25 Best Restaurants in The Highlands, Guatemala

Hummingbirds dart among flowering vines at this romantic eatery just up the street from the lake. Enter through an iron gate that leads into a garden hidden behind a low wall. There are outside tables and a pair of intimate dining rooms. All the delicious Italian food, from the tasty bread to the fresh pasta, is homemade. Two standout specialties are the fettuccine arrabiata (with a slightly spicy tomato sauce), and the steak au poivre (cooked in a wine sauce and black pepper) served with fresh vegetables.

The Uruguayan and American owners contribute to the live acoustic music many evenings here at one of Calle Santander's liveliest restaurants and a favorite with Pana's expat community. Grab a seat in this semi-open-air place, enjoy the entertainment, and survey all the action on the main drag. Uruguayan-style beef tenderloin rules, as do churtos (beef cutlets prepared variously with mozzarella cheese, ham, bacon, peppers, or olives).

One of the lake's most popular restaurants is affiliated with the hotel of the same name. Look for the A-frame, thatch-roof structure right by the dock as your taxi boat is pulling in. (Many diners arrive that way, although the virtual absence of lake transport at night makes Bambú a better lunch option, unless you're based in Santiago Atitlán.) Spanish cuisine dominates here, corvina and garlic chicken being particular favorites. Fruits, vegetables, and herbs are grown in the on-site hotel garden. A crackling fireplace keeps you warm on chilly evenings, of which there are many here.

Despite the name, you'll find very little that is Indian about the cuisine here. The menu is a real catch-all, and "vegetarian" or "macrobiotic" are better descriptions to describe the falafel, pita, pad thai, burritos, lasagna, and key lime pie. Dine inside, or grab one of the two umbrella-covered tables on the front deck and survey the action on Calle Santander.

Though smack-dab in the middle of the market hubbub, this peaceful second-floor restaurant, with its wrought-iron chairs and wood tables, offers a reasonably quiet respite from the activity below. These folks dish up their signature pollo estilo San Juan (chicken breast in tomato sauce), with guacamole salad and rice on the side. The menu makes a big deal of specifying that the chile relleno is "not spicy." It's actually a beef and vegetable-filled bell pepper, a signature highland dish. Whatever your main dish, be sure to accompany it with the warm homemade tortillas. Sunday market-day lunch gives way to a sumptuous buffet.

Panajachel's most elegant restaurant, Casablanca has a white-walled dining room with windows overlooking the main street. The handful of tables on the upper level is much more intimate. The menu is ample, if a bit overpriced, and includes a few seafood and fish standouts such as lobster and black lake bass, as well as tenderloin in a green-pepper sauce. Musicians occasionally entertain.

A cage of lively birds lends a cheerful atmosphere to this small eatery, which serves good Guatemalan fare. The avena (a warm oat beverage) is delicious, especially on a cold morning. There is no sign of the restaurant's trusty namesake, though a ceramic sailfish atop the refrigerator comes close.

Tex-Mex food is here in Quetzaltenango in a big way at this restaurant inside the Pasaje Enríquez building on Parque Centro América. Look for the neon signs. Decor is that of an old Southwest cantina, with wood tables and stools in the room that also houses the bar, and chairs with backs in an amply sized adjoining room. Barbecue ribs, fajitas, and nachos make up the hearty fare.

Good food, attentive service, and reasonable prices make this place popular with the locals, so it can be tough to get a table later in the evening. It couldn't be described as fancy, but this restaurant's long polished bar and wood paneling raise it above the usual neighborhood dive. The menu has a number of delicious appetizers, including traditional queso fundido and a selection of meat and seafood dishes that are smothered in rich sauces. Saturday, the place whips up its caldo de mariscos (seafood stew).

Although it's known by the outdoor patio with umbrella-covered tables that gives the place its name, most of the restaurant's tables are inside a large dining room decorated with lots of palms and ferns, and a few indigenous drawings on the wall. Nevertheless, the lunch and dinner menus offer great variety, including such choices as pepper steak, roast pork, and chicken à la king. It's also a popular spot for breakfast. You'll find a couple of Internet computers to log on to after you eat.

Our favorite in-town lakefront restaurant, with great views from its picture window, takes its name from the tightly wrapped cloth worn as a headdress by Tzutuhil women in the area. This is about as elegant as Panajachel gets: waiters in white shirts and bow ties scurry around and serve pepián or chile relleno on the local side of the menu, or a good steak if you're looking for something international. This is still Pana, though, so you don't need to dress up.

