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Like Guatemala City, but on a smaller scale, Antigua assembles a mix of regional and international cuisines into its restaurant scene. Few other cities pack such a variety into a 10-block-by-10-block area. A good rule of thumb: more expensive restaurants line the streets east of the city's Parque Central. Less pricey options line those west of the park.
You'll feel like a guest in a private home when you arrive at this restaurant. Take your pick of tables, which are on a patio with cascading orchid plants, by a small pool, festooned with candles and flower petals, in the rear garden, or in one of the elegantly appointed dining rooms. The menu includes homemade pasta dishes, such as anolini served with a creamy pepper-and-cognac sauce, as well as fish and meat dishes served with a variety of sauces. All the vegetables are organic, and the bread is baked right on the premises.
A place so nice they named it twice is a bit Italian, a bit Spanish, and a bit Argentinian. There are 10 varieties of pizza on the menu—the Argentine, topped with spinach, mushrooms, and sausage, is everybody’s favorite—all prepared in a clay oven. Not in the mood for pizza? Opt for the Spanish-style tapas (appetizers), which includes shrimp, sausages, and meatballs with various dipping sauces. A fire pit in the back garden warms things up on Antigua's numerous cool nights and live music---flamenco or trova (a Latin American folk/protest musical style)---keeps the place hopping weekend evenings.
For Italian food in the city, this tiny restaurant can't be beat. Northern Italian specialties, delicious antipasti, and delicate homemade pastas are among the favorites. Wash it all down with a selection from the affordable wine list. The atmosphere and decor are low-key. Instead of giving out individual menus, waiters lug the menu board to your table to explain what's available. Hours can be a bit capricious; evening dining may begin at 6 or 7 pm, or whenever the restaurant opens, but the service is first-rate. Reservations are recommended.
You half expect Enrico Caruso to emerge from the shadows when you walk into this trattoria a couple of blocks from La Merced church. It's generally a bit cluttered and crowded, and it fills up quickly. You'll find overflow seating on the back patio, but sitting out there isn't nearly as atmospheric. For an Italian restaurant, the selection of pastas is small, but the café's signature plates are its various tenderloin dishes—we like the beef prepared with Gorgonzola cheese, nuts, and rosemary. There's also a wide selection of paninis and gelato.
This fun place behind the cathedral has gained cachet with Antigua's foreign population, expat and tourist alike, who have made it one of the city's liveliest restaurants. You'll find a good selection of pizzas and pastas on the menu, along with less traditional dishes such as panfried salmon and grilled beef fillet with sautéed spinach. Italian music—it might be Sinatra, it might be Pavarotti—wafts through the three dark-wood rooms (one upstairs), along with convivial chatter from the spirited bar, making it an especially good place to eat if you're here with a group.
One of Antigua's best small Italian restaurants serves up homemade pastas and pizzas from a wood-burning oven, and a variety of home-baked breads. Choose from an impressive selection of cheeses and wines sold by the bottle or glass. This is mostly a place to stop for a light bite, rather than a full meal. Most of the seating is outside, but you'll find plenty of covering to duck under on a rainy day.
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