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I recently took my second trip to Guatemala and got stuck into even more fantastic restaurants in Antigua than during my previous trip! This time I came to Antigua for two weeks to do a Spanish school so I had plenty of time to eat and drink coffee around my morning classes.
When it comes to cuisine, it’s coffee that really puts Guatemala on the map. This small country is the biggest producer in Central America with Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua considerably behind. If you’re a coffee snob like me, you’ll be spoiled for choice by all the speciality coffee shops in Antigua.
Luckily, it’s not just coffee that’s good. There are fantastic places to eat in Antigua from local to international food.
Hopefully, I don’t sound TOO negative when I say that Guatemalan food wasn’t my favourite, but perhaps that was because I was comparing it to Mexican food which is obviously some of the world’s most insanely delicious! However, if there’s anywhere to find good food, it’s the restaurants of Antigua with fantastic chefs and quality ingredients.
Exploring further afield than just Antigua? See my complete Guatemala itinerary
Overall best restaurants in Antigua, Guatemala
Here are my absolute favourite places to eat!
Caoba Farms Restaurant
This place is an absolute dream! You can’t miss it. Located a 15-minute walk south of town, this tranquil farm and restaurant serves quality food grown onsite.
The food at Caoba Farms Restaurant isn’t Guatemalan per se but everything is delicious. I went with the Mediterranean platter of hummus, baba ganoush, pitta, falafel and salad, while my friends tried the burger, vegan pizza and stir fry. There’s a good mix of meat and veggie options.
There are all kinds of nice drinks like milkshakes and teas with herbs and fruits grown onsite.
It’s such a relaxed place to relax and eat; the staff never hurry you to leave. You could easily spend half a day here. In fact, don’t visit if you’re in a rush because things take a while to come out.
Before or after eating, browse the farm shop, garden and see the butterflies. It closes at 5pm so it’s best suited for breakfast and lunch.
Opening times: 8am-5pm, closed Mon & Tues.
Luna de Miel
For amazing crepes with plenty of flavours to choose from, don’t miss Luna de Miel. The menu is divided into Guatemalan flavours, French classics, house specials and sweet ones.
The combos are so creative with everything from shrimp to blue cheese, pesto, bacon, honey and almonds (not all together obviously, though you can also build your own to create any combo of your heart’s desire).
Expect to pay 30-60Q depending on the combo. Other things on the menu include salads, appetisers and a huge range of smoothies.
Opening times: 11am-9pm (10pm on Fri & Sat).
Toko Baru
Toko Baru is a great restaurant in Antigua with tasty curries including your classic Indian ones, plus a few from Indonesia (Rendang and kare) and veggie options like dhal. However, my favourite is the fish curry with huge chunks of fresh fish, shrimp and veggies. Everything comes with loads of rice and veg.
For a lighter lunch option, try the wraps. As well as shish and peri chicken, there are veggie options including falafel and sabij (with eggplant, egg and hummus).
Opening times: midday-9.30pm, 7 days a week.
Hectors Bistro
Ask anyone the best brunch restaurant in Antigua and they will probably tell you it’s Hector’s Bistro. Not only are the food and drinks of high quality, but the lively courtyard restaurant is busy day to night. I didn’t eat here for dinner but I heard great things.
I had a delicious smoked salmon Eggs Benedict with crispy potatoes but the New York-style bagel also looks phenomenal (and probably much cheaper than in New York!).
Often in Latin America I’ve found bread so disappointing (often tasty ingredients are served on top of dry white toast) but the sourdough here gets rave reviews, as does the coffee. Other things I didn’t try but other guests mention in the reviews are the lomita (pork), duck, carpaccio, sweet potato fries, tenderloin and portobello mushrooms.
Opening times: 7am-10pm (11pm on Fridays and Saturdays).
Kombu Ramen
After the Pacaya hike, I rewarded myself to a steaming bowl of ramen. And what a reward it was! Every element of the dish was sublime and the salty broth was exactly what I needed to replenish me.
Kombu isn’t somewhere for a prolonged meal because the restaurant is small and usually crowded given its popularity. Most likely you’ll have to grab a bar seat beside strangers but, hey, that’s the authentic way to eat ramen!
The menu is short featuring shoyo ramen (pork or vegan), a spicy version, or curry ramen. The gyoza and sriracha wings look great and can be made vegan, too.
