"The Celele team's casual Caribbean table: char-grilled octopus and coconut rice from Colombia's most decorated kitchen."
About Sierpe
Sierpe is the relaxed, à-la-carte sibling to Celele, the Cartagena restaurant from Proyecto Caribe Lab — the project chefs Jaime Rodríguez Camacho and Sebastián Pinzón built by foraging and documenting the food of Colombia's Caribbean coast. Celele opened in 2018 and now sits at No. 5 on Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants (2025); Sierpe is where that research lands in an easier, walk-in form.
It trades the tasting-menu formality for plates you order one at a time, in a setting that is casual but cooks well above its room.
The Kitchen
The plate to order is the grilled octopus in garlic-achiote sauce — charred, tender, stained deep orange with the Caribbean's signature spice. Alongside it: coconut rice, crisp fish empanadas and a shrimp pasta that has become a quiet local favourite.
The kitchen draws on the same wild-harvest, indigenous-ingredient ethos as Celele, with most produce sourced from the Caribbean coast rather than imported. It is regional cooking with real intent, served without ceremony.
The Room
The room is small and unpretentious — bare walls, warm light, the easy buzz of the Old City outside — the kind of place you'd walk past without realising the kitchen's pedigree. That gap between casual room and serious plate is the whole appeal.
Service is friendly and informal. Tables are limited, so an early arrival or a booking helps at peak season.
Best for a First Date
Sierpe is a fine first date — low-key enough to talk, good enough to impress — and an easy solo-dining stop for a traveller who wants the Celele kitchen's ideas without the full tasting-menu commitment. It also works for a low-key anniversary meal.
Not for
Not for anyone after the full Celele tasting-menu experience or a polished fine-dining room — Sierpe is deliberately casual, and the setting is modest.
Frequently Asked
Who is behind Sierpe in Cartagena?
Sierpe is the casual concept from Proyecto Caribe Lab, the team led by chefs Jaime Rodríguez Camacho and Sebastián Pinzón behind Celele, ranked No. 5 on Latin America's 50 Best (2025).
What should I order at Sierpe?
The grilled octopus in garlic-achiote sauce is the signature, with coconut rice, fish empanadas and shrimp pasta among the favourites.
Is Sierpe the same as Celele?
No — they share a team and a Caribbean philosophy, but Celele is the tasting-menu flagship and Sierpe is its casual, à-la-carte sibling.
How much does Sierpe cost?
Expect roughly COP 80,000–140,000 per head for several plates, modest given the kitchen's reputation.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Sierpe
Walk-ins welcome; booking helps in high season.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressSan Diego, Cartagena Old City
NeighbourhoodSan Diego, Old City
CuisineCaribbean Colombian
PriceCOP 80,000–140,000 per head
Dress CodeCasual
SeatingCompact dining room
ReservationHelpful at peak season