For a home-style southern Italian atmosphere with checked tablecloths, opera music, and basketed Chianti bottles hanging from the rafters, head to Il Cardinali. The extensive, pasta-heavy menu also includes pizza and a decent wine selection. The service is friendly and quick. The front room gets chilly at night. Opt instead for the larger and bustling, but cozier back room.

An open-air restaurant centered around a bamboo hut and a fire pit, this little Italian eatery offers such continental favorites as fondue and spaghetti, and also has a good selection of vegetarian entrées. There's live music from time to time, making this one of San Marcos's social hubs. Be sure to leave room for the delicious tiramisu.

This colorful little corner restaurant is friendly and popular among the locals. Come early for the excellent pancakes served at breakfast, or stop by for beef and chicken dishes—pepián (a fricassee in pumpkin and sesame sauce) or chile relleno are favorites here—at lunch or dinner. The menu includes a few Mexican favorites as well.

This restaurant's second-story balcony overlooking Plaza Mayor is a great place to watch the vendors set up on the eve of the market. The pollo chimichurri (chicken in an herb sauce) is one of the best choices from the mostly traditional menu. There are also a few surprises, such as pizza and pasta.

With two locations within a block of each other, it's hard to miss this longtime favorite. The smaller of the two has patio seating right on the Parque Central, where you can watch the vendors setting up their stalls while you feast on Belgian waffles or sip one of the finest cappuccinos in the country. If you're in a hurry to get to the market, remember that the service here can be miserably slow. The other location, called simply Los Cofrades, a block away on 5 Calle, has a less hectic atmosphere on a second floor that lets you survey the fringes of the market.

Grilled meats are the specialty at Huehuetenango's most elegant restaurant, although simple típica tablecloths are the only nod toward decor, actually making it the sole place in town with any atmosphere. The menu has a surprisingly broad range of options. There are even Chinese entrées, which you won't find anywhere else in town.

An eclectic collection of local handicrafts brightens the walls of this excellent second-floor steak house. The chef, formerly of the Hotel Santo Tomás, grills up a great steak, but there are plenty of other options, including a delicious longaniza (a spicy sausage similar to chorizo). Music and a full bar keep things lively, but not intrusively so.

You'll see the posters and leaflets for this small Thai restaurant—just a scant five tables and extremely informal—all over town, so by the time you get here you feel you already know the place. Look for the circular orchid-symbol sign with no name at the front door. (Orquídea means "orchid.") The English–Spanish menu is a mix-and-match affair. All the dishes, whether pad thai, coconut-milk soup, or green- or red-curry stir-fry, come with a choice of chicken, tofu, or shrimp.

One of Huehue's better eateries offers everything from filet mignon to pizza, which is reputed by many locals to be the best in town. All can be washed down with a nice selection of liquados (fruit or yogurt smoothies). With live music on weekends, this is also a good place for after-dinner drinks.

Tired of frijoles? There isn't a single bean to be found at this café, which serves up outstanding crepes. Choose from a small but creative menu of savory dinner crepes—fill them with vegetables, tofu, chicken, or pork—and sweet dessert crepes—we like the banana–brown sugar–yogurt Jamaica one—or pick and choose among your favorite ingredients. While you wait, you can thumb through a pile of back-issue magazines (including, oddly enough, the New Yorker).

This bistro caters to foreign students, so the menu covers a lot of bases. Some dishes aren't the least bit Parisian, such as the succulent chicken-curry kebab. It's all prepared with flair, however. The ambience at this second-floor restaurant is definitely imported, and slightly bohemian, courtesy of the paintings of cabaret scenes. There's also a bar with an extensive wine list.

Stop by on Tuesday evenings; it's movie night, with a French or Italian film (with Spanish subtitles).

Take a break from shopping at this tiny eatery—you'll find just 10 tables here—with plain decor on the corner of the Parque Central. This place offers a huge selection of sandwiches—choose from chicken, various cheeses, ham, roast beef, or club—or opt for the daily lunch special, with a main course, usually chicken-based—perhaps a pepián, with a side of rice and vegetables—for Q25. You can fortify yourself early in the day, too, with a breakfast of omelets or pancakes.

Chichi's best selection of hot beverages is served up at Tzigan Tinamit, a small café that sits on the corner of 5 Avenida and 6 Calle, the street you are likely to walk between your minivan shuttle and the market. These folks brew up all manner of cappuccinos, espressos, mochas, and hot chocolate, all perfect to wrap your hands around on a chilly day, of which there are many here. Not that you're likely to be lugging your laptop here on market day, but you'll find Wi-Fi access, too.