99 Best Restaurants in Belize

Aji feels like your friendly neighborhood mainstay (two resident pups like to laze around the bar), only with irresistible sea views and Spanish-inspired small plates. Dinner is the thing at Aji, when a canopy of fairy lights illuminate the seaside tables and live music often mingles with the rustle of palms. Dishes here are mostly classics, like gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic and olive oil), papas bravas, and seafood paella. You may find these tasty classics to be a welcome break from more innovative menus. If you'd rather come during the day, breakfast and lunch are pleasant times to eat under the shady palms. 

The line forms early for this small bakery’s delicious pastries. A mix of locals and visitors come here to fuel themselves to-go, but the front porch is a time-honored place to begin a Placencia day. Beyond the daily staples, the menu varies here, and last-minute offerings are frequently announced on the bakery’s Facebook page.

Want to step a little off the tourist trail? Head over to Aurora's---she's one of the first to plant her flag at Secret Beach, and one of the few Belizean owners currently there. Aurora dishes up fresh seafood in a small outdoor bar on the water. It's nothing flashy, but it sure is tasty. 

There's something for everyone at this specialty coffee shop—if you need a nice cup of coffee, you can get it here, but also fruit smoothies, flavorful teas, sweet drinks like salted-caramel cold brew, and unexpected snacks like ancho chili soup or kimchi grilled cheese. Boba lovers rejoice! You can get your popping bubble fix here.

This beachside bistro, part of Beaches and Dreams Seafront Inn, is one of the best eateries on the Southern Coast, with delicious dishes like fresh grilled snapper and smoked chicken or ribs. Catch the sea breezes on the covered, open-air deck while you munch a handmade pizza or enjoy a burger.

This longtime local seafood favorite is an open-air seaside bar and restaurant on the little islet at the south end of Regent Street, also called Bird's Isle. The thatched-roof spot is a great place to sip tropical drinks and eat local seafood (the fried snapper is a favorite) or other dishes at lunch, away from the hustle of downtown. You'll like the prices, too. Always take a taxi after dark, as the neighborhood can be sketchy at night.

Blue Bayou is sure to please: set slightly apart from the Secret Beach hubbub, it has partially underwater picnic tables and friendly servers who wade into the lagoon to take your meal order. Blue Bayou is a slightly less touristy hangout in this area (emphasis on slightly). The turquoise water is Blue Bayou's main attraction, as there isn't much of a beach. The quesadillas and nachos are mediocre, but the hot-from-the-grill shrimp and fish dishes do the trick after an hour of swimming. Live music is a hit on weekends, but music is pumping pretty much always. Careful not to lose a straw in the water---this is inside the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. 

The jazzy marquee letters reading “I Love Belize” capture the enthusiasm of this long-standing favorite. The beachfront restaurant serves up colorful dishes like their blackened catch of the day, plus less flashy options like a club sandwich, so there's something for everyone. Nothing about Blue Water is cheap, but it works to please, with its wood-fired pizzas, top-notch service, and breezy beachfront setting. 

Open since 1984, the Caladium is one of the oldest businesses in this young capital. Most Belizeans know it, since it's next to the bus station at Market Square. Here you'll find many of the country's favorites on the menu, including fried chicken, tender barbecued pork ribs, traditional rice and beans with chicken, beef, or pork, and conch soup. It's authentic, clean, affordable, well-run, and air-conditioned.

It's nothing glamorous, but the food at Caliente—Mexican with a Caribbean and Belizean spin—hits all the right notes. The ginger-rum shrimp is brightly flavored, the waterfront patio is airy, and the attitude is unpretentious. Check out the indoor mural celebrating the reef's diversity. This San Pedrano--run restaurant frequently has live music.

The outdoor ice coolers of fresh lobster, mussels, and fish might lure you into Caramba; once inside, you'll quickly sense the frenetic energy of this noisy and often packed joint. No sea views, and there's nothing fancy on the broad menu here—just basics like grilled snapper, fried shrimp, pork chops, and Mexican fajitas, all in American portions—but everything is well prepared, prices are moderate, and the service is snappy and enthusiastic. Belizean owner Rene Reyes worked his way up from fruit-seller to successful restaurateur.

Visit at lunch or dinner almost any day and you'll see a cross section of Belize City's movers and shakers—attorneys, businesspeople, politicians—enjoying the restaurant's large menu of U.S.-inspired seafood, steaks, pasta, and salads, along with Belizean comfort food. If you can get past the flamboyant wallpaper in the main dining room and the fairly basic selection of drinks and wine, you'll enjoy it, too. This is a dressier restaurant. No ties and evening wear are needed, but shorts and T-shirts are out of place. There's a guarded parking lot.

Long a fixture near the Belize Zoo, Cheers has a good open-air restaurant that attracts local farmers and lots of zoo visitors. You won't go wrong with any of the local dishes, such as stew chicken with rice and beans, but it has good breakfasts and, for lunch, burgers, sandwiches, and daily specials. If you want to stay in the area longer, there are three simple cabins for rent on the property's 37 acres. Book ahead to get the lowest rates on lodging; walk-in rates are a little higher.

Plunk down at a mint-green picnic table and tuck into a coconut curry, grilled fish, or---better yet---a meringue-topped Key lime pie (probably the island's best). Breakfast is killer, too, and at local prices. This counter-service joint is as low-key as it gets, and cheaper than anything waterfront. Note that Juan's doesn't serve alcohol.  

