rich seafood stew of shrimp, squid, clams and fish in coconut milk and tomato, served with rice and patacones.
Where: Seafood restaurants in the walled city and Bocagrande.
Dish
5.Posta negra cartagenera
Beef slow-cooked in a dark, sweet-savoury sauce of panela, cola and spices — a traditional Cartagena family dish served with coconut rice.
Where: Traditional restaurants serving comida costeña, and lunch menus in Getsemaní and Manga.
Street food
6.Coctel de camarones
Cartagena-style seafood cocktail of shrimp, oysters or mixed seafood in a sweet tomato and lime sauce, sold from street carts in plastic cups with crackers.
Where: Ceviche carts around the walled city, Plaza de la Trinidad and Bocagrande.
Dessert · Vegetarian
7.Cocadas and dulces típicos
Coconut sweets flavoured with panela, guava, tamarind or milk, plus caramel and fruit sweets made by traditional dulceras.
Where: El Portal de los Dulces, the arcade along Plaza de los Coches by the Torre del Reloj.
Drink · Vegetarian
8.Limonada de coco
A creamy blended drink of lime juice, coconut cream and ice — the best cure for Cartagena's heat.
Where: Almost every café and restaurant in the city.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Fresh fruit juices (Jugos naturales)
Juices of tropical fruits such as corozo, níspero, lulo, maracuyá and zapote, blended with water or milk.
Where: Juice stalls in Getsemaní and markets; ask for 'en agua' or 'en leche'.
Dish · Vegetarian
10.Mote de queso
A thick Caribbean-coast soup of ñame (yam) with chunks of salty white coastal cheese, onion and garlic.
Where: Local lunch spots serving comida costeña, often on the set lunch menu.
Food experiences
Evening street food in Plaza de la Trinidad
Arepas, chorizos, hamburgers and fresh juices from stalls in Getsemaní's main square, eaten among locals as performers play.
Menu del día lunch
Local restaurants outside the walled city serve a set lunch of soup, a main with rice and a juice for a fraction of old-town prices.
Fine dining in the walled city
Cartagena's old town has several acclaimed restaurants reinterpreting Caribbean and Colombian ingredients; book ahead for weekends and high season.
Fried fish in La Boquilla
Beachfront shacks in the fishing village north of the airport serve fried fish, coconut rice and patacones with your feet in the sand.
Quick bites and street food
- Arepa de huevo — Street stands in Getsemaní and around the walled city in the morning and evening; La Boquilla's beach shacks.
- Carimañola — Breakfast stalls, bakeries and street vendors across the city.
- Coctel de camarones — Ceviche carts around the walled city, Plaza de la Trinidad and Bocagrande.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Cocadas and dulces típicos, Limonada de coco, Fresh fruit juices and Mote de queso. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch is the main meal for locals, and set lunches are much cheaper than dinner menus.
- Most restaurants add a suggested 10% 'propina voluntaria' to the bill; you can decline or keep it.
- Agree prices first with street vendors and on the beach, where tourist prices can be inflated.
- Drink bottled or filtered water; most hotels and many restaurants provide it.
- Book popular old-town restaurants a few days ahead in December–January and Semana Santa.
Tipping
A voluntary 10% service charge is usually added to restaurant bills; it is customary to pay it if service was good. Tip guides and boat crews a little, and round up taxi fares.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buenas | Hi (all-purpose greeting) |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much is it? |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
| Bacano | Cool, great |
| No, gracias | No, thank you |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Cartagena famous for?
Arepa de huevo, Carimañola, Fried fish with coconut rice and Cazuela de mariscos. A corn arepa fried, split, filled with a raw egg (often with minced meat) and fried again, so the egg cooks inside.
+Is Cartagena good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Cocadas and dulces típicos, Limonada de coco and Fresh fruit juices.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Cartagena?
A voluntary 10% service charge is usually added to restaurant bills; it is customary to pay it if service was good. Tip guides and boat crews a little, and round up taxi fares.