Best Restaurants in San Ignacio Belize (Backpacker Guide 2023)

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Looking for the best restaurants in San Ignacio Belize? You’re in the right place! We stayed in San Ignacio for over 8 nights and the food was just *incredible*. Here’s a list of the best places to eat in San Ignacio.

As backpackers, we tend to opt for the cheapest food rather than the nicest whilst travelling. Sometimes we spend our last pennies on dodgy street food or save them altogether by cooking in the cluttered hostel kitchen.

For most of us, it’s rare to say, ‘let’s get dressed up and go to a restaurant!’

But one of the best things about San Ignacio was that we could do this. And we definitely didn’t need to get dressed up!

Yes, we still ate street food (and it was yummy), but most of the restaurants in San Ignacio are budget-friendly, meaning we could eat out most nights. 

Some of the restaurants are directed at holiday-makers, older tourists and families, so I’ll highlight those too.

In the following post, I outline the best restaurants in San Ignacio. These are all restaurants I personally ate in myself. If a restaurant didn’t meet basic expectations, it’s not included on the list (meaning I can personally vouch for every single one of the venues below!)

So, let’s get started on the best restaurants in San Ignacio Belize!

Other Belize posts:

• Backpacking Belize: A Complete Guide
• Caye Caulker To San Ignacio: Backpacker Guide
• How To Get From Caye Caulker To San Pedro
• Best Hostels In Caye Caulker For Backpackers

Best Restaurants in San Ignacio Belize: A Summary

So, you’re visiting San Ignacio Belize? Yay! Along with Caye Caulker, San Ignacio was one of my favourite places in Central America for its green, jungle setting, abundance of wildlife and friendly locals.

If you’re looking for the best places to eat in San Ignacio, there are a few things you should know first.

• Most (if not all) restaurants in San Ignacio close by 9pm. After speaking to a local, we found out this was due to San Ignacio never recovering properly after 2020. You’ll find the streets to be pretty empty by 8.45/9pm, and most kitchens take last orders by 8.30pm.

• Not all places will have definite opening/closing times (and you definitely can’t trust Google maps). 

• Names of food venues and restaurants may be different to Google maps.

• Most of the restaurants are walkable from the main centre, although there are some good restaurants a little further out of town. If you need to get a taxi, but sure to only use one with green license plates.

• The national dish of Belize is rice and beans, which is served pretty much everywhere. However, there are lots of Western and Mexican dishes served in San Ignacio, so if you’re a fussy eater, there’s something for everyone!

• Most, if not all, restaurants in San Ignacio will have a vegetarian option.

I have personally eaten at all of the restaurants on this list. There are other venues in San Ignacio (and more that pop up all the time), but it’s impossible to include them all! This is a selection of my favourite restaurants in San Ignacio.

BACKPACKING BELIZE? You might also like my detailed guides on San Ignacio, Caye Caulker, and my overall guide to backpacking Belize!

Best Restaurants in San Ignacio Belize: A Quick List

If you’re in a hurry, here is a quick list of the best places to eat in San Ignacio:

DAYTIME

• The New French Bakery (£)
• Blended Deli (£)
• Hode’s Place (£)
• Pop’s (£)
• Yoli’s Pizza (£)
• The Spot (££)

EVENING

• Ko-Ox (also known as Hanna’s) (£)
• Erva’s (££)
• Cucina 1904 (££)
• Tandoor (for drinks) (£)
• Lola’s (££)
• Hode’s (£)

For more information such as opening times and prices, keep reading!

Best Restaurants in San Ignacio: Lunch and Day Time Restaurants

1. The New French Bakery

🍽 Cuisine: Takeaway bakery food – perfect for long shuttles or a cheap lunch

💵 Budget: Low (£)

📍Address: Joseph Andrew Dr, San Ignacio, Belize (behind the San Ignacio Market)

🎶 Atmosphere: Takeaway bakery

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Pineapple and nutella pastry!

⏱ Opening times: 6.30am-6pm

We loved the New French Bakery because it was cheap, quick and easy (and it also had some of the best pastries I’ve ever eaten).

It’s located right behind the San Ignacio market, so you can pick up your lunch or shuttle snacks after walking around town. Prices are low and the taste is good, what more could you want?!

The New French Bakery serves pastries, cold pizza, sausage rolls, baguettes, cakes, bread and more.

2. The Blended Deli

🍽 Cuisine: Takeaway cafe food and coffee

💵 Budget: Low (£)

📍Address: Cayo Welcome Centre Savannah area, San Ignacio, Belize (in the main square)

🎶 Atmosphere: Takeaway cafe and coffee with free wifi

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Cappuccino!

