Restaurants in Antigua, Guatemala


reviewed by Eve Andersson

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Antigua has a good restaurant or two on just about every block of the city. Here are but a few of my favorites.

Mesón Panza Verde

Meson Panza Verde. This French restaurant is definitely one of the more upscale establishments in Antigua, with a beautiful courtyard setting. The name Panza Verde means Green Belly, which is what the Antigüenos like to call themselves because they eat a lot of avocado. The food is excellent, with a French flair. 5a Avenida Sur #19, 832-2925.

Cafe Condessa

Cafe Condessa. This is my favorite place to just hang out. The coffee is excellent, the breakfasts are especially good, the lunch is simple but delicious, and the dessert list is extensive. It's so nice to lounge in either one of the two courtyards while sipping a cappuchino and then step into the adjacent bookstore to browse the interesting selection of books in Spanish and in English. Oddly, this place closes at 6pm. Cafe Condessa is right across the street from the Parque Central. 5a Avenida Sur #4, 832-3322.

Frida's

Antigua, Guatemala.  Frida's (Mexican Restaurant). Frida's is a Mexican restaurant with good food, great drinks, and a fun atmosphere. 5a Avenida Norte #29, 832-0504.

La Fonda de la Calle Real

Fonda en la Calle Real, the restaurant Bill Clinton (famously) ate at while visiting Antigua. This is a good place to get traditional Guatemalan food, such as pepian, though there's also plenty of international-style food here as well. This restaurant has been so popular that they've opened three branches, all within a few blocks of each other. My favorite branch atmosphere-wise is the one on 3a Calle. President Clinton and his entourage ate here when they visited Antigua. 3a Calle Poniente # 7, 832-0507, or 5a Avenida Norte #5, 832-2696 (on 5a Av, there are 2 branches across the street from each other).

Cafe Flor

Cafe Flor has good Thai food and the owner is very friendly. 4a Avenue Sur #1, 832-5274.

Rainbow Reading Room

The Rainbow Reading Room, a great restaurant and bookstore, combined. This place is a favorite for breakfast, although it serves great food (and great coffee) for lunch and dinner, as well. Sometimes it has live music at night. Very popular with students, this establishment is part restaurant, part bookstore (with a wide selection of English-language books), and part discount travel agency. There's lots of vegetarian food here. 7a Avenida Sur #8.

Doña Luisa

Café Doña Luisa.

Another restaurant with a lovely outdoor courtyard. Good coffee and an incredible bakery (get a loaf or banana or chocolate bread to take home!). This is a favorite hangout for North Americans. 4a Calle Oriente, a few blocks east of Parque Central.








Eve Andersson (eve@eveandersson.com)

Comments

The Funky Monkey

If you are in antigua and want the best nachos or burritos you'll ever try in your life, go to the funky monkey, its an awesome place to go for luch, or dinner. It is also a bar so you can go hang out and meet some people at night.

-- erick herrera

just reopened and on 55 avenida recollectos. healthy size pizzas made from all natural ingredients right in the restaurant. nice courtyard too and they are open late on thursday, friday and saturday. one of the only places you can still order food after 9pm. the breakfast prices are anywhere from 2 to 3 dollars capucinos for 80 cents, lunch plates from 2 to 4 dollars and dinner from 3 to 6 dollars good value, friendly service and nice cozy bar.
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-- andre racine

The Point & Feather

There are no pictures on this site to give you the ambience of the Point & Feather, but from a fun night out point of view, this is the best place in Antigua. An old English Pub setting with cold draft beer and always lots of things going on to please just about anyone. They are located on 4th Calle Oriente #39. I highly recommend it!

-- Jose Leon

Great Cuisine

We ate at all these restaurants and were very pleased. Also we were there during the 2004 ALCS between the Red Sox and the Yankees. We spent time at the Monoloco bar where we listened to people chant LET'S GO RED SOX in at least three different languages! Being Yankee haters, this place was a dream. :)

BB

We Love Guatemala!

Go Diamnondbacks!!!

-- B Brown


Cafe Flor

And it's a fun place to go for good music in the evening. 2 blocks from the Central Plaza. Owner is Jose, nice guy. He's got a good piano player too, Bob something.

-- Marcella Craft

Sangre

We were in Antigua in June and happened to stop at a new and exciting restaurant called Sangre. It was just a few doors down from the Arch heading towards the yellow cathedral. We had a fantastic meal and the service was great. It was a very intriguing space with art and beautiful interiors. We sat outside under the deck and watched the sunset. The wine list is outstanding and the prices were reasonable. We go to Guatemala at least twice a year and plan to make a stop at this restaurant again. We also had a wonderful meal at Panza Verde which we always love to go to. We had the opportunity to see the " The Buena Vista Social Club' play there. Apparently they have retired to Antigua which is Cuba's loss but Guatemala's gain.

-- bob Russell Russell

restaurants antigua

a very kool lively place we have just been to reds on the 1 er calle poniente in front of la merced church great offers all day long and large serving from the menu, the man menu salads soups burritos nachos faritas and real indian not like cafe flor my wife had nachos and beat fridas hands down or up ok and sports tvs all around the place too

-- miguel sur

If you wish to try International Food and the best Gourmet Pizza in La Antigua Guatemala go to Capitan Tortuga Restaurant & Pizza Place. Just one block from Calle del Arco. Great food, excellent service in a casual colonial ambiance...
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-- Jay Anderson

Just beyond Meson.. Verde

Just past Meson Panza Verde (which I stayed and will return), maybe a block or so on the right, I had pastry and coffee in an outdoor setting, possibly doubling as a garden/landscape center. Does anyone have a name/reference for this place?

-- young clark

El Gringo Chapin

this is our favorite place for lunch. It's behind the cathedral on the east side of Parque Central. Run by an American on American cleanliness standards (muy impotante!) Open for breakfast and lunch only, and easily beats the others in the cost line, and it's all good food.

-- Sheila Juhlin

My boyfriend and I went to El Mirador last night and had some amazing burgers and drinks all for under 100Q. Their rooftop terrace has a 360 degree view of Antigua so we got to enjoy the sunset and see Fuego erupt! I definitely recommend this place... 1 Avenida Norte #9B, 7832-6146!
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-- Katie Grogan

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