Dos Lunas Airport Bed & Breakfast/Hostel

Our address: 21 Calle 10-92 zona 13 Aurora II, Guatemala City.    Reservations: +(502) 2261-4248 or +502 2309-8000

Guatemalan

Guatemala City Restaurants

Food Service

(Guatemalan food)

Where is the best place to eat Guatemalan food?  There are a few very nice restaurants in Guatemala City where you can enjoy delicious meals from the national kitchen:  Guatemalan food is a fusion of Maya, Hispanic, Sephardi, and Caribbean cultures, with German and Mexican influences. Guatemalan´s favorite food in general is the grilled steak, which is why you will find a large amount of steak houses all over the city.  Another favorite is ceviche; Guatemalans love ceviche but we recommend you not to eat this food on the street, as it is seafood.

A favorite snack is “chicharrones”.  (pork skin) with corn tortilla and “chojin”, that is a chopped radish salad served as topping to the chicharrones. Tortillas with chicharrones are accompanied by fried onions and fried jalapeño chillies, guacamole, etc.

GUATEMALAN RESTAURANTES IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN

ZONE 1

PAN AMERICAN HOTEL

Pan American Hotel is located in the heart of the historic downtown, near the Plaza Mayor, between 5th and 6th. avenue and 9th. Street of zone 1.

The building was, until 1942, the Hotel Astoria and this beautiful hotel is one of the many witnesses of the changes that have occurred in Guatemala City. The elegance of the Pan American Hotel is reflected in the structure of the hotel with the geometric beauty of art deco. Inside is decorated with indigenous motifs, textiles and handicrafts, furniture that evoke the colonial era and photos of the place across more than a century of existence, witnessing the cultural evolution of Guatemala. The setting is harmonized with piano and marimba music in special events, and the entire hotel is decorated with candles and flowers. Its midday buffet makes available the flavors of Guatemalan cuisine.

Photo: Pan-American Hotel

The purpose of this place is to provide the visitor with a historic atmosphere and a nostalgic sense of the old times, when the city was called the “Silver cup”. Its staff wear beautiful regional costumes and at the entrance of the restaurant, you will find a young woman who prepares corn tortillas in a traditional way. There is a variety of Guatemalan native dishes that its menu offers, from appetizers, main courses, desserts to natural soft drinks and the great coffee that has made the country famous throughout the world.

CENTRAL MARKET

In the heart of the Historic Center of Guatemala City is the Central Market, which since the end of the 19th century is “The place” where traditional Guatemalan cuisine is prepared at very affordable prices, dishes like chopped radish with pork rind served in hot corn tortillas; rolled pork head and vinaigrette legs accompanied by corn tortillas, special dressings, desserts and drinks. Some dishes are only prepared on special occasions, but others are available all the time.

The theme of these places is that they offer food on foot since they follow the concept of fast food for consumption and not a restaurant experience. However, you can sit in the “comedores” at the market and enjoy a nice hot chicken soup, while some musical groups perform near the diners.

Some of the Guatemalan food that you can order in the Central Market are: 

  1. Pepian (chicken mole)
  2. Caldo de Gallina (Chicken soup)
  3. Patitas a la vinaigrette (Pickled pork muscles and lower legs)
  4. Tortillas con chicharron y chojin (Radish with pork rind in a corn tortilla)
  5. Revolcado (rolled pork head)
  6. Tostadas de guacamol (fried tortilla with guacamole)
  7. Tacos de papa (rolled up tacos stuffed with potato)
  8. Dobladas (fried tortillas stuffed with meat)
  9. Caldo de res (Vegetable meat boullon with vegetables)
Photo by Claudia Wood, Canada.

BAR EL PORTAL:

Known as “El portalito”, this is a nostalgic bar located in Pasaje Rubio, inside Portal del Comercio around the Plaza mayor.  This bar is famous for its “chibolas” (tap beer in a large round glass) and for its “mojitos”.

Back in the 50´s Che Guevara used to come to this place for a drink; many intellectuals have also used the “portalito” as headquarters.

This old-fashioned bar with an excellent service will transport you to the past, not just for its old-fashioned decor but for its overall atmosphere.  Live music is available usually at midday.


