Good and "Affordable" Restaurants in Ambergris Caye/San Pedro
 

My husband and I are going to be in Ambergris Caye/San Pedro from 7/16-23. Can anyone recommend some good but not too terribly expensive restaurants in the area? We are looking for places less expensive than Rojo and Capricorn but someplace where we can sit and dine unlike Waraguma. Do these places exist? Any tips on affordable lunches and grocery stores?

Many thanks!

ambergriscaye.com/pages/goodscv/restaurants.html

Celi's and Senor Lobster my favs

South of the bridge, here are some options: Starting with the more 'high end' places. Sunsest Grill--it's fun to watch the tarpon, Blue Water Grill, Hidden Treasure, Mango's. There's also Nautica and Red Ginger, but I haven't been to either. Also the restaurant at Victoria House, once again, I've never been.

More moderate, Caramba, El Divino at Banana Beach, Fidos, Caliente, Estel's, Lilly's (although my last meal here wasn't great), Tacklebox for sandwiches. Maybe Jam-Bel Jerk, although I haven't been there in ages. Lime, right across from the airport is a cute little bar/restaurant for breakfast/lunch

There's also Micky's, they have a great burrito special, I think on Wednesday's. BC's beach bar for very good burritos and nachos. The beach barbecue at Celi's, once again, I think on Wednesday evenings is good.

George's is good for all meals, and not expensive.

That should get you started. Now, if you're staying north, this list won't help you much.....

Estel's was awesome and reasonable.

If you are north, stay away from Beach N Kitchen. Very overpriced and you leave hungry. The Palapa Bar was fun though and they had good food at decent prices.

If you're staying in a place with a kitchen you might want to check out Ligniappe Provisioning - they will stock your place with groceries etc before you get there. We didn't use them but someone in our resort did and they raved about it. Google them and you'll get to their web site.

I have to say, if I'd known about them I'd have used them instead of trying to schlep around the area trying to get groceries. It really was not convenient.

Also we loved Elvies or Elvis - can't remember the spelling. GREAT shrimp tacos.

It's Lagniappe Provisioning--

http://www.lagniappe-belize.com/

Simon, the owner, told me it takes him about seven stops to fill a large order. So, unless you enjoy grocery shopping, it is worth the money. Prices on his site look high, but they really aren't that much more than what you'd pay if you shop yourself. I have no financial interest in this company, by the way.

I've had good meals at Beach N Kitchen, but it's been awhile. Wonder what happened.

Here's a quick recap of some of the places on the island where I enjoyed eating, on a too-short recent visit in June. The number of fine places to eat on Ambergris is exploding. San Pedro is fast becoming truly an international food destination as well as a great place to relax, snorkel, dive and fish.

Pinocchio's, open less than a month, is attracting a local crowd and, I suspect, will soon get a bunch of hungry visitors, too. It serves authentic Italian food (the owners are from Rome), including antipasto with salami and cheeses imported from Italy (BZ$30). I love the fettucine with Italian sausage (BZ$28) -- complimenti al cuoca! Good pizza, too, from a wood oven.

Aji, on North Ambergris near Grand Caribe about 2 1/2 miles from the center of town, has delicious tapas, along with other dishes, not to mention a lovely al fresco setting on the water.

The Lazy Croc, also in the same area, serves real slow-cooked barbecue. It's open only on weekends.

With its minimalist decor and cold air-conditioning, Red Ginger at The Phoenix could be in Los Angeles instead of San Pedro, but I enjoyed dinner. Just wish the chef would leave well-enough alone. My beautiful, tender, and huge grilled lobster tails with mashed potatoes and broccoli (BZ$55) would have been wonderful if served as nature intended rather than overloaded with herbs.

Hidden Treasure, which has been open for a year or so, has amazing ribs and a lot of other good dishes. The setting at night, with kerosene lamps on tables and lit sconces, is delightful.

I also revisited some old favorites, including Rojo Lounge and Market (always hip and fabulous), El Divino (always comfortable and friendly, with good steaks) and Blue Water Grill (best coconut shrimp in the world, BZ$22). Our appetizers at Wild Mango's also were pretty good.

Coldest beer in Belize was at Pedro's Inn. (Full disclosure: Peter Lawrence bought me a Belikin.)

You can always get a good, cheap meal from the vendors at Central Park.

One place often recommended I'd avoid: Warugama. It has the reputation for being a good, cheap local place. But success must have gone to its head. Its new larger space two doors down from the original hole-in-the-wall on Middle Street felt like a tourist trap. The menu on the wall doesn't have prices, which should have warned me. We learned that basic dishes such as tacos and burritos were priced at BZ$20 to $30 for lunch. Food wasn't bad, but hardly worth the prices.

--Lan Sluder

Thank you everyone. I probably should have mentioned I'm staying at Portofino, which I understand has a very sub-par and very expensive restaurant. We'll just eat there for the continental breakfast and included dinner. Are any restaurants, especially the ones mentioned above, within walking distance or do they all require water taxis?

Thank you

- C

I found the Blue Water Grill to be especially wonderful.

This link is Ambergris Caye Travel Market Place. You can find restaurants, tour operators, and much more there: http://ambergriscayetravelforum.freeforums.org