7 Best Restaurants in Chichicastenango, The Highlands

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.

This restaurant's second-story balcony overlooking Plaza Mayor is a great place to watch the vendors set up on the eve of the market. The pollo chimichurri (chicken in an herb sauce) is one of the best choices from the mostly traditional menu. There are also a few surprises, such as pizza and pasta.

With two locations within a block of each other, it's hard to miss this longtime favorite. The smaller of the two has patio seating right on the Parque Central, where you can watch the vendors setting up their stalls while you feast on Belgian waffles or sip one of the finest cappuccinos in the country. If you're in a hurry to get to the market, remember that the service here can be miserably slow. The other location, called simply Los Cofrades, a block away on 5 Calle, has a less hectic atmosphere on a second floor that lets you survey the fringes of the market.

An eclectic collection of local handicrafts brightens the walls of this excellent second-floor steak house. The chef, formerly of the Hotel Santo Tomás, grills up a great steak, but there are plenty of other options, including a delicious longaniza (a spicy sausage similar to chorizo). Music and a full bar keep things lively, but not intrusively so.

Take a break from shopping at this tiny eatery—you'll find just 10 tables here—with plain decor on the corner of the Parque Central. This place offers a huge selection of sandwiches—choose from chicken, various cheeses, ham, roast beef, or club—or opt for the daily lunch special, with a main course, usually chicken-based—perhaps a pepián, with a side of rice and vegetables—for Q25. You can fortify yourself early in the day, too, with a breakfast of omelets or pancakes.

Chichi's best selection of hot beverages is served up at Tzigan Tinamit, a small café that sits on the corner of 5 Avenida and 6 Calle, the street you are likely to walk between your minivan shuttle and the market. These folks brew up all manner of cappuccinos, espressos, mochas, and hot chocolate, all perfect to wrap your hands around on a chilly day, of which there are many here. Not that you're likely to be lugging your laptop here on market day, but you'll find Wi-Fi access, too.