85 Best Restaurants in Guatemala

This secret garden with lake vistas is a veritable oasis, complete with butterflies and flowering vines. But don't forget the food: there is a huge menu ranging from smoothie bowls bursting with fresh fruit or waffles in the morning to pad Thai, salad, traditional Guatemalan food, or pizza at sunset, plus fresh cocktails.

A broad menu features comida típica as well as familiar plates, so you can order a tasty hamburger (with optional whiskey sauce) or pollo al achiote, chicken spiced with the red pre-Colombian herb. The atmosphere is tasteful and relaxing, so you won't even miss the lake, which is a couple of blocks away.

Waiters in white jackets and ties move briskly around the pleasant covered courtyard that serves as the main dining room, once the home of Guatemala City's German Club. Founded in 1948, the restaurant is still serving classic Spanish and Basque dishes such as paella, calamares en su tinta (shrimp in their own ink), and for dessert wonderful torrejas (crusty bread soaked in whole milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk with a touch of anise). A branch in the New City maintains the old style and impeccable service of the original city-center restaurant.

If the name \"Doors of Heaven,\" seems a little lofty, wait until you try the food to make your judgment. The creamy, flavorful pastas and fresh ingredients will indeed send your tastebuds straight to the promised land. There is no menu; the chef (Bernie) comes to your table and talks about what's fresh, but the seafood will be prepared to your liking---nay, loving. The cuisine here is more like what you'd expect from a high-end restaurant in Europe; indeed, the owner--chef is Italian, and the food is innovative and personalized. While this type of menu would be well into the hundreds of dollars in the States, here it will run you around US$30, including a glass of wine.

Hummingbirds dart among flowering vines at this romantic eatery just up the street from the lake. Enter through an iron gate that leads into a garden hidden behind a low wall. There are outside tables and a pair of intimate dining rooms. All the delicious Italian food, from the tasty bread to the fresh pasta, is homemade. Two standout specialties are the fettuccine arrabiata (with a slightly spicy tomato sauce), and the steak au poivre (cooked in a wine sauce and black pepper) served with fresh vegetables.

This is a "must stop" when you're in Cobán. Have a seat in one of the intimate dining rooms or out in the garden and enjoy delicious international dishes. Though the menu includes nicely prepared pastas and pizzas, the grilled meats, accompanied by grilled vegetables and a variety of homemade salsas, are especially succulent. All the vegetables, and even the lamb and pork, are grown organically on El Bistro's own farm outside of town. The coffee stands out even in a city known for the brew, and the breakfasts here are legendary. The homemade desserts are the best in the city; a brownie or a slice of carrot cake makes a great midday snack. The restaurant's gift shop also offers the highest-quality handicrafts in Cobán.

The Uruguayan and American owners contribute to the live acoustic music many evenings here at one of Calle Santander's liveliest restaurants and a favorite with Pana's expat community. Grab a seat in this semi-open-air place, enjoy the entertainment, and survey all the action on the main drag. Uruguayan-style beef tenderloin rules, as do churtos (beef cutlets prepared variously with mozzarella cheese, ham, bacon, peppers, or olives).

If you only have one meal in Guatemala City, head to Jake Denburg's place. A New Jersey–bred painter-turned-restaurateur, Jake uses his creative talents on food, producing dishes ranging from osso buco to crab cakes with avocado-and-wasabi cream sauce. A longtime favorite is the vaquero chino (Chinese cowboy), a tenderloin steak served with a sweet soy, espresso, and star anise sauce. For dessert, the pudín de chocolate and cheesecake with crème brûlée are divine. The restaurant is in a beautiful converted farmhouse with hardwood ceilings, tile floors, an outdoor patio, and a sophisticated lounge. The wine list is quite possibly the best in Central America.

If you've never eaten in an Italian grandfather's kitchen overlooking a beautiful lake here's your chance. This unfussy outdoor spot has a nice selection of pasta cooked to order in the open kitchen. They bake up homemade bread for the bruschetta, and the pizza is a treat with a glass of wine or a frosty Gallo. It's worth the drive after Tikal. 

This cozy eatery has tasty brunch all day, with items like: shakshuka eggs, Flores skillet with egg, avocado, beans, and mushrooms, or chicken and waffles. Don't miss the famous milkshake: three scoops of vanilla ice cream, flavor of your choice (we suggest maple syrup and bacon), topped off with a delectable doughnut.

Grilled meats come piping hot off the parrilla (grill) and give this palapa restaurant swagger. Tacos with practically an artist's palette of sauces are also popular, and the steamed fish is excellent. Raíces is built over the water, so with friends, a margarita in hand, and the lake framing it all, you'll have a good time. You can also take a boat ride from the restaurant out to Raíces Del Lago for a special dining experience from another vantage point on the lake.

This terrace is so lovely and the Italian food so rich that the lake will seem swapped for the Mediterranean in a delicious sleight of hand. The best plates are the bowls of homemade pasta slick with olive oil and dense with shrimp, bacon, tomatoes, squash, basil, or whatever tops your dish of choice. Burgers, steak, and interesting pizzas are also on the menu. The avocado salad is a little wedding cake of vegetables; beautiful. Plus, if you've been jonesing for that clementine San Pelligrino, Il Terrazo's got you covered.

You'll feel like a guest in a private home when you arrive at this restaurant. Take your pick of tables, which are on a patio with cascading orchid plants, by a small pool, festooned with candles and flower petals, in the rear garden, or in one of the elegantly appointed dining rooms. The menu includes homemade pasta dishes, such as anolini served with a creamy pepper-and-cognac sauce, as well as fish and meat dishes served with a variety of sauces. All the vegetables are organic, and the bread is baked right on the premises.

