Must-see restaurants in Nicaragua

This diminutive ice-cream stall kills you softly with its 12 flavors of ice cream on a stick. It's some of the best ice cream you'll ever have; we're…

Just about the only full-service restaurant in town, this attractively set place has old wooden floors, beamed ceilings and pleasant lake views. The…

This friendly cafe with comfortable seating and a laid-back atmosphere serves up burritos and fajitas with a kick and organic salads direct from the…

This lovely new place gets it all just about right: friendly staff, hip decor, excellent coffee (yes, competition is stiff here) and a scrumptious menu…

Step through the majestic wooden doors of this lovely old adobe house and enjoy a delicious traditional Nica meal in a wonderfully social atmosphere,…

While the restaurant doesn't look like much, these are certainly some of the best pizzas available along Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. We love the fact…

Feeling just a tad too chic for grimy Bluefields, this light-filled, split-level cafe serves real coffee in addition to panini, pasta dishes, salads and…

Given the seriously weak dining scene in Estelí, 'Farm to Table' comes as a wonderful surprise. Helmed by American chef Darren, a warm and passionate host…

Pull up a chair on the porch of this converted family home and order the superb salt-dusted, lightly fried fish and a cold beer. Alternatively, try its…

This fabulous little ice-cream parlor sets the tone with its pink screen doors, checkerboard floor and hipstery hanging lights. It may be serving a rather…

An unexpected surprise, La Mestiza serves some of the best and most authentic Mexican food in Nicaragua. We love their tacos de chicharrón en salsa verde …

This fantastic place is run by a friendly team of locals, who give a consistently warm welcome. The menu is one of the most interesting on the island, and…

This friendly Italian restaurant is filled with plants and decorated with maps and local handicrafts. Its menu includes good thin-crust pizza and a range…

Local boy and Swiss-trained chef Fred Ulrich returned to Pearl Lagoon after a long absence working in resorts all over the Americas, and has invested in…

A local institution, this fritanga gets packed breakfast, lunch and dinner – and mariachis could show up at any time to play some music. It’s a solid…

By the rocks at the north end of the beach, local matriarch Mama Lin feeds you fantastic lobster, grilled snapper, sopa de mariscos (seafood stew) and…

In affluent Las Colinas, Ola Verde falls squarely into the 'hipster eatery' category but without flogging you with the concept of wellness in a tiresome…

Tall ceilings, hand-carved furniture and gilded mirrors give this place a certain old-world grandeur, but the succinct menu is as contemporary as it gets,…

Whether you're being whisked off on an early-morning tour or shuttle, or are just a fan of all-day breakfasts, this is the place for generous portions of…

At this bang-on-trend cafe you can peruse the map of Nicaragua's coffee-growing regions while deciding which way you want your superlative brew: chemex,…