Antigua Guatemala

Bistrot Cinq

A French bistro featuring great food, very authentic cuisine found nowhere else in Antigua. American-owned and operated (as in USA, not Guatemala). Features an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs work, and a great bar. Offers many specials and unique local foods hard to find elsewhere.

Daily 12:00-22:30·Q100-300

Caffé Mediterráneo

This is a gourmet Italian restaurant one block from the Parque Central. No menus: the waiter will simply tell you the specials, which change every day. Widely considered to be one of if not the best place for Italian food in Antigua.

Mon & Wed-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-16:30 & 19:00-21:00·Q125-280

Café Bohème

Very cozy restaurant with a focus on international food, good coffee and Guatemaltekan hot chocolate. Has a rooftop terrace from which you can see Fuego spitting every once in a while

Mon-Thu 7:30-20:00, Fri Sat 7:30-20:30

Casa Escobar

Entire restaurant lit with candles. Beautiful interior blending in with the style of Antigua. Do not let relatively high prices and not very appetizing pictures in the menu fool you. Steaks brought to the table will look way more appetizing and after the first bite you will know that you will not leave a single bite on the plate no matter how big of cut you have ordered. If you like steak you are hungry you are in Antigua and can spare US$20, Casa Escobar is an awesome place to go.

Daily 07:00-22:00·Q150-500

Doña Luisa Xicotencatl

Has the feel of a well-run corporate restaurant set in a gorgeous leafy courtyard of a historic building. Menu includes well-executed breakfast, hamburgers, and Guatemalan interpretations of Tex-Mex food. They use purified water on their vegetables and for drinking and ice, which means their menu is in-bounds for tender First World stomachs. There is a bakery in the building, which means that when you get close you can follow the delicious smells the rest of the way in. Highly recommended, especially for the cookies and daily selection of delightful breakfast breads.

Daily 07:00-21:30·Q50-80

El Mirador

360-degree rooftop view of Antigua. Burgers, kebabs, drink specials.

Tue-Sun 17:00-22:00·Q75-150

Helados Marcopolo

A chain with locations all over Guatemala and El Salvador that offers ice cream dishes in a polished atmosphere.

Helados Sarita

Another chain, with locations in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. This seems sort of like the Baskin-Robbins of Latin America. Several dozen flavors of ice cream in three different choices of cones, sundaes, and other more elaborate concoctions. Since 1948.

La Canche

Café La Parada

Popular among locals and well hidden behind the tienda this family-run restaurant rarely sees tourists. The ladies are very kind and helpful even though they don't speak English. They serve breakfast for Q20 and set lunch for Q20-25 that includes a drink. The lunch options are written on a board in front of the shop. Enjoy authentic homemade Guatemaltecan cuisine while sharing a table with locals and being watched by a parrot.

Daily 06:45-20:30·Q15-25

Luna de Miel

Luna de Miel opened its doors in July 2006, and Antigua immediately succumbed to the charms of crepes à la française. The first floor area is small, but there is an inviting open-roof terrace upstairs. The menu offers not a lot to choose, but all the products are fresh, selected each morning in the market. Free Wi-Fi.

Daily 09:00-21:30·Q30-70

Market food court

Various comedores all serving homemade Guatemaltecan food. Breakfast from Q15, set lunch Q20-30 including a drink. All restaurants offer vegetarian plates. If you don't understand their daily menu, they will let you have a quick look into the pots in the kitchen.

Q15-30

Monoloco

A funky tourist friendly joint with cheap international calling and a few computers for Internet use. The food is very "gringo-esque", but tasty nonetheless. There's a large bar on the ground level, as well as a covered open air second floor eating area. Good place to meet and greet or enjoy a burger.

Daily 11:00-01:00·Q 60-175

Rainbow Café

Tourist-friendly and wholesome breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. An early-bird breakfast special of tomatoes, beans, eggs, rice, and tea or coffee is easy on the wallet. Sandwiches and dinner entrees are inexpensive too, and salads and big desserts are also on offer. Uses purified water for all drinks, ice, and preparation. They have a rich schedule of live music, poetry readings, and interesting lectures about Guatemala. Includes Internet access in its cornucopia of tourist-friendly offerings. If you spend more than GTQ20 in the attached bookstore, you get 25 minutes of Internet time as a bonus.

Daily 08:00-23:00·Q45-90

Travel Menu

Promises "small place, big portions", and delivers. It seats perhaps 20 people at about eight tables, in small, dim room painted to look like an underground European keller, lit only by candles on stands overflowing with cascades of wax drippings. They offer dinner entrees for low prices, with vegetarian options for everything. The portions are indeed generous. Beer and wine are also available, but not desserts. Topping it all off is the friendly proprietor, Jesper Nilsen of Denmark. Attracts a traveller crowd.

Daily 13:00-23:00·Q 40-70

Y Tu Piña También

All-day breakfast and some lunch items catering to twentysomething backpackers. Depending on your sense of humor, be prepared to either LOL or be outraged at gleefully profane menu items such as "Monkey's A**" and "Egg McF***in' Muffin" (how trademark law lets them get away with that one in anyone's guess). Licuados. Benito's flavored rums. Luisa's famous hangover soups. Proper espressos. Manu Chao daily. Free Wi-Fi.

Mon-Fri 07:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00·GTQ 30-80

La Fonda a la Vuelta

3ª Calle Poniente #7

Daily 12:00-22:00

La Fondita

5ª Avenida Norte #5

Tue-Sun 12:00-22:00

La Nueva Fonda

5ª Avenida Norte #12

Sun-Thu 08:00-22:00, Fri Sat 08:00-23:00