Occupying an elegant space in the heart of the Zona Viva, Zumo greets diners with simple modern decor, including a comfortable patio and a cozy downstairs bar. Chef Rodrigo Alvarado takes the often overused term "fusion cuisine" seriously, and mixes in-season Guatemalan ingredients with an around-the-world menu. We like the shrimp in mango sauce with avocado butter, the steak in tamarind sauce, and the pumpkin crème brûlée with amaretto ice cream. There's also an extensive wine list (one of the best in the capital, with 60 international offerings), and the service is impeccable.

Ask locals to recommend a place to eat in the Old City, and chances are they'll send you to this spirited Guatemalan favorite. The decor couldn't be simpler—stone floor, small fountain, colorful fabrics, and vases of flowers on the tables. The flavorful cuisine, typical of the Cobán region, includes kaq'ik (a spicy turkey stew), gallo en chicha (chicken in a slightly sweet sauce), and sopa de tortuga (turtle soup). More adventurous types will want to sample the roasted tepezcuintle, a type of rodent.

Everyday at lunch and on Friday and Saturday night live marimba music fills the restaurant.

There's a branch in the New City, which dishes up the same regional cuisine from Alta Verapaz.

The name is apt. Anything and everything in the bagel realm makes up the bulk of the menu in this place just around the corner from the Parque Central. You'll find an equally wide variety of smoothie flavors here as well as decaf coffee (a real rarity in this country). Stop by at 5:30 pm for the nightly screenings of late-run Hollywood films on DVD; there's a huge selection of those, too. Movie time occasionally varies but will always be announced that day on a board in the doorway.

One of the lake's most popular restaurants is affiliated with the hotel of the same name. Look for the A-frame, thatch-roof structure right by the dock as your taxi boat is pulling in. (Many diners arrive that way, although the virtual absence of lake transport at night makes Bambú a better lunch option, unless you're based in Santiago Atitlán.) Spanish cuisine dominates here, corvina and garlic chicken being particular favorites. Fruits, vegetables, and herbs are grown in the on-site hotel garden. A crackling fireplace keeps you warm on chilly evenings, of which there are many here.

Guatemalan colonial meets French country bistro at this eatery two blocks east of Parque Central. Trout amandine, pied de cochon, and steak frites with béarnaise sauce make up some of the French-themed highlights on the menu, along with an ample wine list that features mostly Chilean and Argentine vintages. You'll find a whimsical hog theme throughout, with pewter, ceramic, and wood pigs used to decorate the room with its dark wood and worn, exposed stucco walls. Lighting is low and romantic, with small spotlights and chandeliers made from frosted-white glass bottles. Jazz and blues provide the background music.

Although lodging is an option here, Bruno's is best known as a popular hangout for the yachting crowd. Most of the regular patrons arrive by boat. You'll feel at home here in the lively American-style restaurant featuring a great international menu. Expats enjoy sandwiches, burgers, and other light fare as they watch football on the big-screen TV.

Combining a cultural and educational experience with good food, this restaurant is the creation of German architect Dieter Richter, who has worked on projects at Yaxhá and Naranjo. You can browse a collection of books, photos, maps, and other information about the Mayan world while you enjoy a hamburguesa or a Mayan dish such as Pollo Xni Pec (chicken in a chili sauce served with rice and yucca). You can also book tours to Yaxhá and elsewhere.

This hot spot on the northwest corner of Parque Central hustles and bustles with all the commotion of a big-city café. Coffees, teas, chai, and hot chocolate are on tap, along with a good variety of panini and salads. It can be difficult to find a table during the day, especially on weekends. If you're here with someone else, have one person in your party grab a table the minute one opens up, while another orders at the counter. Things thin out a bit after 8 pm.

Despite the name, you'll find very little that is Indian about the cuisine here. The menu is a real catch-all, and "vegetarian" or "macrobiotic" are better descriptions to describe the falafel, pita, pad thai, burritos, lasagna, and key lime pie. Dine inside, or grab one of the two umbrella-covered tables on the front deck and survey the action on Calle Santander.

Breakfast starts at 7 am, and specials such as toast topped with strawberries, papaya, or mango, and omelets made with fresh vegetables will give you plenty of sightseeing fuel. (Breakfast is served all day if you like.) After such a big breakfast, don't count on eating much for the rest of the day. For lunch, try the quiche or the Brie plate; the homemade pies and pastries are also notable. You can eat in the café's airy dining room or grab a cappuccino and a sweet roll at Café Condesa Express next door. Either way, the location right on the Parque Central can't be beat.

The owner of this popular café grew up on a coffee plantation near Cobán. Duly qualified, she serves the largest selection of caffeinated beverages in this coffee-growing region. Hot coffee, cold coffee, coffee with liquor, coffee with chocolate, and a wide assortment of teas make up most of the menu. She also whips up some of the best breakfasts in town. The café is on the grounds of the Viveros Verapaz.

The friendly proprietors serve a menu that includes Thai curries, Chinese noodles, and Indian vegetable dishes. Be careful—some of the dishes, especially the curries, are quite spicy. Asian food aficionados will find the food not at all like the real thing, but Antigua is, after all, about as far from the source as you can get. There's live piano music nightly. The restaurant is popular with the many students studying Spanish in Antigua.

Homemade everything adds a nice touch to this farmhouse-style restaurant between the Biotopo del Quetzal and Cobán. Sauces, dressings, jellies, tortillas, and cheeses are all prepared on-site. The place comes into its own with its huge farm-style breakfasts of eggs, breads, plantains, beans, and cheeses. It's a terrific place to stop if you're out early in the morning. If you go for dinner, get there early: the place closes at 7:30 pm.