36 Best Restaurants in Belize

Cheesy name aside, Magic Grill is a delightful, breezy perch where you can dine on treehouselike levels of a palapa overlooking the Caribbean. Okra snapper, sesame-seed shrimp, and Belizean comfort food are on offer, but the real draw is the dreamy setting. 

There's nothing glossy about Manelly's, aside from your ice cream melting in the cone, and that's what makes this spot charming. Have a cheap coconut ice cream or sugarcorn paleta (popsicle). The supersweet ice cream isn't quite delicate, but it's handmade on-site with some local ingredients.

The village’s bright, pastel, tropical beachfront ice-cream shop offers 19 regular flavors dished up in cones or dishes. (This is Belize, so expect lots of banana and pineapple and coconut offerings among the choices.) Never fear, though: vanilla and chocolate are on the menu if your tastes run less adventurous. Also never fear: you’ll find a few vegan and lactose-free options to cool you off on a hot day.

This waterside palapa is your spot for---you guessed it---a beautiful sunset. The Pelican is known for its many ceviches (they may be a little overhyped, but still nothing to sneeze at), and seafood in general is tasty here. The bartenders make amazing things happen from fresh juices and local rum. The joint has a lively atmosphere and seating can get crowded, but it's good fun.

Simple decor and few walls make space for this rooftop's real ambience: the Caribbean horizon and watercolor sunsets. Some of the prices are jaw-dropping, but so are the culinary creations: executive chef and sampedrano Samuel Gonzalez has a way with local ingredients and all things seafood. From-the-land dishes shine, too: options such as the bleu cheese-crusted filet mignon use ingredients the island seldom sees. It's possible to pop into Rain for a cocktail and watch the sunset. Just below Rain is Aqua, another of Gonzalez's high-profile restaurants, known for exquisite sushi. Both are attached to the resort Grand Caribe.

Someplace South is a new hot spot---or, to use an old Belizean phrase for a roadside joint, a \"cool spot\"---beloved for its friendly faces, delicious grub, and nooks of stylish seating. The lush courtyard is a lovely place to have brunch (their specialty, served all day) or to sip a rum drink while you wait for your Caribbean dinner. Someplace South is so refreshing you might not even miss sea views; plus, when sargassum seaweed stinks up the beach, this is a nice refuge. Live music gets going several nights a week.