Celele.
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I had the privilege of coming to Celele, and it was not only the best food I have ever had in my life the accompanying service was equally unmatched! I cannot recommend nor have I ever recommended a restaurant more passionately. If you are in Cartagena, visiting Celele should be at the top of your list of activities. We were a group of seven girls visiting from Los Angeles. Our Spanish is functional, but in performing exceptional hospitality, our server Brayan presented each dish to us (in incredible detail) in English. While we did not expect him to do so, it was greatly appreciated and really helped us understand the history and preparation behind each dish, enhancing the experience. He explained how each dish should be eaten and even went as far as to explain the purpose and cultural significance of each bean in a dish we had which we loved! He made the experience like one we had never experienced, and it was a highlight of our week in Cartagena. We began with the Caribbean Flower Salad, Buffalo Burrata, and Lamb Kibbs. The flower petal salad was one of the most beautiful and uniquely delicious dishes I had ever had. The Burrata and Kibbs were equally amazing, and we were all blown away by the intricacy of flavors. We then had the Braised Beef and Duck Stew, which were quite frankly life-changing. We then finished with two desserts I cannot remember, but that was the cherry on top of an already wonderful experience. Additionally, I cannot remember all the cocktails we had, but they were all extremely well made, and we send our compliments to the bartender! The service and presentation of the meals were extravagant. The dishes and table decor were breathtaking. Additionally, Brayan was the best server I have ever encountered, and I am not sure if I will ever come across another at his level of service, knowledge, humor, and kindness. Thank you to Celele for the best dinner of our lives! I hope to one day be able to bring as many family and friends as I can to Cartagena, where our first stop will be here! Visited March 24th, 2022
Paulette Drapeau
00
Hands down best resturant we have eaten at in Cartagena this place is a must try and I recommend making a reservation! Each of the dishes are made with a lot of local inspired flavours and ingredients. I would honestly say the gastronomy here is on par with some michelin star restaurants that I have been to where the plating is beautiful, ingredients creative and local, incredibly delicious all while pushing boundaries of traditional cuisine. Caribbean Flower Salad - almost too beautiful to eat! The vibrant colours and the taste of the gulupa dressing combined with the roasted cashew nut cream was incredible Stew goat - super tenderly cooked goat, the fun rice crisps give this dish a little playful element to crack apart to mix all together. Wonderful coconut flavour with the guajiro shrimp rice. Lots of different textures here with the creamy flavoring combined with the slightly crispy rice crisps Celele style pork - my favourite of the night, incredibly tasty hitting on savory, sweet, tangy, crispy, fresh and just straight up delicious. This one is a must try and 10/10 in my books. Presentstion was beautiful prior to mixing it together and once you take a bite you won't want to share with anyone else! Choiba Millefueille - beautiful presentation but don't let that fool you, the taste is amazing! The different layers of praline, choiba, arequipe and fried banana peels provided a very unique take on a traditional Millefueille. All the while tasting absolutely delicious! Creamy chocolate from La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta - this dish is the perfect combination of beautiful and delicious! Very unique texture and taste utilizing Colombian ingredients. The forest crumble was extrmely interesting and the plating resembled a flower growing from a forest grounds Overall I highly recommend trying this place as I'm sure it will get busier over time!
Adrian Chang
00
I was blown away by the experience eating at Celele. As to be expected by a restaurant that sits at the 19th spot of Latin America's Top 50 restaurants of 2023. The food was so delightfully creative and so refreshing. It's nothing like what I've eaten in a lot of restaurants. Half the time, I really wasn't sure what I was eating (in a good way!). But I could really taste the freshness and the carribean flavors of the region. Whether it's an incorporated fruit in a dish, or a local edible flower, you can tell there's a lot of care and thought put behind every dish. For 2 people, we got 4 dishes to share - Crab from San Bernando, Shrimp tartare, Duck rice dolmas, Celele style pork. They also gave a small cassava bread and sesame butter as a free taste test. For dessert, we got the Carribean Red Flower Meringue. You read this on the menu and you think you know what to expect, but I promise you, it wont even come close. The crab and dessert is my favorite. Although it was hard to pick one. For drinks, we got the Mama Africa and Dirty Collins. Even the drinks were phenomenally creative. To also add, the service was impeccable. The people spoke english. They were warm and welcoming. Service starts at precise schedules so they can serve people. Really recommend to reserve in advance, walk ins are not a thing. You pay a bit to put down the reservation but that gets put down towards your entire bill. For 2 people, we ended up paying ~$100USD for the 4 dishes, dessert and 4 drinks.
Vanessa Ganaden
00
A special restaurant celebrating the Colombian cuisine of the Caribbean coast, with plenty of inspiration from indigenous foods. The Cassava bread presents an airy crunch like the texture of a very thick potato chip. The bread itself is largely flavorless but a bit grainy. The fragrant sesame butter is whipped to be so airy, which goes well amazingly with the light crunch of the bread. The shrimp tartare consists of diced raw shrimp with mangos, tomatoes, and spring onions, all brought together by a slightly sweet coconut mayonnaise. The flavors are agreeably tropical, but not overtly so. In addition, a mamey curry jam at the top adds complexity to make each bite a wonderful blur. The hibiscus flower doesn’t add flavor, but is beautiful and a good bit of texture. The crab was a dish of different mushes: stewed crab, guacamole, and a half cooked arepa. The arepa had granular chunks of hard corn in it, but was a bit too thick such that it dominated the texture. The crab was very savory without much else in terms of flavor; it went well with the guac but could’ve been more interesting. The shrimp chicharron at the top added much needed texture, but not much else. The immensely flavorful braised beef was cooked sous vide for 72 hours in a sweet and savory sauce, topped with a delicious cream to be mixed in. Ash at the top added a subtle depth to flavor. The popcorn kernels and millo corn played a great source of texture. The dish was very cohesive.
