One of Colombia’s most important restaurants is Celele in Cartagena, opened by chefs Jaime Rodríguez and Sebastián Pinzón. Prior to the opening of the restaurant, the duo conducted serious research on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, documenting techniques and recipes that were at risk of being lost, and kept them alive in their restaurant.

Celele, one of the most important actors of Cartagena’s culinary world, won the Miele One To Watch Award in 2019. The restaurant’s ten-course tasting menu includes everything the Caribbean has to offer in terms of cuisine. Casabe bread made of cassava flour, sea snail with corn texture and goat stewed in coconut milk and served with sundried shrimp rice are the most important specialties of the restaurant.

The restaurant, which is also very sensitive to sustainability and biodiversity, prepares all its products with local ingredients to support local farmers, peasant families, artisans and micro-producers.

Gokmen Sözen, CEO of Sözen Group, who visited this important gastronomic stop in Cartagena, said, “Celele is in the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants. It has a very stylish, well thought-out design and autantic ambiance. When it comes to food, it is a very successful synthesis of Colombian and Caribbean Cuisines. Jaime Rodriguez, design very innovative menu and the dishes have amazing flavors coming from the special flowers. Such an amazing experience with colony culture of the region…”