Bars & Nightlife Centro Historico

Ranked number 8 in the World's 50 Best Bars for both 2024 and 2025, and named World's Best Bar at the 2024 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, Alquímico is not just the best bar in Cartagena — it's one of the best bars on the planet, and it happens to be here. Housed in a 19th-century mansion on Calle del Colegio, the building alone stops people at the entrance: high ceilings, a grand staircase, an open central courtyard, and three floors each with their own distinct identity.

Bars & Nightlife Centro Historico

A small, intimate bar tucked into what feels like an alleyway of the Walled City, just to the left as you enter through the Clock Tower. Narrow, not particularly busy, but a stone's throw from all the energy of the city and it has the feeling of a private discovery rather than somewhere you stumble into accidentally. The space is compact, the decor is cool, the DJ keeps things moving without making conversation impossible, and the drinks are genuinely good. Cold beers, solid cocktails. Look closely at the tiles on the walls, they're covered in sharpie signatures from people who've passed through. Ours is in there somewhere. Maybe yours will be too. Run by Grupo La Movida, the same team behind Alquímico, so the quality is there. When Alquímico's line is too long, this is where we go.

Bars & Nightlife Centro Historico

The classic cocktail bar of Cartagena, and one that has set the benchmark since opening in 2013. El Barón sits right on Plaza San Pedro Claver with outdoor seating facing one of the most beautiful churches in the Walled City. The cocktails are among the best in the city, built around classic techniques with local Colombian ingredients and a rotating seasonal menu. Come in the evening, not the day — it's an outdoor bar and the daytime heat makes it a very different experience. On most weekend nights, a Michael Jackson impersonator will show up with a full posse of backup dancers and commit completely to the performance. It's as good as it sounds.

Bars & Nightlife Centro Historico

Wedged into the party corridor just inside the Clock Tower entrance, between Barra 7 and Alquímico, El Pasquín de Joaco is one of those places that finds you as much as you find it. Named after Joaquín De Zubiría, a Spanish military man with a revolutionary heart who posted a war manifesto at this very location in 1810, the building carries more history than most people stopping in for a drink realize. Two floors, two different energies: the ground floor is cocktails and DJs with a more intimate feel, the second floor is a full crossover party with guest artists, light shows, and enough energy to keep you there longer than planned.

Restaurants Centro Historico

Housed in a restored colonial mansion with cascading greenery and an open-air courtyard, Harry Sasson offers a setting that’s just as elegant as the menu. You’ll find polished plates that blend Colombian ingredients with global technique — from fresh local seafood to beautifully executed wok-fried rice, Peruvian-style noodles, and vibrant ceviches. The seafood is the standout, but we love ordering a spread from the bar menu: things like fried crab croquettes, octopus, or grilled hearts of palm that are perfect for sharing. The cocktails lean classic and well-executed — more faithful than flashy — and everything is elevated without trying too hard.

Bars & Nightlife Centro Historico

By day, La Garza is a charming Mediterranean-inspired café with excellent coffee and pastries. By night, the bar hidden behind it, La Garza Negra, becomes something else entirely. Pass through the removable door at the back of the café and you'll find a beautifully designed speakeasy bar that most people walking past have no idea exists. The drinks are excellent, the interior is genuinely striking, and the whole experience of finding it feels like a reward in itself. Lately they've been leaving the door open since nobody was finding it, which says everything about how hidden it still is.