About the Restaurants

Broiled, grilled, fried, sautéed, cooked in lime juice as ceviche, or barbecued on the beach: any way you eat it seafood is the life-stuff on the Southern Coast. Restaurants serve fish, lobster, conch, and shrimp, often fresh from the boat, or, in the case of shrimp, straight from the shrimp farms near Placencia.

Expect mostly small, locally owned restaurants; some breezy beachside joints with sand floors, others wood shacks. Placencia has by far the largest number of eateries, with Hopkins a distant second. Chef Rob’s is Hopkins’ best restaurant. Some of the upscale restaurants are in resorts, such as Turtle Inn. The Bistro at Maya Beach Hotel is one of the country's best restaurants. And it's worth making a trip to Placencia just to sample the incredible gelato at Tutti-Frutti.

Off-season, especially in late summer and early fall, restaurants in Placencia and Hopkins may close for a few weeks, and on any day the owners may decide to close early if there are no customers, so call ahead. It's also a good idea to make reservations so the cooks will have enough food on hand.