I enjoyed eating in Guatemala! While typical (local) food was sometimes hard to find, we got a good taste of it on our trip. I’ll be dreaming about their fresh tortillas, abundance of avocado, and superior coffee.
This post shares some of the things you’ll find on a traditional Guatemalan menu and some of the restaurants I visited. I’ve also included some of the restaurants I bookmarked and didn’t have time for, if you need more recommendations.
Foods to Try in Guatemala
If you’ve traveled in Central America or enjoyed Latin American food, you may recognize some familiar or similar dishes. Here are some of my observations on the dishes we had.
Corn Tortillas
I typically prefer flour tortillas over corn, but if these corn tortillas were the norm, I would order them every time! They are slightly thicker but not grainy. They’re typically served with a meal, especially if there are runny eggs and soups. They also take these and make thick tortilla chips.
Coffee
Did you know Guatemala is the 10th largest coffee exporter in the world? Yes, you’ll love the coffee here, and it’s not hard to find! In the cities I visited, there were coffee shops everywhere and you can even seek out a coffee farm to visit. Many times, we found the coffee didn’t need milk, just a bit of sugar. (Pictured below are delicious lattes from Cafe Loco in Panajachel.)
Typical Breakfast
Similar to other Central American countries like Costa Rica or Belize, a typical breakfast includes eggs, refried beans, fried plantains, and a slice of cheese. Don’t forget the coffee!
Pupusa
A pupusa is thicker than a tostada but crunchier than a tortilla. A pupusa is also typically filled in addition to topped, while a tostada is only topped. These originated in El Salvador.
Avocado/Guacamole
The “oro verde” (green gold) as one local called it. It is delicious! We enjoyed it as guacamole most of the time but also liked it as a side accompaniment and on toast.
Tostada
You’ve likely had a tostada. Imagine a big, circular, crunchy tortilla chip topped with goodness. For breakfast, you might see these tostadas with a spread of black beans and a fried egg.
Flan
You might have had it before and you should try it! (Pictured below is flan from Barriga Llena in Antigua.)
International/Western Food
I was surprised to see the prevalence of international and Western food options. During our trip, we enjoyed French toast, pizza, pasta, and croissants. This speaks to the influence of tourism in these cities.
Restaurants to Try in Guatemala
Here are some restaurants you should bookmark for your trip!
Antigua
Barriga Llena – This casual and trendy spot served a great meal. They focus on traditional dishes and local ingredients but may add a twist.
Arrin Guan – This restaurant hit the spot for a spontaneous breakfast
El Comalote – This restaurant highlights their native corn and you can taste it through their tortillas. Their pepian casserole was flavorful, and they had huge horchatas.
Nanik – This fancier restaurant has been getting recognition from multiple media outlets for its elevated dishes and creativity. While a few dishes and the cocktails were excellent, the second half of our meal had us leaving before dessert. It was about $150 for three cocktails, two appetizers, and two entrees.
Antigua Brewing Company – This is a solid brewery with a great rooftop
Ulew Cocktail Bar – While the presentation and theatrics are fun, this popular speakeasy cocktail bar located inside Antigua Brewing Company left flavor to be desired when we enjoyed four different cocktails. (Not sure if it was the bar or the bartender.) I guess the plus side was that the four cocktails cost $25 total. Expect funny drink platters, colorful drinks, and definitely smoke.
Siena Luz – We enjoyed coffee and a light breakfast in the lovely courtyard here. The cafe is also a bookstore.
Panadería Le fournil – Stopped in here for some very tasty French pastries. We had trouble finding a Guatemalan bakery, but this was a great consolation
Cafe Sol – We ran out of time to make it here, but this is a cute coffee shop
Caoba Farms Restaurant – Didn’t make it here since it’s a little farther to walk from Central Antigua, but it’s known for fresh eats on a farm
Luna del Miel – I had bookmarked this spot for crepes
Panajachel
Deli Jasmin – There are many recommendations for this restaurant, and here’s another! It has nice outdoor, garden seating, and I really enjoyed the chicken sandwich with fresh vegetables.
Cafe Loco – This coffee shop was excellent! It only has eight seats, but you can also take it to-go. It was started by a Korean man who helps export coffee beans around the world and is a local and traveler favorite.
Jose Pinguinos – We were intrigued by the live music the night before and came back for dinner. The meal was great, and it felt like one of the most Guatemalan meals of our trip.
7 Caldos – This restaurant is a chain, so it can be found in multiple cities. While it’s a tad more expensive, we enjoyed their breakfast.
San Pedro La Laguna
Sababa – Looking for a quick snack, we stopped here for a pasta dish (mediocre) and a sticky bun (pretty good). Their restaurant and bakery are separate, so you can’t order things from the other, but each spot has a great open-air view of the lake.
San Marcos La Laguna
Circles – We stopped here for a pastry and coffee slushie. It’ll be packed with foreign travelers, probably coming after their yoga class, but their French pastries (strawberry croissant) are solid.
Konojel Restaurant – This restaurant is run by a non-profit that provides jobs and training for women.
Il Giardino – This Italian restaurant was where we stopped for dinner. It was good but not memorable.
San Juan La Laguna
Cafe El Pajarero – This was a nice spot for a simple typical breakfast post hiking
Nativo – We enjoyed resting and snacking here. The avocado toast and fruit smoothie were delicious.
We spent our 9-day trip eating and drinking around Guatemala and enjoyed all the flavors we got to try! I’ll be searching for great Guatemalan coffee in Austin and hoping to try the Guatemalan restaurants in town.
P.S. Trying food in different countries is one of my favorite things. Check out these posts or the travel eats page:
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