12 Best Restaurants in The Southern Coast, Belize

Above Grounds sells shade-grown, organic Guatemalan coffee straight up, in lattes, iced, or however you like it. Fresh-roasted coffee by the pound is also for sale. The bagels come from The Bistro at Maya Beach, and the fresh donuts from a lady who sells them in the village.

In a slightly Fellini-esque, upstairs setting the often-underrated La Dolce Vita brings authentic antipasti, bruschetta, and pasta dishes to Placencia. With opera music playing softly in the background, it's like being in a small, family-run restaurant in Italy. The spaghetti carbonara, with the owner's own home-smoked bacon, is amazing. Try the signature penne dolce vita, with a shrimp and zucchini sauce or the linguini with calamari, octopus, squid, and shrimp. Most dishes are in large portions. The owner imports Italian pastas, olive oils, and wines to make sure everything is top quality. (The wine is always a generous pour.)

This bistro by the beach is, hands down, one of the best restaurants in the entire country. The setting, in a covered patio by the swimming pool with breezes from the sea, which is just a few yards away, is everything you come to the Caribbean to enjoy. The menu changes regularly, but among the standards you'll go gaga over are nut-encrusted snapper and cocoa-dusted pork chop on a risotto cake. There also are nightly seafood specials. The bistro has a selection of small plates and appetizers including fish cakes, baked garlic (wonderful spread on fresh-made crackers with chutney) coconut shrimp, and honey-coconut ribs. No matter what you choose, you'll find the flavors and presentation interesting and creatively inspired. At breakfast, don't miss the fresh-made bagels or the cinnamon rolls.

The place is small and extremely popular; online reservations are essential.

This upmarket place serves sophisticated international meals at dinner in an open-air, palm-lined, romantically lighted garden. Enjoy the friendly service and an eclectic mix of dishes including ceviche, jerk chicken, black bean soup, and bacon-wrapped steak. The chef can do vegan and gluten-free dishes. Save room for the delicious key lime pie.

Authentic, Italian-style gelato is the thing here, and it's absolutely delicious, the equal of any you'll find in Rome. Try the tropical fruit flavors, such as banana, lime, coconut, papaya, and mango, or an unusual flavor such as sugar corn, all created from natural ingredients. Beware: you may become addicted and return day after day to sample new flavors.

Friendly service, local atmosphere, good food simply prepared, modest prices, ice-cold beer—what more could you want? Dawn's Grill 'n Go is in a small no-frills building behind the soccer field in Placencia Village. These folks are open only for dinner; go for the grilled or fried chicken, or the fish of the day.

This open-air bar and restaurant near the sea with a "tatch" (thatch) roof has long been a popular hangout in the village. Try the huge shrimp burrito and wash it down with a few cold Belikins. Breakfasts are good and hearty here, too.

This popular thatch-roof restaurant and bar sits smack-dab in the heart of Placencia Village between the main road and the Sidewalk. Try the Philly cheesesteak or the burgers and fries. The owners' dogs wander the place and might ask for some acknowledgment.

This hip spot run by transplanted New Yorkers, in a breezy second-floor location near Tutti-Frutti, is a good place to have drinks, tapas, interesting seafood creations, and Italian pasta. Try the small plates of Thai shrimp cakes or pescado relleno (red snapper stuffed with shrimp). Bigger dishes include fish stew and several pasta and seafood dishes. There's a good selection of Italian and California wines.

In a shack at the beginning of the Sidewalk, overlooking the harbor, The Shak is the spot for fruit smoothies. For lunch and dinner, there are several curries, wraps, sandwiches, and stir-fry dishes. If you come for dinner, though, make it an early one; the place closes at 6.

Long-established Wendy's—no, not that Wendy's—always delivers good, no-frills food at reasonable prices. The Belizean breakfast of fry jack (the local version of beignets without the sugar), bacon, eggs, and refried beans is nearly perfect. The grilled fish is fresh and delicious, and at lunch there are many dishes to choose from on the lengthy menu, including Creole items like cow-foot soup or mestizo soups like escabeche or chirmole with fresh flour tortillas. On Monday, there's usually gibnut (a ground-dwelling, herbivorous rodent that is commonly hunted for food in Belize). You can dine inside or outside on the veranda, and both are pleasant.