Opening times: 12-3pm and 6-9pm.
Brunch & breakfast restaurants in Antigua
In addition to Hector’s that serves brunch as well as other meals, here are some dedicated restaurants for the best meal of the day…
Awakana Superfoods Bowls & Coffee
As it says on the tin, Awakana Superfoods serve acai bowls, oat bowls, chia pudding and the like for around 40-80Q (the higher end being the acai bowls). Ideal if you want a healthy, nutritious bite.
Opening times: 8am-9pm, closed Weds.
Cafe Sol
I love this cute cafe serving some of the best breakfast and lunch in Antigua alongside top quality coffee. Downstairs is a comfy seating area and upstairs is an outdoor (shaded) bar where you can perch and look out over the volcanos. It’s not especially comfy but the vistas make it worth it.
Cafe Sol offer a tasty brunch and lunch menu; I loved the avocado and mushroom toast with a gooey fried egg. It was the perfect mix of protein, veg and healthy fats, plus super tasty! The banana French toast looks delicious, too.
They also have a cute shop with stickers and posters. I treated myself to a beautiful Volcan Fuego illustration (100Q) by a local artist to reward myself for completing the gruelling but incredible Acatanago hike a few days previously.
Opening times: 8am-5pm.
Amanecer Juice Bar
For a quick healthy breakfast, grab a nutritious bowl at Amanecer Juice Bar. The cacao bowl with berries, papaya, peanut butter, cacao and oats is a luxe option that’s tasty and nutritious.
They have plenty of plant-based milk options for vegans.
They also do a wide range of hot and cold drinks including smoothies, coffee, matcha, chai and hot chocolate.
Opening times: 8am-6pm.
Cafe Cafe
Although not as fancy as some of the restaurants in Antigua’s main square, Cafe Cafe is great for food, coffee, prices, and co-working.
Huge breakfast plates with eggs, beans, avocado, veg, fruit, bread (pictured above right) start from 45Q including unlimited coffee. I’ve tried the chilero breakfast plate and the breakfast crepes; both were great.
The free coffee is French press (they gave me a huge vat that was more than I could ever drink) but you can also order off the menu. Like any self-respecting Antigua cafe, they have all the coffees imaginable from iced to pour-over and frappes.
Opening times: 6am-9pm.
Healthy & vegan restaurants in Antigua
This may not be applicable if you’re on a short holiday from work and want to enjoy yourself to the max, but as a long term traveller like myself (eight years and going strong!), you’ll know how hard it can be to stay healthy while backpacking.
Also, if you’re wondering where to eat in Antigua for a vegan diet, the following places will hit the spot…
Wachuma
For a healthy feast with build-your-own ingredients, you’ll be hard-pushed to do better than Wachuma (named after a plant cactus medicine used in Peru).
For 50Q you can build a bowl with ingredients like quinoa, vegetable noodles, proteins like tempeh and tofu, lots of fresh veggies, seeds as a topping, dressings (I like the peanut one), and a dose of sauerkraut which is great for gut health.
As well as the bowls, they do burgers with ingredients like tempeh and kimchi, plus loaded healthy nachos. Don’t miss the bliss balls with peanut butter and cacao; I ate five climbing Acatenago!
Opening times: 11am-9pm.
La Bruja Vegan
Vegans in Antigua definitely need to visit La Bruja (the witch!).
There’s a great mix on the menu from vegan versions of regional dishes like pepian, tamales and mole to international dishes like gyros, tacos and sushi. Often I’m suspicious with large menus that nothing will be outstanding but the rave reviews here prove me wrong.
For dessert, there’s chocolate cake, ice cream and crepes. The only downside is that the prices are high with some dishes costing 80Q and up.
Opening times: midday-9pm, closed Weds.
Samsara
For a mix of healthy and indulgent vegetarian food, Samsara is a cosy restaurant in Antigua serving all kinds of yummy things including probiotic food and drinks.
The tempeh and kimchi burger was great and there are plenty of other options.
The smoothies are good value from 30Q, then there’s kombucha and herbal teas. For dessert, there are vegan cheesecakes, peanut butter cups and bliss balls.
It’s a small, cosy restaurant with a cosmic feel that gets busy in the evenings. Go before 7.30pm to easily bag a table.
Opening times: 8am-10pm.
Rainbow Cafe
This homey restaurant has been open since 1992, probably predating most of the more modern international restaurants and hipster coffee shops in town!