Alan
00
Overall, this is a Great restaurant. However, there is definitely room for opportunity. The staff is great! People in Colombia in all restaurants have been amazing. The disappointing part was that after reading many reviews discussing tasting menu’s or al a carte, we wanted to do the tasting menu. We are foodies and really enjoy the overall experience. We were told we cannot do a tasting menu because there is only 2 of us. Then they said, they can allow it to happen, but will charge the Full price for each meal that we decide to try. Also, the restaurant says there are two seatings 630 and 9:30. But then there were people coming in at 7:15. The lack of efficiency in the overall process is what was disappointing. The food: Was very good, but honestly, it wasn’t better than some of the other upscale restaurants that we have attended in Cartagena such as restaurante Cande. Service: The people and waitstaff are absolutely lovely. But if you want to put together the experience in regards to not allowing the tasting menu and the timing of the way things are, but I cannot knock the lovely people that work there. For a restaurant to be in the top 15 of all Latin American restaurants, there is a lot of room for opportunity to make it the level that they want to be, unfortunately, that has not been met in my opinion. Dishes: appetizer crab dish was lovely! So Was the goat entree
Dania Sepahrokh
00
Celele is a fine dining restaurant located in the bustling neighborhood of Getsemani. Knowing it's one of the 50 best restaurants in South America, our expectations were naturally high. For starters, we opted for the Smoked seasonal fish with Arabian Spices. The fish was perfectly smoked, and the accompanying sauce was both complex and delicious. Next, we had the Crab from San Bernardo. If there's one dish to try here, it's this one! From the first bite, it was clear this dish was something truly special—a unique experience that defied expectations. Paired with a cheese-stuffed arepa, it was the highlight of our meal. The portions were generous. Moving on to the vegetarian option, we tried the Boronia textures. While good, it didn't quite reach the mind-blowing level of the previous dishes. Finally, for dessert, we ordered the chocolate dessert with tamarind gel and sweet chili. Not only was it beautifully presented, but it was also decadently delicious. The portion size was substantial. Throughout our meal, the server meticulously explained the native ingredients used in each dish, adding an extra layer to the dining experience. Celele is a must-visit in Cartagena for its innovative use of native produce and exceptional cuisine.
Maneesh Janyavula
00
Nearby Attractions Of Celele.
San Felipe de Barajas Fort
Castle San Felipe de Barajas
Walls of Cartagena
Monumento Torre del Reloj
Las Botas Viejas
Plaza de la Trinidad
Monumento India Catalina
Muelle de la Bodeguita
Plaza de Santo Domingo
Las Bóvedas
San Felipe de Barajas Fort
4.7
(22.3K)
Click for details
Castle San Felipe de Barajas
4.6
(20.1K)
Click for details
Walls of Cartagena
4.8
(11.9K)
Click for details
Monumento Torre del Reloj
4.7
(12K)
Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Celele.
Restaurante San Valentin
Buena Vida Marisquería - Cartagena
RESTAURANTE CANDÉ Cocina 100% Cartagenera
LA BRIOCHE Centro Historico
Mirador Gastro Bar
Andrés Carne de Res Cartagena
Restaurante Espiritu Santo
Pezetarian | Asian-Caribbean Food
Juan Del Mar Restaurante
Restaurante-Bar San Nicolás
Restaurante San Valentin
4.4
(3.4K)
$$
Click for details
Buena Vida Marisquería - Cartagena
4.8
(2.9K)
Click for details
RESTAURANTE CANDÉ Cocina 100% Cartagenera
4.6
(2.8K)
Click for details
LA BRIOCHE Centro Historico
4.7
(2K)
$$
Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Calle del Espíritu Santo, Cra. 10c #29-200, Getsemaní, Cartagena de Indias, Provincia de Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia
Map
Phone
+57 301 7420389
Call
Website
celelerestaurante.com
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Reviews
Overview
4.6
(1.1K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Intimate restaurant offering traditional dishes, including seafood meals & snacks.
attractions: San Felipe de Barajas Fort, Castle San Felipe de Barajas, Walls of Cartagena, Monumento Torre del Reloj, Las Botas Viejas, Plaza de la Trinidad, Monumento India Catalina, Muelle de la Bodeguita, Plaza de Santo Domingo, Las Bóvedas, restaurants: Restaurante San Valentin, Buena Vida Marisquería - Cartagena, RESTAURANTE CANDÉ Cocina 100% Cartagenera, LA BRIOCHE Centro Historico, Mirador Gastro Bar, Andrés Carne de Res Cartagena, Restaurante Espiritu Santo, Pezetarian | Asian-Caribbean Food, Juan Del Mar Restaurante, Restaurante-Bar San Nicolás
