While Ambergris Caye is relatively small, there was no shortage of delicious food to eat while we were there. These were some of our favorite spots!
Rain Restaurant & Roof Top Terrace – our first dinner stop was Rain, near the Grand Caribe Hotel, north of town. You’ll need a golf cart to get here, or you can contact them about a complimentary water taxi ride if you don’t have a golf cart during your trip. The big draw here are the sunsets you’ll catch (unfortunately the night we ate here there was not much sun) but the food was great as well! From bacon wrapped dates on top of pineapple, mussels and clams in champagne, coconut crusted shrimp and our favorite key lime pie of the trip (yes, we may have eaten key lime pie every night) everything was delicious. They also had cocktails, beer, and a great wine selection.
Elvi’s Kitchen – located right in town, this is another must while you’re in Ambergris Caye. While I am sure everything tastes great here I have to advise you – get the coconut curry! It was so delicious, definitely one of the best meals I had while there.
Blue Water Grill – located just south of town and right on the beach, this is a great spot for a nice dinner. While not originally planned, we ended up here for Toby’s birthday dinner. If you like sushi, make sure to visit on Tuesday or Thursday. Otherwise get yourself some dumplings, the scallops appetizer, the shrimp dynamite crusted snapper, and the mixed grill!
Estel’s Dine by the Sea – we had a kitchen so spent most mornings cooking up our own bacon and eggs, but treated ourselves to one brunch at Estel’s. The menu is written on chalkboard, so figure out what you want to eat, order, and then take a seat and enjoy the ocean view. We had yummy shrimp and lobster omelets but whatever you get, you must order fry jacks! I probably don’t need these in my life every day but we need more restaurants to start serving them! Wash your breakfast down with a mimosa or two and enjoy your day!
Hidden Treasure – we, very unfortunately, did NOT get to try this restaurant while we were in town. I had made reservations for Toby’s birthday dinner (check out the photos – the place looks cool!) and we made the long drive from our hotel north of town to this southern part of the island to find they were closed for repairs! While upsetting, we luckily ended up having a great dinner at Blue Water, and when I emailed Hidden Treasure to share my disappointment they responded immediately and apologetically and send us a meat and cheese tray and bottle of wine that accompanied us to some deserted dock sunsets later that week.
Stella’s Smile – we noticed the sign for this wine bar on our many trips to and from town – located on the lagoon side, it made for the perfect sunset stop. We enjoyed a couple of glasses or wine, appetizers, and a beautiful sunset.
El Fogon – located close to the airport, be prepared to sit outside without much of an ocean breeze. However, that doesn’t mean the food isn’t great! Get yourself some Belizean Creole and enjoy!
Hungry Grouper – I always go between loving to research and leaving some things up to chance – on our last night we picked one of the higher rated restaurants on Tripadvisor and ended up at the Hungry Grouper on the lagoon side of town. It was a small, hot place, but they know what they are doing. We let the owner order for us – from jerk shrimp to blackened fish and dirty rice – I’m not sure you can go wrong here. Just remember to BRING CASH!
Sandy Toes Beach Bar & Grill – located barely north of town, this little beach bar is an easy spot to spend a couple of hours at. With Adirondack chairs and inner tubes in the shallow water and yummy drinks and food for lunch, we enjoyed a nice afternoon here after Toby went diving.
One spot that we didn’t get to because it was closed for the season was the Truck Stop. Located north of town, the Truck Stop is a few different food options in shipping containers on the lagoon side – complete with a nice little dock to catch the sunset from. So, if you go, make sure you check it out and let us know what you think!
Aside from all of the eating we did, there are plenty of fun bars to visit while you’re there. From late nights at Jaguars to hermit crab races at Canucks, there is something for everyone on this little island.
Read more about what we did on the island here.