Salón Tropical Cartagena — Restaurant in Cartagena

As a huge fan of the original Bogota location, I am extremely happy that Salon Tropical, a restaurant that gets everything so very right, has recently opened in Cartagena. YAY! I went along to the opening night last Saturday and everyone at our table, at the table next to us, and basically everyone we spoke to agreed, Salon Tropical had moved immediately into our top 3 Cartagena restaurant list. It's really very good.

You'll find Salon Tropical in my favourite neighbourhood: Getsemani.. just a block or so from the iconic Plaza Trinidad. This makes it the perfect place to fill up on delicious food before/after exploring the nearby streets and nightlife (including Cafe Havana, Tertulia and Seven Times, not to mention the sidewalk bars of Callejon Ancho and Angosto). If you've been to the Bogota Salon Tropical, the interior design of this second location will feel very familiar. Colourful without being over the top, it is spacious and breezy, and feels like a well-designed beach house in the Antillas. Evening lighting is great for comfort and conversation and bad for influencers taking photos (which is to say it is perfect).

The menu, roughly a division between "raw" and grill, speaks to me. The "section of ceviches and tiraditos and tatar type dishes are bursting with freshness and flavour. The grill dishes are rich and caramelised and oozing with umami goodness. I've been back a couple of times now and have tried about 50% of the menu and hand on heart I loved absolutely everything I put in my mouth. When I try to think of favourites the plates that come to mind are the shrimp tostones, ceviche rocoto, the calamari and morcilla croquetas, the wagyu short rib, the pork chuleton, the caldereta of seafood (it's huge and made to share). But also the chicken is so perfect, and all the high quality steak cuts are really, really good. We drank palomas because tequila felt right and they were excellent. They also have a nice selection of mezcal which is very much up my alley too.

Dessert lovers, save room for the Guava Milhoja.

Each visit, service has been top notch. And there is live music most nights which add to the lively atmosphere. I especially love how good the food is compared with how unpretentious the vibe is. Always my favourite style of eating experience.

It's brand new, so you might not find many reviews or people recommending it yet, but this is a restaurant where you can definitely take a punt on a newcomer and have...

Average food and service, but at the prices here, average just doesn’t cut it. Came at 6pm and I was the only one in the restaurant. That didn’t translate to stellar service however, as I was often left waiting to be noticed.

Got the crab claw appetiser, which was tasty but basically swimming in brown butter. For my main, the bone marrow and octopus tostados were lacking in complexity, again left me feeling heavy with the overload of oiliness and lack of freshness to offset it.

Finally when it came to dessert, they were out of 4 out of 7 of the options. Of the 3 available, I picked the chocolate tart, which unfortunately turned out to be completely, mindbogglingly mediocre - in a country known for good chocolate, this tart tasted like the most generic, flat, supermarket cocoa. It was superbly forgettable and upsettingly so.

For a similar price point, do yourself a favour and head one street up to Restaurant Celele, where there’s at least more inspired flavours, presentation and fine dining...

Salon Tropical in Getsemaní is one of those places that just gets everything right.

The service is warm and friendly and they have the kind of decor that makes you smile - full of tropical charm, plants, colors, and a laid-back but stylish vibe.

We started with the Crudo de Pesca y Sambal, which was absolutely delicious - refreshing and full of flavor.

Then came the tostadas - we tried both the tuna and octopus, and while both were great, the tuna tostada was something special. Super fresh and perfectly balanced.

For the main course, we shared the wagyu steak paletero-style - cooked to perfection. Those crispy potatoes on the side, rich sauce, and buttery touch made it even better.

To finish, a cheesecake served inside a banana. Unexpected, creative, and absolutely worth it. Not too sweet, just right.

This is the kind of spot where the ambiance, food, and service all come together beautifully. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a memorable dining experience...