99 Best Restaurants in Belize

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.)

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. 

Named after the owner's three children, Jo-Mel-In has been a pillar in the Corozal community since 1987. Guests will be happy to learn recent renovations have led to a closed-in, air-conditioned dining area, which is much needed in the summer months. You will want to come here if you're craving real Belizean food with that unmistakable influence from the Mestizo and Maya cultures. Daily lunch specials include a classic rice and beans with stew chicken that won't be outdone by any other one in town. Jo-Mel-In serves breakfast on Sunday every mid- and end of month. 

\"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. 

You'd be hard-pressed to find a faster, tastier, cheaper Belizean meal than at this hole in the wall. Grab-and-go breakfast burritos will fill you up before a tour, and the watermelon or lime juice will keep you hydrated. Seating is very limited so take your feast down the street for a picnic in the park.

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. 

The buses all stop at this roadside restaurant along the Hummingbird Highway on the way to Dangriga for the hearty tamales boiled by a family in the tradition of their mother, the late Bertha Lisbey. A tamal—that’s the singular—is a self-contained meal of vegetables, with or without meat, wrapped and steamed inside a banana leaf. Psst. You untie the leaf, but you don’t eat it.

This longtime local favorite serves simple but tasty Belizean dishes such as stew chicken or pork with beans and rice. Sit at tables with oilcloth tablecloths under a covered patio, open to the breezes, and enjoy genuine Belizean hospitality at lunch and dinner. Some days there's a buffet of Belizean foods at lunch.

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.

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.

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.

In a shack at the beginning of the Sidewalk, overlooking the harbor, The Shak is the spot for fruit smoothies. For lunch and dinner, there are several curries, wraps, sandwiches, and stir-fry dishes. If you come for dinner, though, make it an early one; the place closes at 6.

The less rowdy competitor of Lazy Lizard, Sip n' Dip is a playful spot to kick it in the water, rum punch in hand. Though the swimming here isn't as good or deep as at the Lizard, you're a stone's throw from that area; plus the inner tubes and submerged tables make up for it. It's more family-friendly, with a modest playground and a little upcycled water slide into the sea. The basic lunch menu is surprisingly tasty. 

Burritos are the thing here, and in fact usually just about the only thing, except for smoothies, shakes, coffee, and the occasional daily special. You get a selection of fillings and type of flour tortilla. The huge breakfast burrito easily serves two. This is primarily a take-out spot. You'll find a few tables on the patio for open-air dining, but the view is only of a neighboring parking lot.

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.