Hotel Cartagena | JW Marriott Marquis

Offering Latin American cuisine with Havana vibes, Hotel Cartagena in JW Marriott Marquis is a colorful tropical paradise perched high up on the 71st and 72nd floors of JW Marriott Marquis. The restaurant is decked up with faux florals and greens, exquisite arty pieces, fancy chairs, floral printed tables and cushions, peacock statues, and even a bath tub!

Perfect for an evening filled with good food, great drinks and fun music + the bonus views, Hotel Cartagena is one spot you need to add to your weekend chill-out list.

Drinks

For our drinks order, we went with an Old Fashioned and Blackberry Pepperita. Hotel Cartagena’s take on the classic Margarita, this cocktail blends together the bold flavors of black pepper and blackberries to create a sour spicy fruity concoction.

Starters

Our food course started with Classic Guacamole & Sweet Corn Dip. Yes, we’ve all had guacamole and tortilla chips, but this sweet corn cheese dip was something new for me, and what a stunner it was! The shareable platter of colorful chips paired with the two dips is something you’re likely to find on every table at Hotel Cartagena.

Next up were the Grilled Flank Steak Tacos. Flank steak has always been one of my preferred cuts of beef, and when it’s wrapped up in tortillas, it only tastes better. Very tender and generously stuffed, the tacos bring out the best of the steak. The portion is so good, honestly I feel they qualify more as a main than a starter.

The tacos were followed by Salmon Tiradito. A fish based dish is something I always reluctantly opt for, but more often than not, I end up being glad I ordered it. This ceviche was something like that. The creamy avocado sorbet over a bed of leche di tigre beautifully masked the rawness of salmon leaving behind a colorfully crafted dish that effortlessly impressed with every bite.

Finally, still going strong with our starters game, were these Lobster Creole Empanadas. These empanadas were something else. The dark black color held a sort of mystery to what was hidden inside. And the warm flavor-rich lobster gravy oozed from the empanadas adding a burst of textures in every bite. Highly recommend these! #RashidaRecommends

Mains & Sides

Changing courses from starters to main, we opted for the Lomo Fillet Steak. This one was a proper meal – fit for a big appetite. Featuring strip loin fillet done to a medium well temperature, the steak was about right. What interested me more though were all the little elements it came along with. The pinto beans added a nice bite along with the steak, while the patatas bravas and fried plantains made a great carby side. And that chimichurri was just wow! Douse your steak in that sauce and you’ll want to keep eating it forever!

Acting as a side to our fillet steak, was the Sweetcorn Asado. I say acting, because although this was a side, the portion was large enough to make it a main course. You would think we had enough appetite left to finish all of these, and we wish we did, but alas, we couldn’t! The hot smoked chili mayo and queso freco topping was just wow. Very Latin American in both presentation and taste, these are definitely worth trying. I would say leave some space to include these in your meal.

Dessert

To end our meal on a very sweet note, we were brought this rather unique dessert called Smoked Vanilla Cigar. A beautifully conceptualized dessert, this one had all the elements perfectly complementing each other. The vanilla ice cream was actually smoked, giving out a rustic burnt flavor. And the Venezuelan chocolate that wraps up the cigar gave it that true South American appeal. Don’t miss the dark chocolate ash that almost looks like the real thing!

Hotel Cartagena

Location: 72 Floor, Tower B, JW Marriott Marquis, Business Bay, Dubai
Contact: 04 5601799

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