Rainbow Cafe serve homemade, well-priced food. I had the lunch deal of a sandwich and soup (12-2pm) for just 45Q. I also see they have an ‘early bird’ breakfast of eggs, beans, rice, tomato and coffee for just 30Q.
It’s not specifically vegetarian but there are loads of veggie options from falafel to stir fries, quesadillas and lasagne. They also have a bookshop at the front.
Opening times: 8am-9pm daily.
El Bowl
I had a bunch of meals from El Bowl because I was in Guatemala over Christmas and was worried most restaurants in Antigua would be shut, especially on the 24th. I got a few takeaway meals for my fridge just incase.
As the name suggests, they do all kinds of bowls: the smoothie type for breakfast and savoury mix-and-match bowls (choose a base, protein, up to 6 veggies, salsa and toppings) for lunch and dinner, plus international options like green curry and pad Thai.
Other enticing options on the menu include kimchi fries, fresh spring rolls, bao buns and topped toast dishes for brekkie.
I can personally vouch for the pad Thai and the smoothie bowls, plus the swift service and speedy Wi-Fi.
Opening times: midday-8.30pm (closed Sundays).
Cafes and coffee shops
I wrote a whole guide on the topic of coffee in Antigua but, if you just want the headlines, here are my absolute favourites:
Best speciality coffee
- 12 Onzas – lots of variety of drinks from regular coffee to local cacao and horchata-style drinks
- Fat Cat – some of the strongest and best quality coffee in town
- Union Cafe & Juice – quality coffee with delicious food (order the falafel salad).
Restaurants in Antigua with views
If you’re looking for an atmospheric place to eat in Antigua rather than a specific type of cuisine, I can recommend…
Antigua Brewing Co
The rooftop patio of this brewery has unrivalled vistas of the volcano, with fantastic craft beer to boot. They serve IPAs, lagers, stouts and more, but just order a sampler flight if you can’t choose.
They also serve snacky dishes like tacos and hummus, plus heartier plates like burgers. Be sure to visit for sunset and arrive slightly early to bag a good seat.
Santo Domingo Hotel
Santo Domingo is a popular hotel in downtown Antigua but not everyone knows that they have a second venue up on the hill: Santa Domingo de Cerro. They run an hourly free shuttle between the two venues and it doesn’t seem like you have to be a guest to use it (I wasn’t and no one asked).
If you have spare time in Antigua, hop in the shuttle and check out this elevated viewpoint with art galleries, a restaurant and shops. Although it’s a little pricey, I spent an hour reading my book on the restaurant terrace with a coffee.
As you can see from the photo above, I had clear views of Fuego erupting the whole time.
Cafe Boheme
Another of my favourite places to eat in Antigua with fantastic views is Cafe Boheme. It’s an affordable cafe with healthy, home-cooked breakfasts and tasty coffee. You can easily while away a morning here soaking up the views.
Honourable mentions & wishlist
Here are a few places that didn’t make my top list or that I still need to try… Antigua round three? I’d be up for it!
- Mi Vietnamese Kitchen – I went here to pick up a banh mi and they happened to have a 2-for-1 deal that day so I had no choice but to eat two! Having lived in Vietnam, I wouldn’t say the food is amazing but it cured my craving.
- Frida’s – this is the most popular Mexican restaurant in Antigua featuring rave reviews and more than just tacos on the menu. I hear great things about the homemade mole, margs and mezcal.
- Cactus Antigua – this is another popular place to eat tacos with plenty of options on the menu from birria to shrimp.
- Red Koi – I’m a big fan of Taiwanese food (very underrated, in my opinion) and had this place on my radar due to the good views. However, I ran out of time to visit. Go check it out if you like the sound of beef noodle soup, fried chicken, dumplings and bubble tea!
Best Guatemalan foods to try
The following Guatemalan foods are well worth a try.
- Pepian de pollo (above) – this hearty chicken stew is the national dish. It was very flavoursome and my favourite local food I tried in Guatemala
- Jocón – another chicken stew is made with green tomatillos
- Kak’ik – for a variation on chicken stew, try turkey stew! It’s a Mayan dish with a touch of spice
- Mole de platano – cooked plantains are served in a rich sauce made with chocolate, tomatoes, chillies, nuts and seeds.
Thanks for reading!
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