⏱ Opening times: 10am-7pm

Right next to Yoli’s pizza, the Blended Deli is the perfect spot if you need a quick coffee. It was one of the only places in San Ignacio that we found served good coffee – and we went back a few times!

It doesn’t have much seating (a few benches inside, but not enough room for remote work) but it does have strong wifi if you find an empty bench on the square. Definitely one of the best restaurants in San Ignacio Belize!

3. Hode’s Place

🍽 Cuisine: Everything and anything (Mexican, American, Italian, Belizean…)

💵 Budget: Low (£) – extremely low!

📍Address: Savannah St, San Ignacio, Belize

🎶 Atmosphere: Giant casual beer garden with a large bar and many tables

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Fajitas!

⏱ Opening times: 8am – late

I’m going to be honest – we went back to Hode’s Place quite a few times whilst we were in San Ignacio. The food prices are unbeatable – and the portion sizes are great (just what a backpacker needs).

There’s pretty much everything you can think of on the menu – from burgers to pasta, fajitas, burritos and stews, both vegetarian and meat. It’s the perfect lunch or dinner restaurant in San Ignacio for those on a budget!

Looking to plan your Belize trip? Check out my post full of all the best things to do in San Ignacio here!

4. Pop’s

🍽 Cuisine: All day breakfast (Belizean style)

💵 Budget: Low (£)

📍Address: West Street, San Ignacio Town, Cayo District, Belize C.A.

🎶 Atmosphere: Small, colourful and casual Belizean restaurant

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Fry jacks (a soft and fluffy wheat tortilla with filling)

⏱ Opening times: 6am – 2pm

Pop’s is well known in San Ignacio, and for good reason. Their fryjacks were the best we had in Belize! The portions of eggs, bacon, refried beans and more in Pop’s are big, served with freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee.

Perfect for a filling breakfast when you have an early start, and definitely one of the best restaurants in San Ignacio Belize!

5. Yoli’s Pizza

🍽 Cuisine: Takeaway pizza

💵 Budget: Low (£)

📍Address: Cayo Welcome Centre Savannah area, San Ignacio, Belize (in the main square)

🎶 Atmosphere: Casual takeaway pizza on San Ignacio square

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Vegetarian pizza

⏱ Opening times: 9am – 9pm

Yoli’s is a great backpacker lunch spot. It’s easy, quick and filling, and can be either eaten in or taken away. It’s a 2 minute walk from the San Ignacio market, and is open all day and all evening.

Pizza can be bought from Yoli’s either by the slice or as a whole.

6. The Spot

🍽 Cuisine: Cafe with breakfast and lunch options such as smoothie bowls, eggs, pizzas and pasta

💵 Budget: Medium (££)

📍Address: 26 Burns Avenue, San Ignacio, Belize

🎶 Atmosphere: Cafe bar and lounge

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Nutty Monkey smoothie bowl

⏱ Opening times: 6.30am – 12am

We really liked the Spot, and not just for their coffee and food. It had a laidback, chilled atmosphere, and was great for taking the laptop and working online. The wifi was strong, the staff were friendly and the food was good – what more can you want?!

The Spot is also open in the evening so you can have dinner and drinks in the lounge too.

Best Restaurants in San Ignacio: Evening Restaurants

7. Ko-Ox (Hanna’s)

🍽 Cuisine: Caribbean, Central American, authentic Belizean

💵 Budget: Medium (££)

📍Address: 5 Burns Avenue, San Ignacio, Belize

🎶 Atmosphere: Casual dine-in restaurant

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Chicken curry

⏱ Opening times: 7am – 9pm

Ko-Ox is one of the most famous and well-known restaurants in San Ignacio. It has excellent Belizean food, with a choice of curries, stews and bakes, all at a reasonable price. It’s open from breakfast until dinner, so you can visit at any time of the day.

Hanna’s also has an amazing selection of vegetarian options – I especially loved the veggie burrito!

8. Erva’s Restaurant

🍽 Cuisine: Caribbean, Central American, authentic Belizean

💵 Budget: Medium (££)

📍Address: 4 Far W St, San Ignacio, Belize (near Bella’s Backpackers Hostel)

🎶 Atmosphere: Casual dine-in restaurant

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Foot-long burrito

⏱ Opening times: 9am – 10pm

Erva’s is another popular restaurant in San Ignacio. It has both indoor and outdoor seating, strong wifi and delicious food. We found it to be busiest in the evenings, although it is open for breakfast and lunch during the day.

Erva’s also has an amazing selection of vegetarian options – I especially loved the veggie foot-long burrito!

