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Ambergris Caye has the largest and most diverse selection of restaurants in the country. Buy cheap tacos, papusas, or grilled chicken from a street vendor, eat barbecued fish on the beach, or, at the other end, dine on lobster, crab claws, and steak at upscale eateries. Even the most upmarket spots have a casual atmosphere, some with sand floors and screenless windows open to catch the breezes from the sea.
The largest concentration of restaurants is in town, but many, including some of the best on the island, are opening on the South End and especially on North Ambergris.
If you’re hankering for a steaming bowl of cow-foot soup or just a good old plate of succulent stew chicken, join San Pedranos on their lunch break at Briana's. Crunchy eats like salbutes and garnachas won’t disappoint, but for faithful homestyle Belizean cuisine, try whatever is on special that day: think pigtail or curry chicken with coconut rice and beans, plantains, and a scoop of slaw.
Formerly DandE's, this beloved parlor is your place for creamy custards and cooling sorbets—all homemade and so dense that they resist quick melting. Custard is made with egg yolks; it's touted as a "healthier" alternative to ice cream, which we're willing to believe for the sake of dessert. For island flavors, looks for mango sorbet or soursop frozen custard.
Snug as a pink box of pastries, Annie's is open only in the late afternoon and evening and offers empanadas, sandwiches, and miniloaves of banana bread at local prices. If you're feeling spontaneous, select from the unlabeled display in the window and see what you bite into.
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.
You'll recognize the circular logo from the monolithic coffee chain it references, but vibrant-tiled Marbucks is far better. Part of the intimate Marbucks Bed & Breakfast, this is a charming breakfast joint with pleasant outdoor stools and tables. We recommend the drip coffee and the frittata, served in a cast-iron skillet. If you're hankering for a back-home bagel, the egg sandwich is delicious.
