Best Colombian Restaurant Costa Mesa Near Me

4worldlovers: Selva is a Colombian-inspired restaurant that offers a genuine sense of soul to Long Beach's vibrant Zafaria district. Chef Carlos Jurado, a native of Cali, Colombia, brings an innovative and artistic menu to a community that will leave you wanting more. And for drinks, inventive cocktails, wine, and local and regional beer are served at an intimate bar.

Selva Long Beach opened its doors in February, 2022 by successful restaurateurs Geoff and Karna Rau and esteemed chef, Carlos Jurado.

Selva offers a Colombian-inspired menu that incorporates traditional and modern flavors. Our wood fire grill amplifies flavors and leaves patrons wanting more.

​Selva prides itself on creating a warm and inviting environment with hospitality and attention to detail that remains at the heart of every guest experience.

Sevla menu is created by top experts in the industry. At the helms is Executive Chef Carlos Jurado whose knowledge, experience, and innovative approach elevates the food to the next level. Additionally, the perfectly crafted drink program aligns perfectly with the flavors coming from the kitchen.

Our bar program is carefully designed and is second to none!

Thus far, there isn't a bad order at Selva—whose admirable drink menu, might I add, provides colorful, bold, not-so-subtle concoctions that pair rather well with Jurado's colorful, bold, not-so-subtle food.

Together, the two rooms feel understated and cool, with pops of color and leafy notes throughout; the kind of place that works for a sunset happy hour or date night, which is exactly what Jurado intends.

Amazing place. Had the "Smoked Bird" and it was wonderful. The drink pairings were amazing! Great decor and friendly staff. Will definitely be back!

When Jurado had first arrived in the city after being born in Cali, Colombia, he was two years old. And like many immigrant children, he was a full-blown American by the time he returned to Colombia for the first time as a teenager, with a simultaneously deep emptiness and equally deep yearning to connect.

On one hand, his parents had provided him a life that was more stable than anything they could have produced in Cali and on the other, he had been disconnected from the people with whom he shared blood, land, and love.

"Food has this way of evening the field of life," Jurado said. "And my pride for both sides of my life—my birthplace and the nation I call home... That pride is a way for me to help people find happiness. And I exert that pride through my food."