Photo by: Fresita la Hada, (nomada.gt)

ARRIN CUAN

Arrin Cuan, is recognized by Guatemalans and tourists that enjoy different dishes from the Guatemalan kitchen. One of the goals of this restaurant is to highlight the Guatemalan gastronomic heritage and share with national and foreign tourists, the great multicultural value that Guatemala has.

Since 1995, Arrin Cuan won three awards at the International Gastronomic Festival that is celebrated annually in Guatemala. Currently, Arrin Cuan offers 40 different typical dishes to their visitors.

Photo: Guatemala.com

ARRIN CUAN

Arrin Cuan. is familiar to Guatemalans and tourists that want to enjoy different dishes from the Guatemalan kitchen. The main goal of the restaurant is to highlight Guatemalan gastronomic heritage and share with national and foreign tourists the great multicultural value that Guatemala has.

Since 1995, Arrin Cuan has won three awards in the International Gastronomic Festival that is celebrated annually in Guatemala. Currently, Arrin Cuan offers 40 different typical dishes to their visitors

Photo: Guatemala.com

OTHER GUATEMALAN RESTAURANTS IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN:

ADOBE

7a. Avenida 9-45 Zona 1

http://www.facebook.com/restauranteeladobe

LA COCINA DE LA SEÑORA PU
6ª. Ave A.  10-16 zona 1
Sunday closed,
http://www. Senorapu.com

GUATEMALAN RESTAURANTS IN ZONA VIVA

ZONE 10

KACAO
2ª ave. 13-44 zona 10.
Website: http://www.kacao.gt

CASA CHAPINA
1a. Avenida 13-42 zona 10
http://www.restaurantecasachapina.com

STEAK HOUSE HACIENDA REAL
5a. avenida 14-67, zona 10
Tel. 23808383
http://www.haciendareal.net/gt/

Useful tip: This steak house has a free shuttle, hotel-restaurant-hotel, if you make your reservation and request this service.


The Guatemalan Breakfast

The most important meal of the day for Guatemalans is the “desayuno tipico” or typical breakfast, it is a heavy meal but super delicious. Now, there are different versions of the Guatemalan breakfast, but the base is eggs, beans and plantains but….

…The original and typical Guatemalan breakfast comes with:

Porridge (we call it “mosh”)
Eggs (can be fried, scrambled, with tomato and onion, rancheros, divorced… and the imagination is the limit)
Refried beans
Fried plantains
Breakfast sausage, chorizo or longaniza (longaniza is a type of spicy chorizo)
Fresh cheese
Sour cream
Homemade hot sauce
Fresh fruit
Tortillas or bread
Sweet bread (for the coffee)
Orange juice
Coffee or coffee with milk

Some combinations for the eggs are

  • Huevos con cebolla o tomate:  These are scrambled eggs, cooked with “Pico de Gallo” that is tomato, onion and bell pepper.
  • Huevos rancheros:  This is believed to be from a Sephardi heritage, the traditional way of making these eggs is like the “shakshuka” eggs made in Israel.  Guatemalan original “huevos rancheros” are made in the same way.  In a skillet with a tomato, garlic and onion sauce and poached eggs.
  • Huevos divorciados: The divorced eggs is from Mexican influence; two friend eggs are topped half in red and half in green tomato sauce.

If you like to have your eggs in a specific way, these are the words in Spanish you need:

  1. Sunny side up:  Huevos estrellados
  2. Scrambled:  huevos revueltos

Another breakfast that is popular in Guatemala is the Tamale breakfast

This breakfast is normally served for a special occasion, like Christmas and to celebrate after some of the catholic rituals happening in the morning like baptism and first communion. Although, this breakfast is popular in any occasion, like no special occasion at all.!

The tamale is made of corn dough stuffed with special mole that is a mix of red tomato and bell pepper sauce, spices, local nuts, sesame, and meat (pork or chicken)

The fancy tamales are decorated with capers, olives and dry plumbs.  The tamale is wrapped in banana leaf.

Normally served with hot chocolate, coffee or Atol (sort of thick and hot drink), others serve arroz en leche, (Rice pudding that is a bit watery) and hot fruit punch for the Christmas tamale.

A nicer version of the traditional Guatemalan tamale is the famous “Pache” it is also a tamale but made with potato instead of corn dough