Celele — Winston's verdict
Chef Jaime Rodríguez's love letter to Colombian Caribbean cuisine — Latin America's 50 Best alum, and the must-book in Cartagena's old quarter.
Celele's name comes from a coastal Colombian word — the kitchen tells you that on the first plate. Jaime Rodríguez and Sebastián Pinzón built a research kitchen disguised as a restaurant: their Proyecto Caribe Lab documents disappearing Caribbean Colombian ingredients, and the menu rotates with what they've recovered. We had a course of corozo (a palm fruit most Cartagena cooks don't use), a riff on rondón (San Andrés coconut stew) reduced to a dashi, a chontaduro dessert with passion fruit. The room is Getsemaní-tropical — wood, plants, low light, fans. Service is in English when needed, Spanish when not. The wine pairing leans South American with Caribbean references.
Highlights
- Manglar 9-course tasting menu — the only way to eat here
- Wine pairing essential — Caribbean and South American
- Corozo course (signature, look for it)
- Getsemaní location — walk to Plaza Trinidad after
- Book early — 2-3 weeks ahead in high season