I always have something to say about ceviche. My ceviche posts tend to be either based on years of research or completely stream-of-consciousness. This post is definitely the latter—I’m writing this on a plane as I fly back to the US for a work trip.
In a couple of weeks, I’ll be back in Peru and will have many new stories to share including stories set in parts of Peru that I haven’t visited in a while. Meanwhile, please enjoy stories about our travels outside of Peru.
I was pleasantly surprised at the ceviche in Cartagena. I firmly believe that ceviche is a dish that is worth knowing from many different perspectives. During our month-long stay in Cartagena, we were able to try ceviche at a local spot, a restaurant in the center catering to tourists, and an upscale restaurant. Plus, on a trip out to the nearby islands, we had what vendors market as “ceviche” but is more like a shrimp cocktail.
Since I have sky-high expectations, I usually try to hold off from ordering ceviche until we’re back in Peru. However, my curiosity usually gets the best of me. If we stay a month somewhere, we usually end up trying the local ceviche at least once. To tell you the truth, we usually stop after one time. We have very defined opinions on what should go in ceviche. Peanut butter, oil, and water are not ingredients I enjoy in ceviche (though popcorn is okay). With the ceviche in Cartagena, we kept going.
Here are my thoughts on the three-and-a-half ceviches we had in Cartagena plus a few notes about the overall meal:
Ceviche in the Center
The first ceviche we had was at Mare Restaurante, located in the center of Cartagena. We usually avoid wandering into restaurants in the center because they tend to be pricier. In fact, we did initially walk past this restaurant because there was a guy in a costume dancing around. We reasoned that if a restaurant needs a dancing mascot, what does that say about the food? However, it was Sunday and not many restaurants were open so we decided to take a chance.
Many travelers feel that they are taking a chance when they eat something “local” like at a market. Conversely, we generally feel that we’re risking mediocrity by eating too close to the center.
We tried ordering the ceviche mixto, but we were informed they didn’t have the ingredients. However, they did have the ingredients for cazuela which seemed strange to us because it was the same ingredients. We decided not to ask too many questions and ordered the fish ceviche and cazuela, both of which turned out to be pretty good.
The ceviche was beautifully presented with a crown of ribbons from bell peppers. The portion was fairly light, but the avocado and sweet potatoes helped fill out the sweet potatoes. The fish was fresh, and the ceviche was tasty.
Ceviche at a Local Spot
Next, we had ceviche at La Pescadería, a small local spot near a fish store only a few blocks from the airport. The ceviche was excellent with fresh seafood and a kick of flavor from the peppers.
It’s also worth noting that while fried fish (and cazuela) is served practically everywhere in Cartagena, this fried fish was the best we had. It was perfectly fried and not oily. It had the perfect ratio of crispy and tender bits.
We've now been to restaurants named “La Pescadería” (fish store in Spanish) in Buenos Aires, Tulum, and now Colombia. They’ve all been incredibly different from each other. The one in Tulum was a shack while the one in Buenos Aires was more like an upscale bisto. This one felt like a small spot for locals, though the prices were about the same as some tourist spots even though it was a bit out of the way.
Carmen, a Cartagena Classic
On our next-to-last night, we had dinner at Carmen. The ceviche was unlike anything we ever had. It was pungent and packed with umami. It was a good appetizer in that it woke up our palette. However, it seemed that the fish lent more texture than taste to the dish.
Carmen is a classic in Cartagena’s food scene, but our experience was a bit mixed. The ambiance was amazing with the courtyard in the middle and the mix of plants, columns, and tasteful art. The cocktails and the appetizers including the ceviche were good. However, the flavor of the main dishes fell a bit flat (we ordered the Pez Palma and the brisket).
Ceviche, Cartagena Style
Most of the ceviche we tried thus far were described on the menu as Peruvian-style, with lime and ají. However, there’s in Cartagena, “ceviche” can also refer to shrimp, fish, and mussels in a pink mixture of ketchup, mayo, and lime juice. It’s generally served in styrofoam cups.
We had seen this ceviche sold at the beach. However, we were a bit hesitant to try it because we wondered about how well the seafood was protected against the sweltering heat. We also didn’t see that many other people eat it which made us question the freshness even more.
After a snorkeling trip off the Rosario islands, we had the chance to finally try this version of ceviche. It was better than I expected. The mayo was not as overwhelming as I had feared, and the shrimp was very fresh. It was a bit like a relaxed version of a shrimp cocktail.
If you’re interested in learning more, I recommend Kenji Lopez-Alt’s humorous and educational take on Cartagena-style Ceviche where he compares it to deep dish pizza (“Everyone knows that it's not really ceviche, but darned if it ain't delicious anyway”).
Overall, the ceviche in Cartagena seemed to be creamier and less acidic than Peruvian ceviche. I enjoyed this change of pace though Mariela prefers the acidity of Mexican ceviche. We both look forward to being back in Lima where we can eat ceviche to our heart’s content.
A few other Cartagena thoughts and recommendations:
Empanadas, fried fish, and cazuela are the classic dishes that you see everywhere. Sometimes, it seems like that’s all there is.
The limonada de coco is very good but can be very filling. Every restaurant seems to make it a little differently.
The crab nachos at Restaurante Nami are delicious.
Celele and Rabo de Pez were our favorite restaurants featuring creative cuisine.
Mercado de Bazurto was a bit shocking. We’ve been to markets all over the world, but Mercado de Bazurto felt overwhelming.
The best deal we got was buying freshly caught fish from a group of young boys as we were walking back from the beach. We paid the equivalent of about three dollars (without negotiating), and the fish lasted us three meals.
As for beaches, we preferred Playa Marbella over the more popular beaches at Barú and Bocagrande. The beaches in Cartagena are known for the hawkers who are constantly trying to sell you something (usually something you don’t need like a heavy paperweight). There were some at Playa Marbella but it’s one person every five minutes versus a never-ending parade.
I highly recommend visiting the bird sanctuary (Aviario Nacional de Colombia). It was our favorite weekend activity.
This is such a great post - educational and mouthwatering, can't wait to return to try these dishes. Thank you!
I had limited exposure to ceviche the first time I visited Cartagena, and thought the styrofoam cup version you described (which I enjoyed) was what I should expect everywhere. So in a way it was my gateway to the genre.
Your comment about Mercado de Bazurto being shocking is spot on. My now adult, then teenage children still talk about it as a traumatic experience!