6 Best Restaurants in Tegucigalpa, Honduras

That just might be the ghost of Che Guevara plotting the next revolution off in the corner of this unpretentious little coffeehouse with a slightly political bent. Paradiso serves local beverage specialties, but is best known for its carajillo (coffee with cognac). The food is basic but filling, with locals leaning toward favorites like the tortilla española (Spanish omelet). While you wait, peruse the selection of books on Honduran history and politics, or stop by on Thursday evenings when a film is screened.

You smell the sizzling chorizo and carnitas (chunks of beef) cooked by Don Manolo even before you see his popular restaurant.

This restaurant is named for a traditional Honduran mush of refried beans, cream, and cheese served with tortilla chips in a clay container, but don't be misled: other items on the menu, the pastas and pizzas in particular, are good here, too. It's a great place to down a beer, as it is often open until 10 or later.

The unpretentious but crowded Espresso Americano serves up some of the best coffee in the country. This is the original location, but you'll find many others across Honduras.

How many restaurants keep a shrine to the Virgin Mary on their premises? At the entrance to the restrooms, no less? This downtown eatery does. The statue of the Virgin of Suyapa, Honduras's patron saint, appeared wrapped in newspaper in Don Pepe's men's room one night in 1986. A miracle or a drop-off by a thief? You can decide Standard Honduran fare—hearty chicken, beef, and pork dishes—are served here; the lunchtime plato del día, a combination of meat, rice, and vegetables, includes a beverage and is a good bargain.

Super Donuts has a buffet breakfast and lunch. Specialty baked goods, tamales, and fresh fruit juices are always tasty.