Malagana Café & Bar 4.63

If Cartagena were a cocktail it would be a brightly-coloured concoction, a perfect blend of eternal summer breezes, romantic history, music, stunning views and friendly faces.

Re-creating this magical mix isn't as easy as it looks but Malagana Cafe & Bar has succeeded in blending the winning ingredients at its three-storey gem in the heart of Getsemani.

The design-centric sisters Diana and Maria Carolina Herrera Ordosgoitia spotted a gap in the market when they opened their stylish hangout on the most evocatively named street in Cartagena, the Calle Tripita y Media, in late 2011.

Named after a sleepy village about an hour and a half from Cartagena on the road south to Palenque, the sisters (with a little help from the New York Times) have placed this town on the map with a winning mix of foot-tapping tunes, friendly faces in abundance and a lively rooftop view that comes with refreshing summer breezes seven nights a week.

With all the Cartagena cocktail boxes ticked you are guaranteed a lip smacking evening at this joyous refuge for design-friendly patrons.

A flashpacker crowd holed up in the nearby hostels have lapped up the sisters' exotic cocktail and converted Malagana from peaceful backwater into the hippest, mosaic rooftop terrace in Getsemani, fast becoming the coolest barrio in Colombia.

The signature cocktails made with local fruits - the Mango Biche Mojito and Corozo Margarita - certainly hit the spot after a hard day's exploring.

If you're looking to kick the evening off early arrive between 18.00 and 20.00 to take advantage of the two for one happy hour. Knock back two of four Mojitos, sangria, Caipirons or Cuba Libres and watch the sky turn into the Colombian version of a Tequila sunrise.

Its not just the cocktails that will get your juices flowing, Malagana's healthy menu designed by Chef and childhood friend, Daniella Olarte,offers welcome respite for weary travelers tired of the staple diet of meat (chicken) rice and beans. A ceviche pick-me-up, salad-centric wraps, steak, seafood and specialist pastas and tropical fruits and juices are just what the doctor ordered.

Graphic designers by day, the dynamic duo have decked the ground floor dining area with evocative imagery of the colourful Colombian village that lends the bar its name.

A second level decorated with a sky blue, chessboard motif provides a chic backdrop for a romantic tryst but it's the ambient charm of the rooftop terrace that's the real draw.

So find your spot, select your favourite sunset tipple - and savour the flavour of Cartagena well into the early hours.

Credits: www.ticartagena.com