Places to eat in Antigua Guatemala

At Bagel Barn you can have a big variety of fresh bagels. There are also different kinds of coffee and smoothies to drink. I came here twice during my visit and took the opportunity to read in one of the guidebooks they had (as I didn’t have my own guidebook for Guatemala). There are also magazines to read.

On my first visit I had a bagel with mozzarella and tomatoes and a Pepsi to drink. Tip was included in the bill and I paid 46 quetzales. On my second visit I had a bagel with cream cheese and a medium coffee. With tip it was 27 quetzales (July 2009).

Bagel Barn is open between 6 - 21.

Newly-opened in 2006, this restaurant was opened more as a place to showcase the house band that plays there most nights. Their style is a blend of Guatemalan and Andean sounds and is very eclectic. The musicians are good at what they do and there's no cover so it's a great environment where one can hang out with a drink of their choice. They do serve food (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). For dinner I had a grouper filet with a macadamia nut crust on ratatouille. Not overly exciting but nice nonetheless. The owner, an ex-pat American who is also a member of the band, was very welcoming and accomodating, explaining the mission of their restaurant/band and explaining the dishes.

Favorite Dish: Grouper with macadamia nut crust

Gotta love street food. La Merced is the place to go in Antigua. There are plenty of stalls selling hot food out front of the church. All kinds of good stuff here to choose from. Keep an eye on how it is cooked and where the meat is coming from if you are concerned about your stomach. I look for crowds or the number of customers a vendor has as a sign..the good ones will have lines.
Eating in Antigua is generally safe due to the high volume of tourists the place sees so indulge a bit in some local fare.

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Antigua has no shortage of places to eat including the major American chains like Subway and McCrap...Some places are little holes in the wall serving basics such as tacos etc...
There is also the usual midrange places where you can sit down, have a beer and eat some slightly overpriced fare as I did my first night..the upside is that most of the places are clean and no worries of tummy trouble...I had none on this trip...keep in mind I ate like a mouse on the beach in Hawaii.
Best suggestion is to walk around and check out menus and the number of people in them..always nice to see locals in a place...if you see a pile of tourists then hang on to your wallet as you will probably pay $$$.

Pollo Campero is Guatemala's answer to KFC.....They say it less greasy that the Col's stuff. I would tend to agree. While I tend to avoid fast food on trips unless I am stuck in an airport and need a cheap bite but I wanted to try this place while I was in Antigua as I would probably not get the chance the day I flew home and the price was right....less than $10 for a meal...

Favorite Dish: The fried chicken will not get your fingers all oily like KFC and you can either order from the front counter or sit down and they will take your order from your table. They even have the green hot sauce in a cup at the table along with packets of ketchup. At the end of the day it is a quick/cheap meal that hits the spot

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Did not eat here but this place seemed to be full when I walked by a couple of times and the food was steaming hot out front next to the street. While not exactly a buffet they did have a wide range of plates/pots out front ranging from hearty meat stews to fresh guacamole

Favorite Dish: I would have tried anything had I had more time here.

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This is another friendly spot where we found a tasty light lunch. The small interior has a number of quirky decorative items (US car registration plates, for instance), but we sat outside in the courtyard with its attractive modern fountain and surrounding craft and jade shops.

Favorite Dish: My cheese and tomato bagel and Chris’s cheese and ham croissant were washed down with a couple of bottles of our favourite Moza beer. Service was prompt and friendly and the bill reasonable, although annoyingly I seem to have forgotten to note the exact figure.

By the way, do (if you're female!) check out the ladies’ loo. You’ll be given a key to the basement ones in the building across the courtyard, which are clean and well supplied, but the outstanding feature is the washbasin taps, each of which is encased in a traditional wooden mask – see photo 2 for an example.

This quickly became our favourite coffee spot in Antigua. It has a great location on the west side of Parque Central, opposite the cathedral, and a well-chosen seat at the bar affords a good view of all the activity out on the street. The coffee is good, with lots of interesting choices in addition to the usual espresso, cappuccino or latte options. Typical prices: 9 Q for a double espresso, 10 Q for a cappuccino, the same for a latte. The cakes and pastries looked delicious and were served in generously large slices, but somehow I managed to resist trying them!