85 Best Restaurants in Guatemala

For Italian food in the city, this tiny restaurant can't be beat. Northern Italian specialties, delicious antipasti, and delicate homemade pastas are among the favorites. Wash it all down with a selection from the affordable wine list. The atmosphere and decor are low-key. Instead of giving out individual menus, waiters lug the menu board to your table to explain what's available. Hours can be a bit capricious; evening dining may begin at 6 or 7 pm, or whenever the restaurant opens, but the service is first-rate. Reservations are recommended.

You half expect Enrico Caruso to emerge from the shadows when you walk into this trattoria a couple of blocks from La Merced church. It's generally a bit cluttered and crowded, and it fills up quickly. You'll find overflow seating on the back patio, but sitting out there isn't nearly as atmospheric. For an Italian restaurant, the selection of pastas is small, but the café's signature plates are its various tenderloin dishes—we like the beef prepared with Gorgonzola cheese, nuts, and rosemary. There's also a wide selection of paninis and gelato.

The large, cartoonlike Capitán Turtle sign may fool you into thinking this restaurant is just for kids, but the grilled meats, pizza, tacos and burritos, and other options make this a solid choice for a meal with a view. The pinchos (grilled kebabs) are cooked on an open barbecue, sending enticing aromas throughout the restaurant. There's a nice patio out back, which offers tremendous sunset views of the lake.

For an around-Guatemala tour of the country's cuisine, we like this down-home New City restaurant with its bright yellow walls and colorful textiles hung from the ceiling. The emphasis is on meat, including typical national dishes such as pollo loroco (chicken-and-vegetables), pepián (chicken fricassee in pumpkin and sesame sauce), and kaq'ik (a turkey stew from Alta Verapaz). Be sure to accompany whatever you order with the restaurant's warm homemade tortillas.

Though smack-dab in the middle of the market hubbub, this peaceful second-floor restaurant, with its wrought-iron chairs and wood tables, offers a reasonably quiet respite from the activity below. These folks dish up their signature pollo estilo San Juan (chicken breast in tomato sauce), with guacamole salad and rice on the side. The menu makes a big deal of specifying that the chile relleno is "not spicy." It's actually a beef and vegetable-filled bell pepper, a signature highland dish. Whatever your main dish, be sure to accompany it with the warm homemade tortillas. Sunday market-day lunch gives way to a sumptuous buffet.

Panajachel's most elegant restaurant, Casablanca has a white-walled dining room with windows overlooking the main street. The handful of tables on the upper level is much more intimate. The menu is ample, if a bit overpriced, and includes a few seafood and fish standouts such as lobster and black lake bass, as well as tenderloin in a green-pepper sauce. Musicians occasionally entertain.

A cage of lively birds lends a cheerful atmosphere to this small eatery, which serves good Guatemalan fare. The avena (a warm oat beverage) is delicious, especially on a cold morning. There is no sign of the restaurant's trusty namesake, though a ceramic sailfish atop the refrigerator comes close.

Wander over to this seven- table café and pastry shop to try the 25 kinds of homemade cookies filled with nuts, chocolate, coconut, oatmeal, and spices. There's a good selection of gourmet coffee on the menu, too.

You'll feel appropriately cool chilling in a hammock or shooting the breeze with another wanderer in this leafy garden café, sipping lemonade or an iced latte. If you're bored by the national beers, Gallo in Guatemala or Belikin in Belize, this café serves real IPAs and a selection of imported craft beers. You can eat breakfast for under Q40, and light meals are served the rest of the day. There's free Wi-Fi.

The menu here is one of the country's most original, combining flavors from both sides of the Atlantic: you can enjoy such Spanish traditions as paella and roast suckling pig or more local offerings like robalo with a mushroom sauce. During its 25-plus years in business, the restaurant has built a much-deserved reputation for impeccable service.

This restaurant—named after the mistress of Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado—is something of a local institution; tables are scattered throughout a dozen rooms, but it's still not easy to get a seat. Early-morning specialties include fruit salad, pancakes, and very fresh bread (the bakery is right downstairs). Sandwiches and other light fare make for ample lunch and dinner options. The service can be slow, but the eclectic decor makes the wait pleasant. The bulletin board downstairs is an excellent source of information for travelers. Calling it “Doña Luisa” works too.