Locally adored for four decades, Chon Saan Palace is the best Chinese restaurant in Belize City, which is otherwise full of really bad Chinese eateries. It has some 200 dishes on the menu, most Cantonese style, such as sweet-and-sour pork. We like the Chinese-style crab legs. There's a live-seafood tank with lobster and the catch of the day, kept alive until you're ready to eat it. On Sunday, the restaurant switches gears a bit and makes sushi and sashimi.

A fun dining experience on an open-air porch adjoining the Coconut Row Hotel features a menu using local and organic ingredients. Coconut Husk truly shines at breakfast with filling pancakes or fry jacks with toast and natural fruit juices. The small lunch menu gives way to tacos and a variety of wraps. Bar snacks and lighter fare, rather than a full dinner, make up the evening menu, which is in effect only three nights a week.

San Ignacio's take on gourmet dining serves up elevated fare, such as lamb chops in a chocolate balsamic glaze and short ribs risotto, in a quiet and intimate setting. Chef Alejandro cooks the steaks so they melt in your mouth but his chimichurri sauce is the real MVP. For foodies, this quaint little spot is not to be missed. 

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.

Driftwood arguably has the best pizza in southern Belize, served up in a friendly, casual atmosphere in a beachfront thatched palapa. Try the Driftwood combo pizza, with red sauce, pepperoni, Italian sausage, peppers, onion, mushrooms, and black olives (in three sizes). If pizza isn't your thing, go for the catch of the day or one of the pasta dishes. There's plenty of cold beer and rum at reasonable prices, and occasional music Friday and Saturday evenings.

Nothing fancy here, just down-home Belizean dishes at moderate prices, and that's exactly why it's popular. Go for the traditional beans-and-rice dishes or a fish platter; the ceviche is good, too. If you're in the mood for something else, you can get a pizza. It's a couple of blocks off the main drag, so it's quieter and more relaxing here, whether you dine on the veranda or inside in the homey dining room.

Build your ideal breakfast from a mix-and-match chalkboard menu at San Pedro's most classic breakfast spot, famous for its fry jacks served with honey and mango jam. A favorite among locals and visitors, Estel's gets well-earned hype for its morning cocktail specials. Estel's even has grits! The porthole windows, decorative buoys, and sandy floors give the joint a nautical atmosphere---not to mention the sea in its front yard. Best seats are on the porch or on wooden benches with mini-thatch roofs, where you can watch pelicans and passersby. Later in the day you'll find tacos, down-home cooking, and great seafood dishes here. 

One of the best things about Belize is the amazing mix of cultures that brings out the best food from each, and Everest is no exception. Large portions and varieties of curries, chai tea, garlic naan, thali, mango lassi, and more are on the menu. Indian food lovers and newbies to this cuisine, vegans, and meat-eaters will delight in the authentic and tasty dishes. 

More than a just pit stop, this cute roadside joint offers pick-me-ups in the way of creative smoothies, iced mochas, healthy and not-so-healthy shakes, and baguette paninis. It also stocks a small market with Belizean cheeses, jellies, cacao beans, meats, and fruits. Swing by on your way to Secret Beach or anywhere north.

Dining under fairy lights and a shaggy thatch roof is a wonderful way to conclude your day on Caulker. Seafood is the rage at this remodeled palapa restaurant, and there's an iced display of the catch of the day; choose from snapper, grouper, barracuda, or lobster and have it grilled on the spot. The bartenders have been known to make great things happen from dragon fruit and local rum. This spot is formerly Rose's.

Glenda's menu is on a chalkboard, short and sweet, and you place your order at the window of a pretty clapboard house. At breakfast, when this café is most popular, you can get a hearty meal of eggs, bacon, beans, johnnycakes, and fresh OJ, all for a pittance. Dine under the solemn eyes of a print of The Last Supper, or take it to go. It starts up at 7 am; get there early to snag a cinnamon bun. The hours are island style, so Glenda's may not be open when you want it to be, especially at lunch.

Count your lucky stars if you find Gomier’s open—these folks don't always follow posted hours—and enjoy an excellent vegetarian or vegan meal from organic ingredients grown locally, along with some seafood. Go with the vegetarian dish of the day, which could be stir-fried tofu or vegan spaghetti. Fresh seafood dishes, such as shrimp curry, sometimes are available. Garifuna hudut (green and ripe mashed plantains with fish and coconut stew) lunches are on Friday, and there's live music or documentary movies some nights. Prices are reasonable.

An established spot, Grace's has genuine value, a down-home feel, and hearty plates of beans and rice and other Belizean staples on the menu. Get a seat near the entrance and eye the town's street life. This is a good place for a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, fry jacks (a Belizean version of a Mexican sopapilla), and, of course, beans. For lunch and dinner you can always get chicken, but you can usually get fresh fish, too, plus pizza, chow mein, hamburgers, and several dozen other dishes.

Hode's is often the busiest place in town, with its large shaded patio next to a citrus grove, swings, slides, and ice-cream bar (it's much bigger than it looks from the outside). The fried chicken with French fries is some of the best in the Cayo. Prices are very reasonable, and there's a full bar.