96 Best Restaurants in Belize

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.

Perhaps the brightest foodie highlight on Caye Caulker, Hibisca serves the kind of innovative dishes you'd expect in a cosmopolitan city. Don't worry, though---it's still casual Caulker. Chef--owner Darren Casson pushes for ambitious, genre-busting flavors, but he also dishes up loaded fries and an array of burgers (including a veggie patty). Most guests go gaga over flavor combos like red pepper romesco sauce paired with Belizean dukunu (a tamalelike dish), but some sniff at the avant-garde style. You'll have to try it to know where you land.

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.

You come here for the lively atmosphere more than the food, although the menu of seafood, burgers, salads, and grilled chicken is certainly filling. Locals and expats alike enjoy the breezy, seaside location. There's plenty of safe, guarded parking, good drinks, and an abundance of cold Belikin. (The Bowen family, who owns the brewery, also own this place.)

Lush palms, lamplight, and blooms of burning love flowers all make for a seductive ambience on an island where you expect picnic tables and sand floors. Il Pellicano features classics like risotto, gnocchi, and margherita pizza (not fresh mozzarella, but better than the island's average), with imported rarities like capers and porcini mushrooms. The menu changes frequently and the desserts change daily. Il Pellicano is celebrated by some for its atmosphere more than its food quality, but it remains a choice spot for a romantic evening. 

At Innies, as at most local restaurants in the village, you're eating in a spot that was once somebody's house or back porch. Here you can dine inside or outside and get the full flavor of village life. The food is authentic (though some dishes cater to the taste of tourists), delicious, and inexpensive. Traditional Garifuna dishes such as hudut (fish cooked in coconut milk and served with mashed plantains) and ereba (grated cassava bread) with bundiga (a gravy of grated plantains and coconut) are available, but more familiar dishes like fried chicken and rice and beans with stew chicken are also served. You'll find the staff very friendly.

Vancouverite Tammy fell so in love with Sarteneja and its people that she decided to stick around and open up a restaurant and lounge the locals would be proud of. Perched right in front of the water, the beloved hangout is decked in bright pink and dark blue, with the upper level offering lovely views of the sunset. The prices of the ceviche are an eyebrow-raising BZ$45, which is surprising for an eatery in this location. Still, the ceviche continues to be a hit, and the burgers and pizzas are not too shabby, either. 

The aromas waft out to the street and entice you in to this upscale—upscale for Hopkins, that is—Italian spot just south of town. Kick off a meal with a wide variety of bruschetta, followed by a Caprese salad, mushroom ravioli, and tiramisu for dessert. The wine list is one of the best in the country.

\"Sunny place for shady people\" is the old-time slogan of the Lazy Lizard, the hangout that still reigns at the ever-happening Split. Wade with some friends into the Caribbean with an icy bucket of Belikins, or jump off the rickety diving platform (but do it sober). If you're not feeling that gutsy, at night you can watch the fish as multicolored spotlights illuminate the water. Don't expect cheap drinks or gourmet bar snacks (think plasticky nacho cheese). But the location makes the Lizard an iconic hangout.

Near Cahal Pech, you'll find this appropriately named spot overlooking the city. Elevated bar food---think wings and pizza---is joined by unique takes on regulars, such as chimichurri sliders served on tostones and mouthwatering mofongito with creamy chicken. It's a laid-back, friendly place to spend an evening listening to music and noshing on tasty food after a busy day of sightseeing. 

You might feel like you've stumbled into a bar in the States, but this open-air bar just has all those trappings—several TVs tuned to sports channels, nice restrooms, and efficient service. If you're craving fried-not-greasy food, get the Chicklets (chicken tenders skillfully battered in buttermilk and cornmeal), or the Lucky Clucker Lollipops (chicken skewers). Come back for the great night scene.

“I Got Lucky at Lucky Lobster” visors, koozies, and T-shirts can be purchased.

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. 

No pretense here—instead, you're seated on the second-floor veranda of the chef--owner's house across the street from the water in Cattle Landing village just northeast of Punta Gorda. You'll find different dishes every evening but usually with a choice of seafood (snapper, snook, or shrimp) or a hearty dish like a thick pork chop or lasagna. It's all delicious and inexpensive, and it's BYOB so bring your own beer or rum. Because it's a little away from the main downtown area, most guests are local residents or expats, not tourists.

