Roatán
The in-house restaurant of a lodge and dive center, the Sunken Fish is open to the public all day and enjoys a fantastic setting overlooking the sea – one…
Must-see restaurants in Central America
Central Valley & Highlands
This unremarkable-looking eatery has friendly service and excellent, reasonably priced home cooking. Sometimes the kitchen gets a bit backed up, but the…
Quetzaltenango
Burrito lovers need go no further than Tacorazon to fill their boots. Conveniently tucked into a corner across from the main park, this bright place does…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Owned by a friendly bohemian expat couple, this charming vegetarian cafe champions the slow-food movement and makes everything from scratch, from the jams…
Playas del Coco
At the crossroads of the main drag and the beach, this place can't be beaten for people watching in Coco. It's also your best bet for lunch, whether you…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Typical Caribbean dishes, such as jerk chicken served with salad, beans, rice and plantain, are done well at this simple soda off the main strip. A…
Cahuita
This long-standing restaurant serves a slew of Caribbean specialties and a number of vegetarian options, such as coconut-milk-and-ginger curry. The…
Panama City
With an open-air dining room awash in violet light and set in a shell of Casco ruins, Tomillo's bare, beautiful ambience reigns supreme. Generating a lot…
Mal País & Santa Teresa
Not the biggest bakery in Playa El Carmen, but longtime residents swear by this Italian panaderia in the first mall you see as you come into town…
Península de Nicoya
A popular soda (cheap lunch counter) serving appetizing comida típica (typical local food) such as gallo pinto (stir-fry of rice and beans) in the morning…
Veraguas Province
This welcoming, family-run place just up from the town center serves better food than the plain-Jane menu would have you believe, including worthwhile…
Utila
Owned by Andrea, an Italian who's lived in Utila since the 1990s, this place specializes in authentic thin-crust pizza from a purpose-built brick oven…
Archipiélago de Bocas del Toro
A real only-when-traveling experience, Rana Azul is a remote restaurant-pizzeria facing Dolphin Bay from the Bocas mainland. It's hosted by Joseph and…
Central Pacific Coast
Sit on the lovely open-air patio with a glass of European wine and enjoy delights like Spanish-style tapas, Italian pasta dishes, and fresh fish and…
Coclé Province
It's gringo city at this Italian-owned bar-restaurant on the beach. Among the menu choices is a holdover from the previous owners, a Quebec dish of French…
Ambergris Caye
Located inside a high-end resort, this modern restaurant feels more Miami than Belize so it's no surprise that the menu goes beyond rice and beans to…
San José
This vibrant, quirky cultural space/gallery in a renovated mansion sports local artwork inside and out. There's cozy seating on vintage couches, plus…
Coclé Province
This colorful and quirky little place run by an affable Panamanian-Swiss couple for almost two decades serves up scrumptious Panamanian food à la…
Montezuma
A cozy feeling permeates this restaurant and bakery on the beach road, which in 2019 was repainted in a cheerful yellow by its new owner. The terrace…
Flores & Santa Elena
Refreshingly not aimed at foreign travelers, this traditional eatery does toothsome home cookin'. You'll find such hearty options as caldo de res (beef…
Tegucigalpa
This is a mecca for the Honduran elite, and if you're yearning for gourmet treats this is the place. The deli section has Parma ham and French cheese,…
Uvita
Off the main road into Utvia is this container-cum-seafood restaurant, with a simple deck out front with tables and chairs. It serves delectable ceviche…
Cobán
This restaurant, complete with orchids and a koi pond, offers authentic Italian and other European-style dishes served in an attractive oasis of…
Boquete
In a converted carport and garden, this family-run eatery is a find. All guests are mi amor (my love) to the affectionate Olga, who cooks breakfast like…
Belize District
This large, airy and friendly restaurant serves hearty meals, including all-day breakfasts, roast-beef sandwiches and excellent Cuban tilapia. Naturally,…
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Delicious pancake and fruit breakfasts and Caribbean home cooking can be found at this backstreet eatery with wooden slab tables on an open-air terrace…
San José
This longtime Italian cafe and expat favorite is set on a sprawling terrace in a vintage Barrio Otoya mansion with a green exterior. It’s a perfect spot…
Hopkins
This cute Caribbean-meets-Euro-style cafe is a cool spot for breakfast or a light lunch of salad, wraps and specials such as quesadillas or meatballs…
San José
This petite cafe in Barrio Amón retains the stained glass windows from an earlier incarnation and adds a Chaplinesque touch, though it's now owned by the…
Restaurant La Trocha del Boyero
Central Valley & Highlands
Tico families and local expats crowd the pleasant deck here for the variety of casados on offer, fresh trout (in season), sirloin and heaped bowls of…
Quepos
The daily rotation of delicious cafeteria options here might include fish in tomato sauce, olla de carne (beef soup with rice) or chicken soup. Everything…
Masaya & Los Pueblos Blancos
Masatepe is perhaps best known for delicious, steaming bowls of mondongo (tripe soup marinated with bitter oranges and fresh herbs, then simmered with…
Quepos
This new kid on the block with fish shapes hanging from the ceiling is a good choice for seafood lovers. It serves up fresh morsels in various styles: the…
El Valle
El Valle's best Panamanian restaurant is a simple affair – a fonda (cheap restaurant), really – serving up pollo asado (grilled chicken), mixed seafood,…
Quepos to Uvita
Set in a pretty garden, this Thai restaurant and bar serves up tasty piping-hot bowls of rice and noodles, along with spicy margaritas, all from inside a…
Playa Tamarindo
Swing on up to the bar, grab a tree-stump stool, and prepare to sample some fantastic fare. The mahi-mahi tacos are perfection in a tortilla, while non…
Santa Catalina
If you’re hitting the water early, this will be the first spot open for a bite and espresso fix. Great options include breakfast burritos and Greek…
Little Corn Island
This cool little spot near Little Corn's wharf is a great place to get breakfast before setting off on the 6am-daily panga to Great Corn. It does…
Central Valley & Highlands
Thick, juicy tuna or beef burgers are served up with herby fries in this casual and welcoming place in the north of the city, with red booths and world…
Western Honduras
A five-minute walk southwest of the Parque Central, this atmospheric restaurant has tables scattered around a colonial-style courtyard. The menu includes…