9. Cucina 1904

🍽 Cuisine: International – pastas, burgers, fries etc

💵 Budget: Medium (££)

📍Address: 11 Hudson Street, San Ignacio Belize

🎶 Atmosphere: Beer garden with fairy lights and music

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Carbonara

⏱ Opening times: 12pm – 10.30pm

Another one of the best restaurants in San Ignacio Belize is Cucina 1904. Cucina 1904 has a large beer garden in the middle of San Ignacio, decorated with fairy lights and wooden tables. We really enjoyed the atmosphere in here, it’s casual and welcoming with music playing throughout the day.

If you’re craving a hearty carbonara or pasta dish with garlic bread, Cucina 1904 is the place in San Ignacio!

10. Tandoor

🍽 Cuisine: International, American, Indian, Central American

💵 Budget: Medium (££)

📍Address: 11 Hudson Street, San Ignacio Belize

🎶 Atmosphere: Bar/restaurant with music and pool tables

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Chicken and shrimp kebab

⏱ Opening times: 5am – 12am

Tandoor is located right in the centre of San Ignacio, and is a great place to have an afternoon beer overlooking the square. Drinks are cheap, the food is good (especially the Indian food) and it has a laid-back and fun atmosphere.

We popped into Tandoor for drinks a few times because of the low prices and chilled vibe. Definitely one to drink in with a few hostel friends!

11. Lola’s

🍽 Cuisine: South American, Central American, Bar and Grill

💵 Budget: Medium (££)

📍Address: Blue Hole Street, San Ignacio Belize (near the Cahal Pech Ruins)

🎶 Atmosphere: Bar and grill with views overlooking San Ignacio

👍🏼 Recommended dish: Beef nachos

⏱ Opening times: 11am – late

Lola’s was actually our favourite restaurant in San Ignacio, and is by far one of the best restaurants in San Ignacio Belize. It was sadly just the most expensive! The food here was incredible – and if you have a bit more money to spend, it’s the perfect evening restaurant in San Ignacio.

We opted for nachos, pasta and burgers when visiting Lola’s, and it all tasted delicious. They also serve cocktails if you fancy a late-night drink!

Pair visiting Lola’s with a trip to the Cahal Pech ruins – it’s only a 2-minute walk from the entrance. It’s also close to Yellow Belly Backpackers hostel.

Where to stay in San Ignacio as a backpacker

There are a few main hostels with good locations in San Ignacio for backpackers. We heard good things about all of the hostels I’ve recommended below, but make sure to do your own research too and check out the latest Hostelworld reviews (as things in hostels can change quickly!)

My biggest piece of advice is to book hostels in advance. We sadly missed out on some of the best hostels in Central America as they fill up quickly – so get booking!

• Old House Hostel (9.6, superb): This is the hostel most backpackers stay in when visiting San Ignacio. It’s right in the centre of town, has a good social scene and has exceptionally low prices. ⮕ BOOK THIS HOSTEL HERE!

• Yellow Belly Backpackers (9.4, superb): Another hostel that we had friends stay in whilst in San Ignacio. A great social vibe for solo travellers, easy access to town (although a little further out than Old House), and is right next to the Cahal Pech Mayan ruins. ⮕ BOOK THIS HOSTEL HERE!

• Bella’s Backpackers (8.2, fabulous): Another hostel situated in the middle of San Ignacio town which has mixed reviews, but is a great option if you’re on a budget. ⮕ BOOK THIS HOSTEL HERE!

Local foods and drinks in Belize

FOOD

The national dish of Belize is rice and beans. This is served with most meals, especially if you get a BBQ meal in a restaurant or Belizean stew chicken in a restaurant. Other common foods in San Ignacio include Belizean stews, coconut rice, fry jacks, classic American dishes like hamburgers and fries, and even Mexican burritos!

DRINK

Belize’s national drink is rum punch, but we weren’t able to buy this in most places in San Ignacio. Whilst there were cocktails, we found it was easier to just buy a Belikin beer, with is Belize’s national beer (which is super cheap).

How many days should you spend in San Ignacio?

If you’re visiting San Ignacio for the first time, I recommend spending at least 3-4 days there. There’s a lot to do, and it’s the perfect place to immerse yourself in Belizean culture and spend time in nature. We actually stayed for 8 days and still didn’t have time to do everything!

Hiring a car in San Ignacio

If you want to make the most out of trip backpacking San Ignacio and explore the surrounding areas (such as the Hummingbird Highway and the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve), you will need to hire a car.

