Nía Bakery

Nía Bakery opened in Cartagena on 13 January 2024 with an ambitious goal: to become one of the finest artisan bakeries in the world while supporting vulnerable communities across Colombia. The menu is guided by chef Talia Richard Carvajal, a Danish pastry chef who spent five years as creative director of Hart Bageri in Copenhagen and has been described as head of pastry at Noma, according to El Colombiano. She founded the bakery with two partners. Its name honours the serranías, Colombia's mountain ranges, and the communities that protect them.

The idea is to bake with native Colombian fruits and ingredients sourced from trusted local suppliers, so the menu reads like a map of the country. At the opening, El Colombiano described mini pastries such as a coca palmier, an uchuva pastry, a cacay and chocolate financier and a mambe and lime biscuit, together with cakes of chocolate and passion fruit, arequipe and cream, and lulo curd. Today the bakery lists specialty coffee, freshly baked bread and pastries including croissants, brunch dishes such as avocado toast, fruit-based desserts and smoothies.

Unusually for a bakery, Nía also serves signature cocktails, so it works from breakfast through to an evening drink, and there is a private dining room for set menus as well as a catering service. It is open every day from 08:00 to 21:00.

It suits food lovers who want to taste Colombian ingredients in a new form, as well as anyone looking for a good breakfast or a quality coffee and pastry in the old town. Ingredients such as cacay, mambe, uchuva, maracuyá and lulo may be unfamiliar to visitors, so ask staff to explain them. Because it operates as a social enterprise, buying here also supports its community programmes.

The bakery is at Calle 33 #4-28 in the centre of the walled city, close to the Plaza de Bolívar, the Museo del Oro Zenú and the Palacio de la Inquisición, so it is an easy stop before or after a morning of museums. The phone number is +57 318 672 1823. Allow 30 to 45 minutes for coffee and pastries, longer for brunch.