Andres Carne de Res
Colombian · La Serrezuela, Cartagena
Restaurant in Cartagena, Colombia
Book with PearlThe Read
Colombian Carnivore Tradition
Chef
Various
Dress
Casual
Why go
Ranked in the Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in South America two years running, Andres Carne de Res is Cartagena's most recognised option for large-group Colombian dining. The format rewards celebrations and parties of four or more. For intimate meals, smaller venues in the city serve better, but for scale, energy, Colombian kitchen tradition, this is the practical choice.
About Andres Carne de Res
Verdict
Andres Carne de Res is worth booking if you want one of Cartagena's most recognised Colombian dining experiences in a setting that handles large groups well. Ranked #47 on the Opinionated About Dining Leading Restaurants in South America list in 2024 and climbing to #53 in 2025, it has the credentials to back the hype. That said, this is not the place for an intimate two-person dinner; the format rewards groups, celebrations, first-timers who want a full-scale Colombian feast rather than a quiet meal. Book it for what it is, it delivers.
About Andres Carne de Res
The Cartagena outpost of Andres Carne de Res sits on Carrera 11 in the Serrezuela area, bringing the brand's famous energy to the walled city. The original Chia location outside Bogota has been a reference point for Colombian dining for decades, this Cartagena address carries that lineage into a coastal context. The kitchen runs on Colombian cooking; expect a broad menu anchored in the country's meat, stew, grilling traditions, served in a space designed for volume and spectacle rather than minimalism.
For groups, the experience here is genuinely different from the main room dynamic at smaller Cartagena restaurants. Private and semi-private arrangements are available, making it a practical choice for birthday dinners, corporate tables, or celebrations where you need a guaranteed space rather than hoping for walk-in luck at a 30-cover bistro. The group format is a structural advantage: portions tend to be generous, the pace of service accommodates table-sharing, the atmosphere is built to hold noise and energy rather than suppress it.
If you are a food traveller looking for context on Colombian cuisine, this is a useful stop. The Opinionated About Dining ranking places it in the top tier of South American restaurants by peer consensus, which means the kitchen is operating at a level worth taking seriously.
The sensory experience skews loud and aromatic, Colombian grilling and stew traditions produce kitchen smells that carry through the dining room, the scale of the operation means there is always something cooking. This is not a venue where the room fades into the background. Plan accordingly: if you are coming for a focused conversation over a quiet meal, a smaller restaurant like Celele or Casa Pestagua will serve you better. If you are coming with four or more people and want a full Colombian experience with room to celebrate, Andres Carne de Res is the right call.
For context on where this sits in Colombia's broader dining scene: Carmen in Medellín and Debora Restaurante in Bogota occupy similar prestige territory in their respective cities, Harry Sasson in Bogotá is the benchmark for high-volume Colombian cooking done at scale. Andres Carne de Res in Cartagena is closer in spirit to that last reference than to the tasting-menu end of the market.
For those travelling beyond Colombia, Elcielo Miami and Elcielo Washington represent how Colombian cooking translates into international fine dining formats, while Quimbaya in Madrid offers a European lens on the same culinary tradition. None of these are direct replacements for Andres Carne de Res, they are simply useful comparison points for understanding where it sits in the category.
Practical Details
Reservations: Easy to secure, walk-ins are possible but groups should book ahead to guarantee space. Address: Carrera 11, Cl. de la Serrezuela #39-21, Cartagena. Cuisine: Colombian. Awards: Opinionated About Dining Leading Restaurants in South America #47 (2024), #53 (2025). Price: Not publicly listed, budget mid-range for Cartagena and confirm current pricing directly. Groups: Well-suited for parties of 4 or more; private arrangements are available. Dress: Smart casual is appropriate given the setting and the venue's recognition, though Cartagena's heat means the bar is practical rather than formal.
Explore More in Cartagena
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Pearl Picks Nearby
- Celele, Modern Colombian, quieter format, strong for couples or small groups
- AniMare, Colombian Fusion, good alternative for a more contemporary meal
- Casa Pestagua, Colombian Fusion, better for intimate occasions
- 1621 The Restaurant, Worth considering for a different flavour profile in the city
- Manuel in Barranquilla, If you are travelling the Colombian coast
- Domingo in Cali, Regional Colombian cooking in a different city context
Planning details
- Location
- Carrera 11, Cl. de la Serrezuela #39 - 21, Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar, Colombia
- Website
- campsite.bio/andrescartagena
- Phone
- +57 310 2450562
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Andres Carne de Res presents a loud, colorful counterpoint to Cartagena’s boutique tasting rooms. It leans into scale and social density: walls and surfaces accumulate objects, signage and color so that the room itself becomes part of the meal. The restaurant reads local rather than refined, anchored in Colombia’s carnivorous, parrilla-oriented tradition. Expect an energetic, iconic chamber of communal eating where the visual chaos and high volume are part of the appeal — a place more concerned with conviviality and shared plates than with calibrated intimacy or tasting-menu formality.
