6 Best Restaurants in Guatemala City, Guatemala

Ask locals to recommend a place to eat in the Old City, and chances are they'll send you to this spirited Guatemalan favorite. The decor couldn't be simpler—stone floor, small fountain, colorful fabrics, and vases of flowers on the tables. The flavorful cuisine, typical of the Cobán region, includes kaq'ik (a spicy turkey stew), gallo en chicha (chicken in a slightly sweet sauce), and sopa de tortuga (turtle soup). More adventurous types will want to sample the roasted tepezcuintle, a type of rodent.

Everyday at lunch and on Friday and Saturday night live marimba music fills the restaurant.

There's a branch in the New City, which dishes up the same regional cuisine from Alta Verapaz.

For an around-Guatemala tour of the country's cuisine, we like this down-home New City restaurant with its bright yellow walls and colorful textiles hung from the ceiling. The emphasis is on meat, including typical national dishes such as pollo loroco (chicken-and-vegetables), pepián (chicken fricassee in pumpkin and sesame sauce), and kaq'ik (a turkey stew from Alta Verapaz). Be sure to accompany whatever you order with the restaurant's warm homemade tortillas.

This Zona Viva steak house is known for its quality cuts of beef, yet the atmosphere has won over more than one vegetarian. The dining room calls to mind the American West, with such touches as sturdy wooden tables and old saddles. Eat inside or in the small garden. Grilled meats, chicken, and seafood dominate the menu, and there's a decent wine list.

This adobe building, set back from the street behind a high wall, is decorated in a Western theme, with tile floors and simple wooden furniture. There's also a pleasant central patio with a fountain and tables with umbrellas. Out front, away from the dining areas, is a small play area for kids. Specialties of the house include steak, ribs, pork, salmon, and robalo, all served with a variety of savory condiments like fresh salsa, pickled carrots, and jalapeños. The attentive, exuberant servers bring endless baskets of warm tortillas, but try not to fill up—the truly incomparable caramel flan shouldn't be missed. To top off the experience, a Latin trio strolls through in the evenings and at lunchtime on Fridays. OTHER="spoke with Fidelia de D'Avila, secretary, [email protected]"/

Located in the heart of the Zona Viva, this popular eatery feels more like the beach, thanks to its setting in a huge palapa surrounded by tropical plants. At dinner the soft lighting and candles on the tables make for a romantic atmosphere. Although the menu includes a good selection of meat and fish, the specialties of the house are national dishes such as jocón and pepián; Kacao is also one of the best places in town to try an assortment of Guatemalan tamales. Waiters wear traditional dress, and to complete the effect, lively marimba music plays on the stereo.

A pretty white colonial facade with picture windows welcomes you to one of Guatemala's best steak houses. Most meats, including the rib eye and chateaubriand, come from the United States, including the specialty of the house, a skirt steak called the churrasco los ranchos. Ask your server to recommend one of the excellent wines from Argentina, Chile, Spain, or France. And save room for dessert, which ranges from tiramisu to tres leches, a type of cake soaked in condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream.