16 Best Restaurants in The Cayes and Atolls, Belize

Here's a place unlike any other on the island: from the homemade bundiga (green banana dumplings) to drumming presentations on cedar and mahogany drums, Black and White gives you a special window into the rich culture and foodways of Belize's Garifuna people. The menu spotlights Garifuna cuisine like hudut (snapper in coconut broth with pounded plantains), tikini (brown flour soup with fish and vegetables) and the staple dish, cassava bread. The owner Julia Martinez (known to everyone in town as Ms. Julia) is a true cultural ambassador for the Garifuna; speak with her and you can learn about Garifuna heritage in all its vitality. Since Garifuna (also called Garinagu) populations are concentrated in Seine Beight, Hopkins, Punta Gorda, and Dangriga—all on the mainland––this is a unique resource on the island. Try to make it to one of Black and White's entertainment nights, which celebrates Garifuna culture with live drumming, traditional dancing, and a decadent buffet. 

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.

Croc's owner, Belizean Ivan Luna, knows what he's doing: after years of industry experience, he has made this three-story palapa a lovable hangout for locals, ex-pats, Belizean vacationers from the mainland, and travelers. The service and menu are both impressive, with reasonably priced rum drinks, ceviche, and other island fare. Catching the sunset here is a no-brainer, but you can also come by later for the nightlife scene. Crocs indeed live in the lagoon, but don't drop them nachos: feeding crocodiles is illegal and dangerous for the apex predators. Watch them from afar.

Named for the open wood-fire cooking hearth ("faya haat" in Kriol), El Fogon serves authentic down-home Belizean cooking like chaya tamales, Creole stews, and gibnut (a small game rodent and delicacy). El Fogon feels like a hole-in-the-wall, but it's actually one of the most renowned spots on the island. Think island-casual but with the quality dialed up (you sit at picnic tables, but the picnic tables have cloth runners). Dishes are prepared in cast-iron pots in a traditional fogón. Next to it, a mountain of fresh veggies, about to be chopped, is part of the decor. Though it's in town, it's a little hard to find: ask any local where it is.

Here is an island institution. In the old days, in 1974, Elvi Staines sold burgers from the window of her house, soon adding a few tables on the sand under a tree; today, the floors are still sand and the tree remains (lifeless now and cut back to fit inside the roof), but the dining experience has been upgraded. Enter through massive mahogany doors and you'll be tended to by a large and gracious staff. The Maya pulled pork and other sandwiches are big hits at lunch. For dinner Elvi's features upmarket dishes such as shrimp flambeéd in tequila or grilled pork with sorrel barbecue sauce. Don't pass on the coconut pie for dessert. The Maya Feast every Friday should be on your weekend list. It's a bit touristy, but we always enjoy Elvi's.

Tucked away from the main strip, Sunset Palace is a welcome alternative to the spring break vibes and #saltlife scene of other Secret Beach bars. Sure, it can be a party spot occasionally, but this beach is so spacious that you can read on a daybed while revelers play beer pong 100 feet away. Sunset Palace has friendly service and surprisingly good food for the touristy area, even though it's your standard nachos, ceviche, and seafood fare. Make sure to ask for a rum drink with fresh-squeezed juices. Note that the term "beach club" gets thrown around a lot on the cayes: Sunset Palace just a casual establishment (no admission fee). 

Glowing with lamplight, Hidden Treasure brings to mind a treasure chest cracked open, and indeed it's a gem. Tucked away on a residential back street, this open-air restaurant offers sophisticated dishes with local flavors. Try the signature barbecue ribs, which are seasoned with traditional Garifuna spices and glazed with pineapple sauce. Owner Ruben Muñoz, who was born in Belize City, opened Hidden Treasure in 2008; since then it's become one of the most renowned spots on the island. A  gorgeous lounge upstairs---floored with bamboo, mahogany, and cabbage bark wood---hosts special events. Hidden Treasure offers a complimentary shuttle service to guests staying in or south of San Pedro Town. 

Want to step a little off the tourist trail? Head over to Aurora's––she's one of the first to plant her flag at Secret Beach, and one of the few Belizean owners currently there. Aurora dishes up fresh seafood in a small outdoor bar on the water. It's nothing flashy, but it sure is tasty. 

Blue Bayou is sure to please: set slightly apart from the Secret Beach hubbub, it has partially underwater picnic tables and friendly servers who wade into the lagoon to take your meal order. Blue Bayou is a slightly less touristy hangout in this area (emphasis on slightly). The turquoise water is Blue Bayou's main attraction, as there isn't much of a beach. The quesadillas and nachos are mediocre, but the hot-from-the-grill shrimp and fish dishes do the trick after an hour of swimming. Live music is a hit on weekends, but music is pumping pretty much always. Careful not to lose a straw in the water---this is inside the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. 

It's nothing glamorous, but the food at Caliente—Mexican with a Caribbean and Belizean spin—hits all the right notes. The ginger-rum shrimp is brightly flavored, the waterfront patio is airy, and the attitude is unpretentious. Check out the indoor mural celebrating the reef's diversity. This San Pedrano--run restaurant frequently has live music.

Plunk down at a mint-green picnic table and tuck into a coconut curry, grilled fish, or––better yet––a meringue-topped key lime pie (probably the island's best). Breakfast is killer, too, and at local prices. This counter-service joint is as low-key as it gets, and cheaper than anything waterfront. Note that Juan's doesn't serve alcohol.  

Build your ideal breakfast from a mix-and-match chalkboard menu at San Pedro's most classic breakfast spot, famous for its fry jacks served with honey and mango jam. A favorite among locals and visitors, Estel's gets well-earned hype for its cheap-ish eats and morning cocktail specials. Estel's even has grits! The porthole windows, decorative buoys, and sandy floors give the joint a nautical atmosphere––not the mention the sea in its front yard. Best seats are on the porch or on wooden benches with mini-thatch roofs, where you can watch pelicans and passersby. Later in the day you'll find tacos, down-home cooking, and great seafood dishes here. 

At any given time, two or three generations of the owner's family staff this outdoor eatery, which serves some of the best pineapple shrimp and coconut curry on Caye Caulker. You’ll sit under fluorescent lights with feet in the sand, while your dinner sizzles behind you in a tiny kitchenette or on a barbecue grill. Reina’s has a full bar but no straws (a big bonus for marine life). During the day, the family sells tasty meat pies next door. 

Line up beside the smoking grill for a delicious, no-nonsense plate of jerk chicken with sides. Homemade sauce is dished from a big plastic mixing bowl and Fanta and juices are in the back (but don't expect mixed drinks). Eat under the thatch and chat with the lovely Jamaican-Belizean owners, or get your meal to go. Bring napkins--and cash, as no credit cards are accepted.

Someplace South is a new hot spot––or, to use an old Belizean phrase for a roadside joint, a "cool spot"––beloved for its friendly faces, delicious grub, and nooks of stylish seating. The lush courtyard is a lovely place to have brunch (their specialty, served all day) or to sip a rum drink while you wait for your Caribbean dinner. Someplace South is so refreshing you might not even miss sea views; plus, when sargassum seaweed stinks up the beach, this is a nice refuge. Live music gets going several nights a week.

This open-air favorite is your spot for handmade pupusas (pockets of masa filled with meat or veggies and cooked on a griddle). The huge pupusas will only run you about BZ$3–BZ$6 each, and range from spinach to pork to the idiosyncratic "crazy" flavor. An array of (more expensive) seafood and meat dishes is also on offer. For tropical decadence try the coconut cream burritos filled with seafood or chicken while you enjoy the town's bustle just feet away. Waruguma is a great, low-key family dinner spot.