La Vitrola Restaurant

Book ahead to avoid missing out on one of Cartagena's superior culinary experiences at this A-list, Cuban eatery in the heart of the Old Town.

La Vitrola - or jukebox in Spanish - serves up an intoxicating mix of live Cuban son, a mean Mojito and a gratifying surf n' turf menu that borrows heavily from the flavours of everyone's favourite communist holiday resort.

You can forget about the austerity measures in Fidel Castro's revolutionary island in this cosey corner of Cartagena, however.

At the elegant end of the Decameron tourism empire, La Vitrola has ruled the roost in Cartagena's restaurant scene by delivering the very best to Colombia's most privileged and demanding public for more than a decade.

Be warned though - getting a table when Colombia's fattest cheque books are in town isn't easy. Dress to impress and have a quiet word with Cartagena's slickest Maitre'd Gregorio Herrera, who has been known to work miracles when 'fully booked'.

Better still, call ahead and reserve one of the tables by the bar so you can see (and be seen) by a glittering mix of celebrities, politicians and their wealthy patrons.

Our tip: order the Ceviche a la Cartagenera for starters and follow it with El Chupe Peruano, a delicious bisque filled with seafood surprises.

Wash it all down with a one of the best Mojitos in town and a bottle of Chilean cabernet sauvignan by Cabo de Hornos from La Vitrola's well-stocked wine cellar.