BEST BREAKFASTS
With nights that seem impossible to end early and a contagious vacation vibe, Cartagena seems made for lazy starts and long brunches. Oddly however, the brunch scene here has until recently been fairly lacking. The fact that Cartagena already created breakfast perfection with the invention of the ubiquitous “Arepa ‘e Huevo” might have had something to do with it? For those of you who, like me, consider brunch to be the most pleasurable way to start the day/combat hangovers/delay reality, fear not! I am delighted to report we are seeing a host of restaurants and cafés brunching out (pun intended) into the realm of champagne-spiked breakfasts.
Here’s the best of the brunch:
TOWNHOUSE
When two New Yorkers teamed up with a brunch-loving Brit, it wasn't going to be long before they addressed the appalling absence of a decent boozy brunch in Cartagena. Their answer is the weekend Boozy Brunch: all you can drink Mimosas, Bloody Marys beers and breakfast delights such as Nutella stuffed pancakes, bacon & sandwich, breakfast taco, apple French toast and Hashbrown bake to soak up your drinking sins. All for the one respectable price of 150,000 pesos pp.
Brunch 11am-3pm Saturday and Sunday
Insta: @townhousecartagena
EL BARÒN
The breakfast classics done to perfection in the open-aired, umbrella-covered picturesque Plaza of San Pedro de Claver. The a la carte menu features stylish bistro fare such as smoked salmon bagels, avocado toasts, plus local treats like chicharron with cheesy mini arepas. The bloody marys are the best in the city and you can purchase unlimited mimosas to accompany your solids for 50,000 pesos
Insta: elbaroncafe
The breakfast classics done to perfection in the open-aired, umbrella-covered picturesque Plaza of San Pedro de Claver. The a la carte menu features stylish bistro fare such as smoked salmon bagels, avocado toasts, plus local treats like chicharron with cheesy mini arepas. The bloody marys are the best in the city and you can purchase unlimited mimosas to accompany your solids for 50,000 pesos
Insta: elbaroncafe
LA PETITE GOURMANDE
If you like your breakfasts (and breakfast desserts!) French.. this cute French Patisserie is for you. Tucked away in the Getsemani Shopping mall just a few steps from the bustling Calle Larga, La Petite Gourmande is where you will find scrumptious savoury plates like Corn Fritters, Tartine Salmon, Omelette Sandwich, Fluffy pancakes with eggs and bacon AND the types of pastries and desserts that will have you searching your plate for every last crumb.
Open daily from 8am
INSTA: @lapetitegourmandecol
If you like your breakfasts (and breakfast desserts!) French.. this cute French Patisserie is for you. Tucked away in the Getsemani Shopping mall just a few steps from the bustling Calle Larga, La Petite Gourmande is where you will find scrumptious savoury plates like Corn Fritters, Tartine Salmon, Omelette Sandwich, Fluffy pancakes with eggs and bacon AND the types of pastries and desserts that will have you searching your plate for every last crumb.
Open daily from 8am
INSTA: @lapetitegourmandecol
CASONA CAFE BAR
Light-filled stylish restaurant with courtyard, an excellent selection of classic breakfast fare and service that has everyone singing their praises.
Brunch daily from 8am, Calle del Curato, Centro (between Plaza San Diego and Plaza Fernandez de Madrid).
Light-filled stylish restaurant with courtyard, an excellent selection of classic breakfast fare and service that has everyone singing their praises.
Brunch daily from 8am, Calle del Curato, Centro (between Plaza San Diego and Plaza Fernandez de Madrid).
CAFE ÉPOCA
Café Epoca is for people who choose their brunch based on the calibre of the coffee. Roasted in-house from the best of Colombia’s beans, this could be the very best cup in Cartagena. It’s not just coffee-snobs who will be satisfied; the food menu reads like a brunching all stars and definitely doesn’t disappoint in the delivery.
TRY: It’s hard to beat creamy avocado smashed on toast, right?
Brunch from 9am daily
instagram @weare.epoca
Café Epoca is for people who choose their brunch based on the calibre of the coffee. Roasted in-house from the best of Colombia’s beans, this could be the very best cup in Cartagena. It’s not just coffee-snobs who will be satisfied; the food menu reads like a brunching all stars and definitely doesn’t disappoint in the delivery.
TRY: It’s hard to beat creamy avocado smashed on toast, right?
Brunch from 9am daily
instagram @weare.epoca
PASCAL
From the powerhouse that is Colombian Chef, Alejandro Ramirez, comes this foodie favourite only open for Brunch and Lunch. If you want breakfast offerings far from standard, like lechona on a dog-ear arepa, decadent chicharron with traditional cayeye, or a make-you-groan-it's -so-good fried-chicken sandwich, this is your pick. The space is friendly and bright and just across from the Parque Centenario of Getsemani.. so maybe you might want to go sloth-spotting afterwards.
TRY: Everything.
instagram @quienespascal
From the powerhouse that is Colombian Chef, Alejandro Ramirez, comes this foodie favourite only open for Brunch and Lunch. If you want breakfast offerings far from standard, like lechona on a dog-ear arepa, decadent chicharron with traditional cayeye, or a make-you-groan-it's -so-good fried-chicken sandwich, this is your pick. The space is friendly and bright and just across from the Parque Centenario of Getsemani.. so maybe you might want to go sloth-spotting afterwards.
TRY: Everything.
instagram @quienespascal
SOLOIO CAFE
Soloio is a light-filled yet perfectly shaded open-air oasis in the middle of the walled city. Hidden behind the brand's italian designer boutique on Calle Arzobispado, stepping inside the greened patio space is a welcome reprieve. Coffee is excellent (trust italians) and the brunch menu is simple, egg-focused and really well executed. If you're someone who likes to pick at a few different things, the menu of antipasti makes for the perfect partner. And if it's a prosecco for breakfast kind of day (#goals) then they've got you sorted. Soloio is the kind of place where you can happily start for breakfast and stay grazing all day. Also makes a fantastic "work-from-cafe" option.
Open from 10am weekdays, 11am weekends
Soloio is a light-filled yet perfectly shaded open-air oasis in the middle of the walled city. Hidden behind the brand's italian designer boutique on Calle Arzobispado, stepping inside the greened patio space is a welcome reprieve. Coffee is excellent (trust italians) and the brunch menu is simple, egg-focused and really well executed. If you're someone who likes to pick at a few different things, the menu of antipasti makes for the perfect partner. And if it's a prosecco for breakfast kind of day (#goals) then they've got you sorted. Soloio is the kind of place where you can happily start for breakfast and stay grazing all day. Also makes a fantastic "work-from-cafe" option.
Open from 10am weekdays, 11am weekends
CAFE DE LA MAÑANA
Cute, arty-feel café in the centre of Cartagena with good valued breakfast and a boho vibe. Great spot to pick up some cool independent art, especially photography.
TRY: Their best seller is the Breakfast de la Mañana which includes eggs, arepa, coffee, orange juice and fruit salad
Open Monday to Saturday 8am-7pm, Sunday 9.30am-4pm
Calle Estanco del Aguardiente (in front of Casa de la Presentación)
INSTA: @cafedelamananactg_
Cute, arty-feel café in the centre of Cartagena with good valued breakfast and a boho vibe. Great spot to pick up some cool independent art, especially photography.
TRY: Their best seller is the Breakfast de la Mañana which includes eggs, arepa, coffee, orange juice and fruit salad
Open Monday to Saturday 8am-7pm, Sunday 9.30am-4pm
Calle Estanco del Aguardiente (in front of Casa de la Presentación)
INSTA: @cafedelamananactg_
LIBERTARIO
If you want your breakfast to be accompanied by the best coffee in Cartagena (and there's a good argument to suggest, the world), this is the option for you. Libertario features fairly healthy fare (the sweet corn waffles are probably my favourite) and the aforementioned best coffee in Cartagena/the world in a light-filled, pleasing space right on Calle Media Luna, Getsemani. And whilst the coffee and food are very, very good, it's really the team of baristas and kitchen crew that make this place so special. And if you are a coffee geek, seek out Felipe for an indepth exploration of all things coffee science (subject to how busy he is!)
If you want your breakfast to be accompanied by the best coffee in Cartagena (and there's a good argument to suggest, the world), this is the option for you. Libertario features fairly healthy fare (the sweet corn waffles are probably my favourite) and the aforementioned best coffee in Cartagena/the world in a light-filled, pleasing space right on Calle Media Luna, Getsemani. And whilst the coffee and food are very, very good, it's really the team of baristas and kitchen crew that make this place so special. And if you are a coffee geek, seek out Felipe for an indepth exploration of all things coffee science (subject to how busy he is!)
CREPES & WAFFLES
For visitors it might be hard to accept that a restaurant that seems from the surface just to be a run-of-the-mill chain, is somehow capable of commanding the unfaltering devotion of an entire population. Yet this is exactly the power of the almighty Crepes & Waffles. Basically, if you live in Colombia, you will most probably eat here at least once a week, every week, for your entire lives. And then, on Sundays, it’s brunch time, baby. Mompox mozzarella, bread baskets, all the eggs, mimosas and nutella/banana crepes. There’s definitely worse ways to become a household name.
TRY: Baked Lebanese eggs, guanabana smoothie.
Sunday Brunch from 10am
www.crepesywaffles.com.co
For visitors it might be hard to accept that a restaurant that seems from the surface just to be a run-of-the-mill chain, is somehow capable of commanding the unfaltering devotion of an entire population. Yet this is exactly the power of the almighty Crepes & Waffles. Basically, if you live in Colombia, you will most probably eat here at least once a week, every week, for your entire lives. And then, on Sundays, it’s brunch time, baby. Mompox mozzarella, bread baskets, all the eggs, mimosas and nutella/banana crepes. There’s definitely worse ways to become a household name.
TRY: Baked Lebanese eggs, guanabana smoothie.
Sunday Brunch from 10am
www.crepesywaffles.com.co
PASTELERIA MILA
When Mimosas in Cartagena were barely a mythical whisper from those fortunate-enough to have ventured overseas, Pasteleria Mila was pioneering their cause. The home of the original Cartagena brunch, Mila still remains one of the city’s best; thanks to an enormous selection of scrumptious sweet and savoury offerings, gorgeous French-farmhouse ambience and those aforementioned Mimosas. If you can make it out without ordering “breakfast dessert” from the ridiculously tempting window displays, you’re a better man than I am.
TRY: Colombia’s unusual sweet/salty combo of hot chocolate and melted cheese.
Brunch from 8am Monday - Saturday and from 10am Sunday
www.pasteleriamila.com
When Mimosas in Cartagena were barely a mythical whisper from those fortunate-enough to have ventured overseas, Pasteleria Mila was pioneering their cause. The home of the original Cartagena brunch, Mila still remains one of the city’s best; thanks to an enormous selection of scrumptious sweet and savoury offerings, gorgeous French-farmhouse ambience and those aforementioned Mimosas. If you can make it out without ordering “breakfast dessert” from the ridiculously tempting window displays, you’re a better man than I am.
TRY: Colombia’s unusual sweet/salty combo of hot chocolate and melted cheese.
Brunch from 8am Monday - Saturday and from 10am Sunday
www.pasteleriamila.com