Tex-Mex food is here in Quetzaltenango in a big way at this restaurant inside the Pasaje Enríquez building on Parque Centro América. Look for the neon signs. Decor is that of an old Southwest cantina, with wood tables and stools in the room that also houses the bar, and chairs with backs in an amply sized adjoining room. Barbecue ribs, fajitas, and nachos make up the hearty fare.

Satisfy your caffeine craving and sweet tooth at El Cafetalito, a European-style café whose Swiss owners serve up sophisticated coffees and pastries to an appreciative clientele.

This fun place behind the cathedral has gained cachet with Antigua's foreign population, expat and tourist alike, who have made it one of the city's liveliest restaurants. You'll find a good selection of pizzas and pastas on the menu, along with less traditional dishes such as panfried salmon and grilled beef fillet with sautéed spinach. Italian music—it might be Sinatra, it might be Pavarotti—wafts through the three dark-wood rooms (one upstairs), along with convivial chatter from the spirited bar, making it an especially good place to eat if you're here with a group.

Good food, attentive service, and reasonable prices make this place popular with the locals, so it can be tough to get a table later in the evening. It couldn't be described as fancy, but this restaurant's long polished bar and wood paneling raise it above the usual neighborhood dive. The menu has a number of delicious appetizers, including traditional queso fundido and a selection of meat and seafood dishes that are smothered in rich sauces. Saturday, the place whips up its caldo de mariscos (seafood stew).

The lime meringue pie alone is worth a trip to this charming log cabin–turned restaurant just south of Cobán, but you'll likely want to precede dessert with a full Verapaces-style meal. The ubiquitous regional turkey stew kaq'ik is on the menu, of course, but you can also try roast lamb, beef, or rosemary chicken.

Although it's known by the outdoor patio with umbrella-covered tables that gives the place its name, most of the restaurant's tables are inside a large dining room decorated with lots of palms and ferns, and a few indigenous drawings on the wall. Nevertheless, the lunch and dinner menus offer great variety, including such choices as pepper steak, roast pork, and chicken à la king. It's also a popular spot for breakfast. You'll find a couple of Internet computers to log on to after you eat.

This large restaurant is popular with a local crowd, and at lunchtime you're likely to find a soccer match playing on the projection TV. The decor is simple, with tile floors, tall ceilings, and guitars hanging from the walls. The menu is extensive and includes pastas, grilled meats, seafood, sandwiches, and burgers, but the specialties here are traditional dishes such as kaq'ik (preceded by a bowl of hot chocolate), suban-ick (chicken and pork in a delicious tomato sauce), jocón (chicken in a mild green sauce), and sopa de tortuga (turtle soup). Save room for the homemade pies.

One of Antigua's original elegant restaurants is in a 16th-century house near La Merced church a few blocks north of the Parque Central. The place is huge and does a brisk event business, but offers plenty of secluded tables for intimate, candlelight dinners. Lunch is served in the downstairs courtyard; dinner expands to the upstairs terrace with stupendous mountain and city views and gorgeous end-of-day sunsets. The menu changes every few months, but always consists of a mix of Guatemalan and international fare—perhaps a three-meat pepián, or a tarragon leg of lamb with a mango shrimp salad on the side.

Our favorite in-town lakefront restaurant, with great views from its picture window, takes its name from the tightly wrapped cloth worn as a headdress by Tzutuhil women in the area. This is about as elegant as Panajachel gets: waiters in white shirts and bow ties scurry around and serve pepián or chile relleno on the local side of the menu, or a good steak if you're looking for something international. This is still Pana, though, so you don't need to dress up.

Looking for a place where you and your friends can knock back a few margaritas? At this festive cantina, a branch of a larger establishment in Guatemala City, the whole group can fill up on Mexican fare, including taquitos, enchiladas, and burros, the diminutive siblings of the American-style burrito. Things really get going when the mariachi band shows up. Stop by for live music Saturday evenings. Fans of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera will find a great selection of prints from these masters—the menu even bears Frida's signature portrait.

