Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge in a Hip Latin Setting
It’s not often that a restaurant in Cartagena can go above and beyond others in the city.
The Old City of Cartagena has solidly placed itself among the top with a wide array of cuisines on offer and an ever-growing number of eateries, gastro pubs, and fine dining establishments populating the Walled City and the surrounding neighborhoods vacation destinations in the world for restaurant lovers.
However, Buena Vida Marisqueria has risen above the competition.
With three floors of fun, this relaxed restaurant takes full advantage of fresh local ingredients to cobble together some of the finest meals you’ll have while vacationing in Cartagena. Sip frosty cocktails, your new favorite wine, or a local brew while gazing out over the city, and history in the making! For an extra special afternoon or evening experience, see if you can get a table in Buena Vida Marisqueria’s rooftop seating area.
Buena Vida Marisqueria’s Simple Food Done Well
You won’t find anything too extraordinary on the menu at Buena Vida Marisqueria. It’s primarily Colombian and Caribbean fare with that unique little Cartagenan twist that so many chefs have been able to put on traditional staples as fresh fish and shellfish paired expertly with local fruits and veggies. However, the portions are exceptional compared to similar finer restaurants in the city, and the plating is just as playful and fun.
Of course, the bartenders have created a host of specialty cocktails you won’t find anywhere else in the city to pair with your perfectly prepared meal. However, it’s the people that make the experience special. Visitors have repeatedly commented on how the waitstaff is friendly, pleasant, and attentive—making diners feel more like part of a family than a customer.
The pricing is a little steeper than you might expect to pay in a place that’s a little more casual than fine dining, but it’s on par with that of other restaurants in the highly-trafficked neighborhood of Centro histórico.
The Crowning Achievement
As good as the food is, the real draw of Buena Vida Marisqueria is the rooftop bar/lounge area. This open-air space is comfortable, cozy, and simplistically decorated to take full advantage of the natural beauty of the restaurant’s location. During daylight hours, you can see inside Cartagena’s Walled City around you. At night, darkness descends (after a typically gorgeous Cartagenan sunset) and cloaks the rooftop lounge in an exotic Latin intimacy you can’t find in places like New York or Paris.
This exciting atmosphere creates a great launching point for any of your evening’s adventures or a chill place to relax with new friends and loved ones.
The reviews on Restaurant Guru put Buena Vida Marisqueria squarely in the top 10 restaurants in Cartagena (not bad out of 2159 available options!).
Reservations and Special Occasions Made Easy
The restaurant’s website is currently down for renovation, but you can still call for reservations. Of course, if you’d like to avoid that particular hassle, everyone staying at any of our luxury vacation rental homes in Cartagena has unlimited use of our complimentary concierge service. Give your concierge a call, and they can make a reservations for you.
Address: Cra. 6 ##3472, Cartagena de Indias, Provincia de Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia
Closes 11:30PM
Start your evening at Buena Vida Marisqueria, and who knows where your night in Cartagena will take you!
Martha Hampton
Martha Hampton
Home Curator
Founder of Cartagena Colombia Rentals & Hampton Property Rentals LLC
