Eating on Ambergris Caye means plastic chairs in the sand and a snapper caught that morning. These are the places locals and regulars go back to; names and hours change fast, so confirm on the day.
On Secret Beach
The calm west side of the island now has a strip of bars, most with tables in the shallows.
- Pirates Not IncludedTables in the water and tropical cocktails.
- Maruba Beach KlubThe most polished spot on the beach, with a more upscale menu. Not the older mainland Maruba jungle resort.
- Blue BayouFamily-friendly, dine-in or takeout. An easy lunch with kids.
- Bamboo Fence & Swing BarLocal and international menu, swing seats at the bar.
- The Original Secret Beach Bar & GrillThe namesake, with newer neighbors like Aurora’s and Happy Island along the same shore.
The island bloggers San Pedro Scoop and tacogirl keep the best notes on what’s currently open.
In San Pedro
Town is a short golf-cart ride away:
- Robin’s KitchenOutdoor spot for jerk chicken and barbecue.
- Estel’s Dine by the SeaBeachfront breakfast institution, plus a Sunday barbecue.
- Elvi’s KitchenLong-running favorite for Belizean seafood and the Friday Maya-style buffet.
- El FogonTraditional Belizean dishes cooked over an open fire-hearth.
- Waruguma & Neri’sPupusas, big burritos and cheap breakfast tacos.
- The Truck StopBelize’s first shipping-container food-truck park, on the road toward Secret Beach, with games and movie nights.
- CarambaPick your seafood from the cooler: ceviche, snapper, lobster in season.
Where we eat
Harvest Café
Our favorite table on the island, at the Ix Chel Wellness Resort on the north end of Secret Beach, five minutes from the villa. Ryan and Tiffany Lewis built Ix Chel themselves and still run it, with Tiffany’s baking at the centre of the menu. Order anything on the house-made sourdough, or the Belizean breakfast with fry jacks. The coffee is locally roasted Caye Coffee; get it iced, then swim off their beach.
Mambo at Matachica
Our special-occasion dinner. Mambo Restaurant and Bistro at Matachica Resort, a few miles north of San Pedro, is open-air and candle-lit under a beachfront palapa. The food is upscale Belizean seafood with a French-fusion hand, with bread, pasta and desserts made in-house. It’s reservation-only, and the resort runs a free evening boat from Amigos del Mar dock in town, usually around 6 p.m.
The Farmhouse Market & Café
Our everyday stop, just north of the bridge on the road to Secret Beach. Coffee, juices, pastries, and prepared food and produce to take back.
Akasha at Aruna Resort
The most ambitious kitchen on the Secret Beach side: upscale Belizean food from local, seasonal ingredients and the day’s catch. Have a sunset drink by the rooftop infinity pool first.
Coming up: Six Senses Belize is in development on the Secret Beach side with its own restaurants. It isn’t open yet, so treat any date as tentative. In town, Sweet Tutz opened on Back Street in late 2025.
What to order
- Rice & beansCooked together in coconut milk, usually with stew chicken. "Beans and rice" is the same thing served separately.
- Fry jacksPuffy fried dough at breakfast, with eggs, beans and jam.
- Ceviche & conchConch fritters and conch ceviche in season.
- Fresh fishSnapper and grouper, grilled. After a fishing trip, Delma, our chef, will cook your catch.
- Salbutes & garnachesFried tortillas with toppings.
- Marie Sharp’sThe habanero sauce on every table. Belikin is the national beer, One Barrel the local rum.
The Chicken Drop
A San Pedro tradition: a numbered grid, a chicken, and bets on which square it "drops" on. It has long run on a weeknight at Wahoo’s Lounge, but the venue and night have shifted, so check locally.
Practical notes
Most places are casual. US dollars are accepted everywhere with change in Belize dollars, and more places take cards now. You get around by golf cart, including the partly unpaved road to Secret Beach. Book the popular dinners ahead in high season.
At Black Orchid Oasis, Delma cooks breakfast every morning and it’s included. Lunches and dinners are optional and chosen on the Curate Your Stay form before you arrive.
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