Restaurants with a view – 10 Rooftop Terraces in Antigua Guatemala
Antigua Guatemala is a city of immeasurable beauty. From the volcanoes and mountains surrounding the city’s exterior to the Spanish Colonial ruins that pepper its interior, it seems that there is no end to the beautiful sights you can see.
But if you want to find the best possible spots to check out these views, you’re going to want to find a rooftop terrace from which to admire them. During our stay in Guatemala, we made a point of seeking out the best rooftop terraces in town in hopes that we could make some other traveler’s day by guiding them to the best restaurants for taking in the sights!
Here are 10 of my favorites.
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Aqua Antigua 360 Terrace
Website: Aqua Antigua
Hours: Daily, 12–9 PM
Phone: +502 4537 4001
WhatsApp: +502 5164-6530
Menu
If you are looking for the best views in Antigua, then Aqua is the choice for you.
Most of the rooftop terraces in town sit at about the same height, and so they give you about the same, still amazing, view. Aqua is special because its terrace is taller than any of the others in town. It makes for a spectacular view of the city, made all the better by frequent eruptions from Fuego Volcano.
Apart from the excellent view, the other big draw to Blue is their swimming pool! The pool is on the ground floor, so you won’t get to see the city while you swim but at Q150/person (about $19 USD) it could be a great way to spend an afternoon.
Las Tartines
Website: Las Tartines
Hours: Tue-Thu 12-7 PM; Fri-Sat 12-10 PM; Sun 12-4 PM
Phone: +502 7882 4606
Menu
Guatemala is well known for its many volcanoes, especially the active ones like Fuego and Pacaya. The natural beauty is stunning, but a large part of Antigua’s charm comes from its colonial roots. While amazing ruins seem to sit on every other street, terraces with a good view of those ruins are few and far between.
If the Spanish ruins are the reason you came, then Las Tartines makes for an excellent choice. Their terrace looks into the Catedral de Santiago, part of the ruins of San Jose el Viejo and one of the 5 most beautiful Spanish ruins I had the pleasure of visiting in Antigua! Las Tartines has the distinction of being the only terrace on this list overlooking ruins.
Even without the ruins, Las Tartines has plenty to offer, thanks to its food. The owner, Jean-François Desmoulins, makes good use of his wonderful cooking talents. Our meal at Las Tartines was one of the best that I had in my time in Antigua. If you’ve been craving a more European flavor, it’s a great choice.
I personally loved the Mushroom Panini and the Ratatouille Crepe.
SNUG Irish Pub
Website: The Snug Antigua (Facebook)
Hours: Daily, 8 AM–11 PM
Phone: +502 7965 9790
SNUG is an authentic Irish Pub with a terrace overlooking the Tanque la Union Park. It was also the first terrace that we visited while in Antigua.
The terrace itself isn’t particularly large, but it has comfortable seating and a clear view of Fuego Volcano, which makes it a great spot for checking out the evening eruptions. They also regularly host live music, which makes it a popular spot for those seeking out that scene. Check with the front counter for their music schedule, and plan your visit accordingly.
SNUG is also just a short walk away from my favorite ruins in Antigua, the Santa Clara Convent, so it makes a great place to grab lunch after a day of ruin-gazing.
Definitely worth a stop in!
Santa Clara Bakery
Website: Santa Clara Bakery (Facebook)
Hours: Daily, 6 AM–9 PM
Phone: +502 7832 6131
Email: santaclara.panaderiaycafe@gmail.com
My family wandered into the Santa Clara Bakery looking for a quick dinner after a day spent hiking Pacaya Volcano. Walking in, I had no idea that they even had a rooftop terrace, but my wife spied the stairs in the back.
Santa Clara Bakery’s large semi-enclosed terrace is large, with plenty of seating to assure you a spot whenever you stop by. Most of the terrace doesn’t have much of a view, though, since they decided to cover the space. However, near the back of this terrace, there is a small stairway leading further up to a small rooftop garden with a single table and a small fountain. Behind that, yet another stairway leads to a series of small 2-person tables along the back wall. From there you have a great view of Santa Clara Bakery’s rooftop gardens, as well as the surrounding hillsides.
Apart from the views, the food was excellent and both the upper and lower terraces were filled with greenery and flowers that gave the whole place a wonderfully relaxed feel.
La Posada de Don Rodrigo Hotel
Website: Posada de Don Rodrigo
Hours: Daily, 6 AM–10 PM
Phone: +502 7832 0387
Menu
Email: reservas@posadadedonrodrigo.com
La Posada de Don Rodrigo was another accidental find on a day when we were looking for a quick lunch. We started glancing through nearby doorways to see what we could find when we spied the sunshades on a nearby roof. We had to take a look!
The entrance to the hotel is an enchanting stone affair that calls to the adventurer’s soul. Turn the corner and you arrive at the restaurant itself.
