5 Best Restaurants in South Side Commercial District, Belize City

One of the city's most popular and agreeable restaurants serves up dependably good food, with friendly service and safe parking. The signature hamburgers, which come in several sizes from 6 oz. to enormous, are arguably the best in Belize. Try one with the stacked onion rings. The Tavern has steak and prime rib dishes, from cattle at the owners' farm. Sit inside in air-conditioned comfort, at tables set around a huge bar, or on the outside covered patio overlooking Haulover Creek. This is one of the few restaurants in Belize with a dress code—shorts aren't allowed at night (at least in theory). The fenced, guarded parking lot right in front of the restaurant makes it easy and safe to park for free.

This longtime local seafood favorite is an open-air seaside bar and restaurant on the little islet at the south end of Regent Street, also called Bird's Isle. The thatched-roof spot is a great place to sip tropical drinks and eat local seafood (the fried snapper is a favorite) or other dishes at lunch, away from the hustle of downtown. You'll like the prices, too. Always take a taxi after dark, as the neighborhood can be sketchy at night.

Locally adored for four decades, Chon Saan Palace is the best Chinese restaurant in Belize City, which is otherwise full of bad Chinese eateries. It has some 200 dishes on the menu, most Cantonese style, such as sweet-and-sour pork. We like the Chinese-style crab legs. There's a live-seafood tank with lobster and the catch of the day, kept alive until you're ready to eat it. On Sunday, the restaurant switches gears a bit and makes sushi and sashimi.

Belize’s abundance of fruit ends up in a variety of flavors scooped up for you at the city’s best ice-cream parlor. You’ll probably have questions as you gaze at the blackboard menu—what are craboo and sapodilla?—and the good folks here are happy to explain the more exotic flavors. Rest assured that you'll find vanilla and chocolate if you're feeling more "vanilla." Choose from standard or waffle cones, sundaes, or milk shakes, and enjoy the air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi. You'll find a branch in San Ignacio in the Cayo, too.

Often packed, Nerie's is the vox populi of dining in Belize City. The many traditional dishes on the menu include fry jacks for breakfast and cow-foot soup for lunch. Stew chicken with rice and beans and a soft drink is always an economical choice. There's another location on Douglas Jones Street.

You're in the heart of the Commercial District, so a taxi to and from is a must if you come here for dinner.