Moon Bar has made a splash as an atmospheric beach bar and \"flame-fired\" pizza joint on a secluded stretch of beach. This is a spot to come and play for hours: recline on daybeds, drink your \"grammable\" craft cocktail in the pool, or borrow paddleboards and kayaks (free for customers). The tasty, customizable pizzas are made with excellent homemade dough. At night, cool-color purple and blue lighting gives Moon Bar a sultry lunar feel. Note that this hip hangout is 18-plus. 

Orange Walk Town may be the last place you'd expect to find an upscale restaurant like this, with its Maya-inspired decor, well-prepared food, and extra-friendly servers. Nonetheless, it opened here, on a corner behind the Shell station, to rave reviews. Sit in the tropical gardens in the back and admire the jungle-esque foliage, or sit in air-conditioned comfort in the main dining room and enjoy a cold drink and a delicious shrimp or conch (in season) ceviche appetizer. For a main course try the curry ginger shrimp or one of the Yucatán-inspired dishes such as poc chuc, grilled pork sauteed with onion and sweet pepper and served with corn tortillas. 

Often packed, Nerie's is the vox populi of dining in Belize City. The many traditional Belizean dishes on the menu include fry jacks for breakfast and cow-foot soup for lunch. Stew chicken with rice and beans and a soft drink is always an economical choice. There's another location on Douglas Jones Street.  You're in the heart of the Commercial District, so a taxi to and from is a must if you come here for dinner.

The engaging German owner here makes use of locally sourced and the best of in-season ingredients to whip up an eclectic menu of European and American food at this thatched-roof restaurant in the center of town. He’s quite proud of the large pork chops they serve. Fresh salads, seafood, cakes, and a good wine selection round out the menu selection here. You’ll find secure parking, too.

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.

This popular thatched-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.

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.

At any given time, two or three generations of the owner's family staff this outdoor eatery, which serves some of the best pineapple shrimp and coconut curry on Caye Caulker. You’ll sit under fluorescent lights with feet in the sand, while your dinner sizzles behind you in a tiny kitchenette or on a barbecue grill. Reina’s has a full bar but no straws (a big bonus for marine life). During the day, the family sells tasty meat pies next door. 

This little place on the Sidewalk is a nice stop for fresh ceviche and cold beer at lunch; just sit on the open-air veranda and watch the village life pass by. If you're craving greens, it also has some of Placencia's best salads. For dinner, try the pizza or pineapple shrimp quesadillas. The chef--owner, Rick, is well experienced in the hospitality business in Belize and treats his customers well.

The Creole and Garifuna dishes here are hearty, tasty, and prepared fresh. The restaurant is often busy with fishermen and the guys who run boats out to Tobacco Caye and other offshore cayes, but it's basic and clean. If you're going to the islands you can arrange transportation while sipping a beer or having breakfast or a plate of rice and beans.

Line up beside the smoking grill for a delicious, no-nonsense plate of jerk chicken with sides. Homemade sauce is dished from a big plastic mixing bowl, and Fanta and juices are in the back (but don't expect mixed drinks). Eat under the thatch and chat with the lovely Jamaican-Belizean owners, or get your meal to go. Bring napkins---and cash, as no credit cards are accepted.

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.

This nondescript Mediterranean/Lebanese restaurant in the Northern Suburbs has good kebabs, kofta, falafel, and hummus, with many vegetarian options. Service isn't always perfect, but the food is consistently good.

With sizzling spices, this restaurant transforms basics like chicken or pork chops beyond standard fare. Try the pork in brandy-mustard sauce, the coconut chicken, or the piña colada fish. Eat in the casual dining room or out on the covered deck, with views through the vines and flowers. In a residential area off Benque Road, the place can be hard to find, especially after dark so consider taking a taxi.

What's a Sri Lankan restaurant doing here? The original Ceylonese owner and his wife came to Belize with the British Army, and like many other squadies (enlisted men), decided to stay on and open a business. Over the years, the menu here has migrated more to Belizean, Chinese, and American dishes such as rice and beans, burgers, grilled fish, and fried chicken. The new owners are a Belizean-American couple, but you can still get authentic Sri Lankan curries (you choose the heat level) and a choice of teas. The conversion of part of Burns Avenue to a pedestrian mall has given Serendib an appealing location, and there's outdoor dining in a patio out back.

Tasty northern and southern Indian food is created at Sumathi's in its authentic tandoori oven—a large clay oven with intense heat—which cooks meat and seafood quickly, leaving it crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Try the tandoori chicken, with cumin, ginger, and minty yogurt, served with naan. There are many vegetarian options, too. Portions are generous. Service is sometimes a weak point.