La Posada’s restaurant is located in a whimsically beautiful hotel with a terrace overlooking the courtyard. From where we sat we had a great view of all of La Posada’s grounds and a few of the surrounding buildings. The Spanish architectural style is on full display here, and they use it to great effect.
While the views of the volcanoes aren’t exactly the best in town, the shaded terrace and classic Guatemalan dishes definitely make this terrace worth a visit.
Antigua Brewing Company
Website: Antigua Brewing
Hours: Daily, 11 AM–11 PM (1 AM on Fri-Sat)
Phone: +502 4156 1007
Menu
The terrace at the Antigua Brewing Company came with rave reviews from the online community, and it’s true that the surrounding area makes it a good choice for checking out the scenery. There are 8 or 9 small tables, each with seating for 4. It’s a perfectly good terrace, and well worth a visit.
However, the real draw for my family was what was happening inside.
On the night we visited, we were lucky enough to get treated to some of the best live music that I’ve heard in a long while. And oddly enough, nobody was there for it except for our family! It felt like we were getting a private concert just for us, and my kids loved the whole experience.
Antigua Brewing Company is also one of the only places to get locally brewed craft beer in Antigua, so if that’s something you’re looking for, this is a great spot to find it.
Bella Vista Coffee
Website: Bella Vista Coffee
Hours: Mon-Fri, 7 AM–7 PM; Sunday, 7 AM-1 PM
Phone: +502 3000 5216
Email: info@bellavistacoffee.com
Menu
I absolutely adored the terrace at Bella Vista Coffee during my family’s trip to Antigua, but unfortunately, they have closed the shop where we visited them. However, if willing to travel a short distance outside of town, Bella Vista still has a terrace for you!
Their current terrace overlooks their local coffee farm, giving a great view of the farm’s operations. Their menu still has all sorts of amazing-looking goodies available, making it a solid choice for a Saturday brunch, and if you’re interested, you can also take a tour of their coffee production process.
This is one terrace that I haven’t had the chance to see “in person” yet, but the memory of the crème brûlée and tiramisu from their previous location has me looking for tickets back to Guatemala to check it out!
Cafe Boheme
Website: Café Boheme (Facebook)
Hours: Daily, 7:30 AM–7:30 PM
Phone: +502 7832 1359
Menu (flip through the pics)
Email: cafebohemeguatemala@outlook.fr
Cafe Boheme was suggested to us through an Antigua locals’ Facebook group and I’m so glad that it was. When you walk into the cafe, it appears to only be a small shop, albeit one with a number of delicious-looking tarts in a glass display case. But if you continue past the counter and up the stairway in the back you find yourself on one of the more spacious and comfortable terraces on this list.
Almost the entire terrace was shaded with a good amount of airflow so that even on a hot Antigua afternoon it felt comfortable. The tradeoff there was that this particular terrace doesn’t have a ton of great views.
That is more than made up for by the quality of the food.
My family ordered a number of the sandwiches from the menu and while they each had a distinct flavor profile, they were all delicious. My personal favorite was the Del’Hermano, but I’ve always been partial to both chorizo and mustard.
Café Estudio
Website: Cafe Estudio (Facebook)
Hours: Daily, 7:30 AM–8 PM
Phone:+50278322094
Email: cafeestudioantigua@gmail.com
Cafe Estudio’s terrace has, in my opinion, one of the best views of Agua Volcano. Since Agua is not an active volcano, the view doesn’t come with a lava light show, but Agua is still a beautiful fixture in the area and its green slopes are a welcome sight.
Cafe Estudio focuses on the coffee shop feel for their food and drink, and the atmosphere there was very relaxed. The terrace looks down into a courtyard filled with greenery, and Antigua’s Spanish colonial architecture makes for a gorgeous backdrop for that mid-morning latte.
Grab a seat on the terrace, enjoy a coffee and make use of the free wifi, all while enjoying the view.
Posada de San Carlos Hotel
Website: Posada de San Carlos
Hours: Daily, 8 AM–11 PM
Phone: +502 7832 4698
Email: info@posadadesancarlos.com
Last on this list, but not in my heart, is la Posada de San Carlos Hotel.
La Posada’s terrace has plenty of space for spreading out, but due to the large privacy fencing along the side of their roof, it’s actually fairly difficult to get a good view of Fuego Volcano. So why did they make my list?
They have a playground!
If there’s one thing that we felt was lacking in Antigua, it was playgrounds for kids. We only found a handful. Inside the city, this was our favorite one! (Though the one at Caoba Farms Restaurant is better if you don’t need a terrace.)
The restaurant and terrace weren’t the best that we’ve found in Antigua by a long shot, but the playground and inexpensive food make for a great place to stop if you find yourself needing to let the kids burn off some energy.