We hired a 4×4 because the roads within the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve can be bumpy, and it had been raining the day before so some of the side roads were quite muddy. However, the main roads in Belize are smooth, easy to drive on and safe.

If you’re hiring a car in San Ignacio, we used Matus Car Rental. We had a great experience with them, found the owner to be super helpful and loved our 4×4. If they don’t have availability, there is also Caye Auto Rentals.

Prices for car rentals in San Ignacio start at $65 (USD) per day.

What are the other best areas in Belize for backpackers?

Looking to backpack Belize? So many backpackers skip Belize entirely but that is such a big mistake! It’s one of the most beautiful countries we have ever travelled to, and I cannot recommend it enough.

If you’re looking at where most backpackers travel to in Belize, this is a common route and Belize itinerary (which can also be followed the other way round).

• Chetumal (Mexico) > Caye Caulker
• Caye Caulker > San Ignacio
• San Ignacio > Flores (Guatemala)

Other locations some backpackers stay in whilst visiting Belize include:

• Caye Caulker: a tropical Caribbean island (and my personal favourite place in Belize)
• Hopkins: a beachside, sleepy town
• Placencia: a resort, holiday-like town
• Belize City: although it’s not a popular choice with most backpackers
• San Pedro: another Caribbean island
• Dangriga: where the Ragga Sailing tour ends from Caye Caulker
• Tobacco Caye: another island but on a much smaller scale
• The Hummingbird Highway: an epic jungle road from Dangriga to San Ignacio. You can stop off along the drive to hike through the jungle and visit the caves and watering holes.
• Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve: a large national park that can be accessed from San Ignacio.

More on all of these locations coming soon!

Other Central American backpacking locations

If you’re backpacking Central America, go you! It’s such an incredible part of the world to travel, and I’m so glad you’re here, reading this and considering it.

Not sure what route to take? You’re in the right place! This blog is full of Central America backpacking advice.

If you’re not sure what other countries to visit in Central America, this is the most common route backpackers take:

• Mexico
• Belize
• Guatemala
• El Salvador
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Costa Rica
• Panama (ending with the San Blas Island trip to Colombia)

How long you stay in each location is down to you, but if you need more information about any of these locations, sign up to my newsletter and keep an eye on the blog for when they’re published!

Best backpacker travel insurance for Central America

If you’re visiting Central America as a backpacker, or even for a short vacation, it is so important to have travel insurance. And if you ended up on a post that’s called ‘epic party tips’, you know (just as well as I do) that you definitely need travel insurance.

Personally, I recommend SafetyWing. As a digital nomad and world traveller myself, I can confirm it is the best travel insurance out there. And one of the cheapest – they have deals that start at just $42 USD per month.

I know, I know, you’re thinking ‘but I can’t afford that!’. I was the same! It’s tough to fork out $42 a month on something ‘you might not need’. But what if something DOES happen? That extra Mezcal shot results in you falling down the stairs, or you eat something dodgy from a street food van.

If you need medical help at any point whilst in Central America, you need travel insurance.

With SafetyWing, you’re covered on travel emergencies, basic medical costs and medical expenses throughout your trip, so you can travel without worry (at a backpacker’s price!)

Don’t even think twice about getting travel insurance for Central America. Trust me, I have heard enough horror stories about backpackers who haven’t had insurance and have ended up in a lot of debt. Don’t be that person!

If you’ve been putting the job off because it takes a lot of time and effort to research the best travel insurance companies, I understand. That’s why I’ve done the hard work for you. Sign up for SafetyWing, and the job is done!

Best Restaurants in San Ignacio: In a Nutshell

So, there you have it! Everything you need to know about the best restaurants in San Ignacio Belize.

When you’re planning a trip to Belize, make sure you let me know over on Instagram or in the comments below. I’d love to know about your experience in San Ignacio and if you found it as fun as I did!

If you haven’t come across my blog before, I write informative and honest posts directly aimed at backpackers. Researching and planning your trip whilst backpacking can be so overwhelming, so I’m here to make it as easy as possible!

I’m currently backpacking Central America with my boyfriend (read more here!), whilst creating guides and itineraries for you to follow our footsteps!

Keep an eye out for more Belize content, all written from a personal and realistic point of view. You can sign up for my newsletter and juicy travel updates here!

As always, thanks for reading and supporting the blog!

Happy travelling 🙂

Jennie x

Other Belize posts:

• Backpacking Belize: A Complete Guide (2023)
• Belize City To Caye Caulker: Complete Guide 2023
• How To Get From San Ignacio To Flores: Backpacker Guide 2023
• Best Hostels In Caye Caulker For Backpackers (2023)