12 Best Restaurants in Hopkins Village, The Southern Coast

You'll recognize this restaurant by the big sign out front made from one side of a red 1964 Peugeot 404, and inside the restaurant at Parrot Cove Lodge, the eclectic Caribbean-style, locally sourced food is nothing but contemporary and delicious. The place is really a two-for-one, with the adjoining Love on the Rocks restaurant, where guests cook their own food on lava rock. You can order a four-course meal (soup, salad, entrée, and dessert) from the prix-fixe menu or order à la carte. The menu changes daily, but the entrée might be lobster, fresh fish, or ribs, all presented creatively and with interesting sauces. The Chef's Table is a third option if you have a group of at least six, but no more than 12. Rob will prepare a private, sumptuous seven-course dinner for your group for BZ$130 per person. Advance reservations of at least 48 hours' notice are required.

This beachside bistro, part of Beaches and Dreams Seafront Inn, is one of the best eateries on the Southern Coast, with delicious dishes like fresh grilled snapper and smoked chicken or ribs. Catch the sea breezes on the covered, open-air deck while you munch a handmade pizza or enjoy a burger.

A fun dining experience on an open-air porch adjoining the Coconut Row Hotel features a menu using local and organic ingredients. Coconut Husk truly shines at breakfast with filling pancakes or fry jacks with toast and natural fruit juices. The small lunch menu gives way to tacos and a variety of wraps. Bar snacks and lighter fare, rather than a full dinner, make up the evening menu.

Driftwood arguably has the best pizza in southern Belize, served up in a friendly, casual atmosphere in a beachfront thatch palapa. Try the Driftwood combo pizza, with red sauce, pepperoni, Italian sausage, peppers, onion, mushrooms, and black olives (in three sizes). If pizza isn't your thing, go for the catch of the day or one of the pasta dishes. There's plenty of cold beer and rum at reasonable prices, and occasional music Friday and Saturday evenings.

At Innies, as at most local restaurants in the village, you're eating in a spot that was once somebody's house or back porch. Here, you can dine inside or outside and get the full flavor of village life. The food is authentic (though some dishes cater to the taste of tourists), delicious, and inexpensive. You'll find the staff very friendly. Traditional Garifuna dishes such as hudut (fish cooked in coconut milk and served with mashed plantains) and ereba (grated cassava bread) with bundiga (a gravy of grated plantains and coconut) are available, but less exotic dishes like fried chicken and rice and beans with stew chicken are also served.

Seating is on the front deck of a simple wooden structure here. Choose from a bench, a picnic table, or low tables and enjoy a variety of gourmet coffee drinks. If you need something more fortifying, sandwiches and quiches are on the menu, too, with gluten-free options available.

You might feel like you've stumbled into a bar in the States, but this open-air bar just has all those trappings—several TVs tuned to sports channels, nice restrooms, and efficient service. If you're craving fried-not-greasy food, get the Chicklets (chicken tenders skillfully battered in buttermilk and cornmeal), or the Lucky Clucker Lollipops (chicken skewers). Come back for the great night scene.

“I Got Lucky at Lucky Lobster” visors, koozies, and T-shirts can be purchased.

The village’s bright, pastel, tropical beachfront ice cream shop offers 19 regular flavors dished up in cones or dishes. (This is Belize, so expect lots of banana and pineapple and coconut offerings among the choices.) Never fear, though: vanilla and chocolate are on the menu if your tastes run less adventurous. Also never fear: you’ll find a few vegan and lactose-free options to cool you off on a hot day.

The engaging German owner here makes use of locally sourced and the best of in-season ingredients to whip up an eclectic menu of European and American food. He’s quite proud of the large pork chops they serve. Fresh salads, seafood, and cakes round and a good wine selection round out the menu selection here. You’ll find secure parking, too.

This European-run coffee shop and bistro is small but stylish, with Belizean wood carvings and paintings on the walls and free Wi-Fi. Expect good coffee, well-prepared breakfast omelets, and satisfying smoothies. For lunch, try the salads.

The prime tables on the front patio fill up quickly so get here early.