37 Best Restaurants in Ambergris Caye and San Pedro, The Cayes and Atolls

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 San Pedrano 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.

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.

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.

Warm cinnamon rolls are a favorite at this Irish-owned bakery. You'll also find a cheering bounty of croissants, cookies, and coconut tarts, plus made-to-order egg sandwiches and, at lunch, tuna or ham sandwiches. You can even drink dainty cups of tea with your pastries. 

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.

This open-air favorite is your spot for handmade pupusas (pockets of masa filled with meat or veggies and cooked on a griddle). The huge pupusas will only run you about BZ$3–BZ$6 each, and range from spinach to pork to the idiosyncratic "crazy" flavor. An array of (more expensive) seafood and meat dishes is also on offer. For tropical decadence try the coconut cream burritos filled with seafood or chicken while you enjoy the town's bustle just feet away. Waruguma is a great, low-key family dinner spot.

Noted local chef Amy Knox has made Wild Mango's one of the most interesting dining choices in town. She calls her cooking New Wave Latin—Caribbean food infused with spicy flavors from Cuba, Argentina, and Mexico. The updated menu spotlights Belizean crops and foodways: you'll find small plates like a citrus cocoa nib salad and plantain tostones with shrimp sofrito. Snazzy large plates include cashew grouper with rich green chile beurre blanc. (Knox does not use conch or lobster, as she believes them to be unsustainable.) Wild Mango's features a handful of impressive vegetarian options. Seating is beach-casual, with high tables on a covered, open-air veranda.