6 Best Restaurants in The Atlantic Lowlands, Guatemala

Although lodging is an option here, Bruno's is best known as a popular hangout for the yachting crowd. Most of the regular patrons arrive by boat. You'll feel at home here in the lively American-style restaurant featuring a great international menu. Expats enjoy sandwiches, burgers, and other light fare as they watch football on the big-screen TV.

The thatch roof and painfully slow-turning ceiling fans are right out of Night of the Iguana or any other tropical movie of your choice. The seafood is phenomenal here at one of the town's most popular restaurants, which draws locals and tourists in equal numbers. We like the seafood tapado, a sweet fish stew. You can check your e-mail at the business center while you're waiting.

The walls are literally covered with travel information at Bahía Azul, the most popular tourist restaurant in town. If you're thinking about a trip, you can probably arrange it here. At the curve on the main street, its porch is a great place to watch people stroll past. The large menu includes everything from sandwiches to lobster. Most nights include live drumming by a local band.

The name means "beautiful" in the language of the Q'eqchí, and that's an apt description for the best eatery in El Estor. Built over the water, the palm-thatched building is the perfect place for a breakfast with a view of the majestic Sierra de las Minas or for a dinner accompanied by a spectacular sunset over Lago Izabal. You may even get a chance to snap a photo of a fisherman delivering the catch of the day. Call ahead of time to enjoy a bowl of seafood tapado, a hearty stew prepared with coconut milk and plantains, or stop by anytime for lake perch or river robalo. For dessert, try a pineapple smoothie.

A longtime favorite in Puerto Barrios, this grass-roof restaurant is one of the few right on the water. On a hot afternoon or steamy night the ocean breezes are a tremendous relief. Seafood is the specialty here, especially the tapado, a hearty fish-coconut soup.

For the best curry this side of the Darién Gap head to this small bistro, which sits near the beach. The menu features such international favorites as Israeli shockshuka (an egg soup), chow mein, and chicken à l'orange. Meals all come with tasty salads and garlic bread. The intimate, rustic feel will keep you content while you wait for your meal, which takes a while to arrive.