MI CUMBIA is the only Colombian Botánica in the Americas; a manicure, pedicure, and Brazilian waxing practice in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. Botanicals and techniques come directly from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
Founded in 2008 by Karina Restrepo, a Colombian-born master practitioner, and her husband Justin Mitchell. MI CUMBIA was America's first organic nail spa and is a four-time Best of Philly winner. Eighteen years in Rittenhouse Square at 328 South 17th Street.
Each signature service is named for the Colombian place, people, or botanical tradition it comes from Duni Ati from the high-altitude Arhuaco mountains, Rosa Paulina from the Caribbean coconut groves of Dibulla, Cartagena de Indias from the mangrove water and volcanic mud north of the city walls. Karina is also a master practitioner of Brazilian waxing, known to clients as "the wax whisperer."
Review our services below for a sense of options & pricing, then text message Lucesita—she’ll guide you from there.
A Colombian botanical spa in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia
Mi Cumbia is a Colombian botanical spa at 328 South 17th Street, in the heart of Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. Founded in 2008 by Karina Restrepo and Justin Mitchell, it is the only one of its kind in the Americas a small, by-appointment practice where the manicure and pedicure are reimagined as a return to the natural world.
Four times named Best of Philly by Philadelphia Magazine, recognized as America's first organic nail spa, and quietly recommended by concierges at the Four Seasons, the Ritz-Carlton, the Rittenhouse, the Logan, and other Center City luxury hotels, Mi Cumbia has become one of the destinations discerning travelers add to their Philadelphia itinerary alongside dinner at Vetri, an afternoon at the Barnes Foundation, and an evening with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
A return to nature, brought to the hands and feet
Modern life has separated people from the natural world. Air-conditioned rooms, screens, processed air, the same scented candle in every spa. What Mi Cumbia offers, instead, is the slow return: cacao butter warmed on stones from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, coconut husk and lime zest from the Caribbean coast, mineral mud inspired by the volcanic crater of El Totumo, palo santo, sea salt, live moss, air plants. The botanicals are not decoration. They are carried back, season after season, from Karina's home country of Colombia one of the most biodiverse places on earth.
Every service at Mi Cumbia is named for the Colombian place, people, and botanical practice it draws from. The Duni Atipedicure brings the high-altitude Arhuaco traditions of the Sierra Nevada. The Rosa Paulina draws from the Caribbean coconut groves of Dibulla. The Cartagena de Indias the longest service on the menu moves through mangrove water and volcanic mud, north of the walled city. The Iwa Yosú gel manicure brings the Wayuu desert: cactus water, prickly pear oil, calendula. These are not themed services. They are botanical translations of real places, performed through the humble medium of the manicure and pedicure.
Held to the standard of the best hospitality in the world
What makes Mi Cumbia rare is not only the depth of its botanical practice, but the discipline with which it is delivered. The plating of each service the way warm stones are arranged among air plants, the way oils are infused and finished, the choreography of two manicurists working four hands in tandem borrows its standard from the world's most respected kitchens. The hospitality philosophy is closer to a small, family-run, three-Michelin-star restaurant than to a conventional nail salon: the room held in quiet, every guest greeted by name, every appointment built around presence rather than volume.
Mi Cumbia is by appointment only, Tuesday through Saturday, booked by text message at (215) 608-1323. The restraint is intentional. It allows the practice to remain a practice, and the room to remain a destination.
Services
Manicure and pedicure (signature, gel/shellac, and polish-free options). Brazilian, bikini, and full-body waxing Karina is widely regarded as one of Philadelphia's leading practitioners, with clients who have followed her for more than a decade. Brow, lip, and chin services. Combination manicure-and-pedicure services for guests who wish to make the full visit.
The Semilla Giving Project
A portion of every appointment at Mi Cumbia contributes to the Semilla Giving Project, which supports indigenous children in the remote highlands of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta the same region whose botanical traditions inform the practice.
Visiting Philadelphia
Mi Cumbia is a short walk from the Four Seasons Philadelphia, the Ritz-Carlton, the Rittenhouse Hotel, the Logan, the Warwick, and the boutique luxury properties of Center City. Guests visiting Philadelphia for the Barnes Foundation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Kimmel Center, or for dinner at Vetri, Vernick, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, or Friday Saturday Sunday often build a Mi Cumbia appointment into the rhythm of their stay.
Mi Cumbia — Colombian Botanical Spa 328 South 17th Street, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103 By appointment: text (215) 608-1323 Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
For Guests Visiting Philadelphia
A short walk from the Rittenhouse Hotel. Five minutes from the Logan and the Warwick. Ten minutes by car from the Four Seasons at Comcast Center and from Old City. MI CUMBIA is a Colombian botánicá in Rittenhouse Square a wellness and beauty practice that brings indigenous and coastal Colombian botanical traditions to the hands and feet through the humble medium of the manicure and pedicure.
Four-time Best of Philly. America's first organic nail spa. Eighteen years in business at 328 South 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Worth rearranging the day for.
Rittenhouse Square Hotels
The Rittenhouse Hotel — 4 blocks. A walk through the square.
The Warwick — 5 blocks. A walk past Walnut Street.
The Logan — 7 blocks. A short Lyft.
Center City Hotels
The Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center — 10 minutes by car.
The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia — 8 minutes by car.
The Loews Philadelphia Hotel — 7 minutes by car.
Old City Hotels - The Bok Hotel and Lokal Hotel Old City — 10 minutes by car.
What Concierges Quote
"The only one of its kind in the Americas."
"Not a salon. A destination."
"Worth rearranging the day."
MI CUMBIA is the only Colombian botánicá in the Americas — a wellness
and beauty practice in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia that brings
indigenous and coastal Colombian botanical traditions to the hands
and feet. Founded in 2008 by Karina Restrepo and Justin Mitchell.