This Zona Viva steak house is known for its quality cuts of beef, yet the atmosphere has won over more than one vegetarian. The dining room calls to mind the American West, with such touches as sturdy wooden tables and old saddles. Eat inside or in the small garden. Grilled meats, chicken, and seafood dominate the menu, and there's a decent wine list.

This adobe building, set back from the street behind a high wall, is decorated in a Western theme, with tile floors and simple wooden furniture. There's also a pleasant central patio with a fountain and tables with umbrellas. Out front, away from the dining areas, is a small play area for kids. Specialties of the house include steak, ribs, pork, salmon, and robalo, all served with a variety of savory condiments like fresh salsa, pickled carrots, and jalapeños. The attentive, exuberant servers bring endless baskets of warm tortillas, but try not to fill up—the truly incomparable caramel flan shouldn't be missed. To top off the experience, a Latin trio strolls through in the evenings and at lunchtime on Fridays. OTHER="spoke with Fidelia de D'Avila, secretary, [email protected]"/

The thatch roof and painfully slow-turning ceiling fans are right out of Night of the Iguana or any other tropical movie of your choice. The seafood is phenomenal here at one of the town's most popular restaurants, which draws locals and tourists in equal numbers. We like the seafood tapado, a sweet fish stew. You can check your e-mail at the business center while you're waiting.

For a home-style southern Italian atmosphere with checked tablecloths, opera music, and basketed Chianti bottles hanging from the rafters, head to Il Cardinali. The extensive, pasta-heavy menu also includes pizza and a decent wine selection. The service is friendly and quick. The front room gets chilly at night. Opt instead for the larger and bustling, but cozier back room.

An open-air restaurant centered around a bamboo hut and a fire pit, this little Italian eatery offers such continental favorites as fondue and spaghetti, and also has a good selection of vegetarian entrées. There's live music from time to time, making this one of San Marcos's social hubs. Be sure to leave room for the delicious tiramisu.

Located in the Plaza Fontabella shopping center, this upscale Chinese restaurant is decorated in a contemporary Asian theme, with slate floors, black booths, and painted murals. Through a picture window you can watch your food being prepared in the spotless, state-of-the-art kitchen. Or if you'd prefer to sit outside, there's a pleasant row of tables with the feeling of a sidewalk café. The menu is an eclectic mix of classics such as Peking duck and beef with ginger, as well as owner/chef Jake Denberg's special creations, like crab wontons and shrimp with chile sauce. The barbecue ribs make a great way to start the meal, and the fried plantains with homemade ice cream are the perfect ending.

This colorful little corner restaurant is friendly and popular among the locals. Come early for the excellent pancakes served at breakfast, or stop by for beef and chicken dishes—pepián (a fricassee in pumpkin and sesame sauce) or chile relleno are favorites here—at lunch or dinner. The menu includes a few Mexican favorites as well.

Set in a hacienda-style building, away from the bustle of the city, Jean François is one of the prettiest and most tranquil restaurants in town, with a lovely courtyard/garden and tables tucked under the surrounding arcades. If you prefer to sit inside, there's a charming dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a cozy fireplace. The food is equally impressive, mostly French classics with an occasional New World touch. For an appetizer, try the warm shrimp mousse wrapped in spinach, and for your main course beef with béarnaise or Gorgonzola sauce, or maybe grilled robalo with fresh tomatoes and basil. The french fries are top-notch, and for dessert our favorite is the wonderful, light mousse de chico (a type of tropical fruit).

Located in the heart of the Zona Viva, this popular eatery feels more like the beach, thanks to its setting in a huge palapa surrounded by tropical plants. At dinner the soft lighting and candles on the tables make for a romantic atmosphere. Although the menu includes a good selection of meat and fish, the specialties of the house are national dishes such as jocón and pepián; Kacao is also one of the best places in town to try an assortment of Guatemalan tamales. Waiters wear traditional dress, and to complete the effect, lively marimba music plays on the stereo.