We ate here twice during our stay in Cartagena. On the first occasion, I had dorado (mahi-mahi, I believe) which was prepared to perfection. It was absolutely delicious. It was moist, but cooked well and lightly seasoned. The dorado was so good I was tempted to order a second helping. The coconut rice (arroz con coco) and the plaintains were excellent accompaniments. My girlfriend had stuffed peppers and yuca fish balls and, again, everything was superb. La Cocina De Pepina serves wine, some local beers, and tasty fresh fruit juices. The second time, we both had soups which were yummy and filling. The restaurant is cozy and the atmosphere is relaxed. Since there are only a few tables, the service was attentive, polite, and gave us some excellent meal suggestions. I highly recommend this local Colombian treasure in Cartegena. La Cocina is on a pretty street in Getsemani and it is well worth it to walk around and explore the area.

I love Cartagena and the Getsmani neighbor is an underrated gem in Cartagena and so is La Cocina De Pepina. A blogger called this restaurant "Donde Pepina", but if you want the taxi or locals to guide you to this restaurant, please tell them that you want to go to "La Cocina De Pepina". But many thanks to the blogger for recommending this restaurant. The decor is as colorful as old city in Cartagena and the food is so good. The starchy appetizer was different, but the seafood coconut milk stew was so good. I forgot the names of the dishes, but I ate them all. Note that this restaurant is small and that staff will have to let you in, but I highly recommend this restaurant.

It's a small restaurant, but food is delicious. We took last table and were the only tourists, rest were locals. Staff speaks English and is very helpful explaining menu. We ordered soup and beef in barbecue sauce and enjoyed our lunch very much.

yes, a little hard to find... easier to look for the cartagena convention center, this is by the pegasus statues,once you're in front of the convention center look for "avenida calle 25"(25th street) walk down til you find "callejon vargas" and make a right, this place will be on your left hand...now to the food... it was good, nice clean place... very helpful staff, short menu written on a blackboard...reallly good juices,for dinner we had the cheese soup, the dorado fish plate, the stuffed aji and the green plantain balls(ojo de gato) everything was very presentable and delicious!

If you want to try the best local Colombian cuisine, La Cocina de Pepina is the place to be. They cook Aunt Pepina's traditional dishes the way the locals like them, brimming with flavor. Every dish we had was a winner and even the sides (especially the coconut rice) were delicious. Throw in the relaxed, homey atmosphere and attentive service, and you've got a can't miss dining experience. Do yourself a favor and taste the local culture at this hidden gem.