dining with a real life "most interesting man in the world" at juan del mar restaurant in cartagena, colombia

It's a shame I cannot officially review my meal at Juan del Mar because the food was delicious and the atmosphere was so much fun. I can't, in good conscience, review it because the proprietor would not let us pay (we did tip generously though). Although I believe I can still be impartial despite the free meal, it seems cheeky for me to so. So, I thought I'd just tell you why I think it's a fun restaurant that serves good food with full disclosure that we only tipped. Plus, I met Mr. Juan del Mar himself, the most interesting man in the world. Seriously.

Juan del Mar

Mr. Sazy Rock's colleague recommended we check out Juan del Mar and proceeded to introduce us to its proprietor, Juan del Mar Iglesias. Why do I think he is the most interesting man in the world? 


Juan is a Colombian actor, model and heartthrob. But, that's not all. He has competed on the Latin America Amazing Race as well as the Colombian Dancing with the Stars. It does not stop there though. He told us he is also a bull fighter, a kite surfer and an equestrian. And, he's not just a good looking jock. He also studied marketing and fine arts in the United States before returning to his native Colombia. Finally, he is a restaurateur with three successful restaurants in Cartagena. (By the way, I just want to repeat that I am not a shill for Mr. Iglesias.)

On top of that, Juan is a nice down-to-earth guy. He did not know us from Adam. Yet, he (and his girlfriend) took us around town and showed us the market and the old colonial town. Everywhere we went, people stopped him and wanted to shake his hand. He obliged every single time.

So, when it came to eating at Juan del Mar, I knew that the restaurant would be down to earth, exciting and fun loving, just like its owner. I was not wrong. 

The atmosphere was great. Located in the San Diego area of the old town, the restaurant was very lively and even provided live music. At one point, we saw Juan jump on stage and sing. Oh, did I forget to mention that he sings too? The outdoor seating also allowed us to people watch (and there were plenty of people to watch).

Inside the restaurant.

The view from the outdoor seating.

Like Juan himself, the food was just as interesting (in a good way). 

The bread was served warm and came with two kinds of butter (and I wish I could remember how they were different but I do remember enjoying them).

Bread and two kinds of butter.

The Ceviche Leche de Tigre was briny and included ponzu, corn, white fish, red pepper, plantains, some sesame oil. It had a Peruvian influence in taste.

Ceviche.

The Cabeza de Gato was like a light curry with a bit of coconut. It had squid, shrimp and mushrooms. The seafood was very fresh and cooked perfectly. 

Cabeza de Gato.

The Baby Crab Legs were phenomenal. They were sweet and so tender. It was made even tastier due to the butter (that tasted like olive oil) that was leftover from the lobster.

Crab Legs.

The Margerita Pizza, which was really more like a flat bread, had a thin crunchy crust with a generous amount of Parmesan.

Pizza.

The Paella with Langostinas was served hot. The rice was al dente and came with ripe plantains, which provided sweetness.

Paella with Langostinos.

The dessert called Coco de Arequipa tasted like a macaroon with coconut. It was served with papaya verde (green papaya), which was sweet, a local fruit similar to a cherry (coroso), and vanilla ice cream.

Coco de Arequipa.

My dining companions and I came away not only feeling fully sated by the tasty meal but also like we've just been hanging out with, by far, the most interesting man in the world. No exaggerations.

Before Mr. SR and I left Cartagena, Juan invited us to stay at his island. Did I mention he has an island? We sadly declined only because we had a plane to catch to Bogota. 

But, we definitely left with fond memories of Juan del Mar's food and Juan del Mar, the person.