Best For
This is a destination for groups, celebrations and late-night revelry — the kind of place people come to together rather than for a quiet, solitary meal. The scale and noise level make it ideal for social dinners and festive evenings rather than intimate date‑night sipping or a hushed tasting experience. Because the cooking is rooted in Colombian proteins and parrilla tradition, the restaurant is best enjoyed at dinner when the kitchen is running its full roster of grills and meat-forward preparations.
Ordering Tips
Center orders on the restaurant’s meat-forward, parrilla-driven cooking and share plates across the table. Signature items listed for the venue — Patacón, Arepa de Chócolo and Chicharrones — are natural choices to start or pass around. The copy stresses the venue’s place in Colombia’s carnivorous tradition, so expect grilled proteins and communal accompaniments rather than a sequence of refined tasting courses; plan to order several items to share.
Planning details
Location
Carrera 11, Cl. de la Serrezuela #39 - 21, Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar, Colombia · Directions
Recognition and awards
Also consider
Also Consider
- Celele; Modern Colombian, Modern Colombian
- AniMare; Colombian Fusion, Colombian Fusion
- Casa Pestagua; Colombian Fusion, Colombian Fusion
- 1621 The Restaurant; Notable alternative
Restaurant context
Celele is the clearest alternative if you want modern Colombian cooking with more finesse and a quieter room. It is the better pick for two people, for a focused dining experience, or for anyone who wants contemporary technique over tradition and scale. Andres Carne de Res wins on group capacity and awards recognition; Celele wins on precision and atmosphere for smaller parties.
AniMare and Casa Pestagua both operate in Colombian fusion territory, which puts them in a different lane from Andres Carne de Res's more traditional Colombian format. Casa Pestagua is the stronger choice for a romantic dinner or a special occasion for two; AniMare offers a more contemporary take on Colombian ingredients for diners who want something between tradition and innovation. Neither handles large groups with the same ease as Andres Carne de Res.
1621 The Restaurant rounds out the peer set with a different culinary angle. If your group is split between wanting Colombian tradition and something with broader appeal, 1621 works as an alternative. For a single booking that covers the full Colombian dining experience at scale, Andres Carne de Res remains the most practical call in the city; particularly for groups of six or more with a celebration in mind.
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Compare Andres Carne de Res
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andres Carne de Res | Colombian | 2025 OAD Top Restaurants in South America Ranked · #532024 OAD Top Restaurants in South America Ranked · #47 | Easy |
| Celele | Modern Colombian | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in South America Ranked · #92025 Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants · #52025 OAD Top Restaurants in South America Ranked · #212025 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #482025 The Best Chef Three Knives2024 OAD Top Restaurants in South America Ranked · #122023 OAD Top Restaurants in South America Ranked · #28 | Unknown |
| AniMare | Colombian Fusion | 2026 Relais Chateaux Restaurants2025 Relais Chateaux Award | Unknown |
| Casa Pestagua | Colombian Fusion | 2025 Relais Chateaux Award | Unknown |
| 1621 The Restaurant | 2026 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence2025 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence | Unknown |
How Andres Carne de Res stacks up against the competition.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What are alternatives to Andres Carne de Res in Cartagena?
For a more refined, ingredient-focused take on Colombian cuisine, Celele is the stronger pick; it holds a higher profile among serious food travelers and emphasises regional Colombian produce. AniMare suits seafood-forward meals in a coastal setting. Casa Pestagua and 1621 The Restaurant both offer upscale dining in Cartagena's walled city, with formats better suited to couples or smaller parties than Andres Carne de Res's high-energy, high-volume approach.
Is Andres Carne de Res good for a special occasion?
It works well for celebrations that call for atmosphere and scale rather than quiet intimacy; think birthday groups or a lively dinner out, not a quiet anniversary. The Cartagena location has been ranked #53 on Opinionated About Dining's Top Restaurants in South America (2025), which lends credibility to the experience. If you want a quieter, more personal special-occasion meal, Casa Pestagua or 1621 The Restaurant are better fits.
Can Andres Carne de Res accommodate groups?
Yes; group dining is one of the venue's clearest strengths. The format and scale are built for it, but groups should book ahead rather than risk a wait. Walk-ins are possible, though securing a table in advance is the practical move for parties of four or more. Solo diners and couples will find the energy can feel overwhelming compared to smaller Cartagena restaurants.
What should a first-timer know about Andres Carne de Res?
The original Andres Carne de Res is in Chía, outside Bogotá, and built its reputation on a carnivalesque, high-energy atmosphere as much as on the food. The Cartagena outpost at Carrera 11, Cl. de la Serrezuela #39-21 brings that same energy to the walled city. First-timers should expect a loud, festive environment; this is Colombian dining as performance and communal experience, not a quiet dinner.
Can I eat at the bar at Andres Carne de Res?
Bar seating and drinking alongside the meal are part of the format here; this is not a venue where the bar is separate from the dining experience. Specific bar policies are not confirmed in available data, but the overall setting is designed for guests who want drinks integrated into a longer, social evening rather than a focused meal-first experience.
What should I wear to Andres Carne de Res?
A dress code is not specified in venue data, but the atmosphere skews festive and social rather than formal. In Cartagena's heat, most diners opt for smart-casual tropical attire; linen, light layers. This is not a white-tablecloth venue where formal dress is expected, nor a beach bar where anything goes.
