Casual Bistró Local — Restaurant in Cartagena

For foodies that especially love restaurants with a social conscience committed to lifting up and celebrating local farmers and producers- casual bistro is for you. You may have seen sister restaurant, Sambal, featured in the recent New York Times 36h guide to Cartagena. Partly (or probably largely) due to the success of that feature, Sambal had the opportunity to move to a larger premises further down Media Luna street. Which is when Jaris decided the smaller location would make the perfect showcase for her Montes de María project. Montes de Maria is an agricultural region with an unfortunate history of exploitation and also of periods of violence. Jaris started a business 8 years ago to be a bridge between the region and households and restaurants in Cartagena. Culminating a few months ago in the opening of Casual Bistro Local. You can opt for the 5 course tasting menu or choose a la carte, either way, this is not the type of fine dining restaurant where you will be left hungry. At all! The menu is diverse, from more casual plates like fancy burger and tacos.. to beautifully plated starters and mains. Service from Antonio was excellent, patiently explaining each ingredient. The food is delicious! The space is small but charming.. the location makes it the perfect pre before heading to cafe havana for live music or exploring the Getsemani neighbourhood. Next time I want to try the cocktail menu! Super...

The restaurant is, frankly, mediocre — and both the ratings and the prices are seriously inflated. We had the tasting menu, and most of the courses tasted almost identical. Nothing stood out or felt particularly special.

Only the first course was introduced by the waiter; the rest were simply brought out with no explanation. Between courses, we were left waiting for long stretches of time, without anyone checking in on us or asking if we wanted anything else. At one point, my fork was cleared away with a plate — and never replaced.

Cocktails were okay, but again, very similar in flavor and lacking imagination.

To make matters worse, during our lunch, a technician was fixing the air conditioning unit right next to our table, and a staff member was sweeping the floor nearby — both in the middle of service. It felt more like a casual work site than a fine dining environment.

Prices are comparable to a high-end restaurant, but the experience and attention to detail are nowhere near that level. The restaurant also suffers from poor ventilation and an unpleasant lingering smell.

All in all, it was a disappointing and uncomfortable experience — definitely not worth the hype...

This is the sister local of the „famous“ Sambal. Close concept, not as clean, not as refined yet. But nevertheless absolutely taste. My dish unfortunately cams out cold and also the second try didnt work out as planned. Long story short. When i told the owner, she invited me for dinner. And i straight up reserved for the next day. Cause thought the dish wasnt perfect, you have to value people who put their heart and soul into their profession and even more so if they react in such a way to a critique. Thanks a lot again. I will be...