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Celele

Cartagena

Broadening the boundaries of Colombian-Caribbean cooking

On the Pass

Jaime Rodriguez Camacho

Meet the chef: Jaime Rodríguez spent years exploring the Caribbean coast of Colombia with former restaurant partner Sebastián Pinzón, meeting indigenous people, discovering new flavours and ingredients and documenting recipes that were in danger of being lost. This research project, called Proyecto Caribe Lab, continues to inform the restaurant’s concept today.

What’s the experience? Diners can choose from the à la carte menu, but for the full experience a 10-course tasting menu explores everything the Caribbean coast has to offer, accompanied by thoughtful drinks flights of regional craft beers, cocktails made with Colombian fruits, fermented spirits and wines.

What will I eat? The à la carte offers meat, fish and vegetarian options. Expect dishes such as confit chicken with sour guava barbecue sauce; roasted bananas with coconut oil and dried spinach; the signature ‘Celele de cerdo’ of confit pork terrine, mashed banana, Caribbean beans, cabbage and pork broth; or corn stuffed with fish salpicón, king prawns and sweet peppers.

For dessert: Opt for the chocolate dish, served with tamarind gel and sweet chilli, or the smooth and creamy coconut sorbet, with fermented currants, cold gooseberry wine jam and grapefruit.

Award-winning factor: Since opening, Celele has become the jewel in the crown of Cartagena’s burgeoning culinary scene, winning the One To Watch Award in 2020 and the Art of Hospitality Award in 2021.

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