One of the most incredible dining experiences I had in Guatemala was at the Germinación restaurant in Santiago Atitlán. The food is simply delicious, made to order, with fresh ingredients and a lot of care — everything prepared in front of me by chef Hiram, who is also the owner of the restaurant. He speaks Tzʼutujil with his staff, which makes everything even more authentic.nnThe first time I ate sea bass, which was very tasty. The second time, I had a steak, which was succulent and came with great sides: guacamole, onion vinaigrette, rice, beans. Everything was delicious!nnIn addition to his talent in the kitchen, Hiram has a special charisma that transforms the meal into a true experience. He gave me great tips on restaurants in Guatemala.nnAnd that's not all: he also runs the Tierra restaurant, on the shores of Lake Atitlan, with a super pleasant atmosphere and a café next door that is pure charm.nnIf you're around here, be sure to check it out — it's a must-see!
Such a great experience at germinacion, Laura was incredible! The food was delicious, we got the frutti di mare and I scarfed it up. This place is highly recommended!!
Enjoyed 3 meals here over the Easter holiday April 2025.nSalvador is an excellent Chef he also speaks English and works with a great team.
This chef's enthusiasm and passion for gastronomy is reflected in his dishes. A wonderful place to enjoy food, especially fish.
Nice food and preparation process that you can watch in an open kitchen.
Terrible! Avoid! How is a 4.9 star rated restaurant completely empty at peak dinner hours? Ordered soup and “gratin” which was canned soup in a bowl and frozen vegetables and shrimp microwaved with melted cheese. Server brought the bill and arbitrarily added 20% tip then acted like she didn’t know the word for “tip” all of a sudden despite her perfect English throughout the meal. Just so shady. Nothing worse than getting scammed while on vacation.
Fantastic food with amazing service!
This was an incredible dining experience. The chef and owner is friendly and they make all their food from scratch. Definitely eat here
Excellent option to eat well and connect with the local culture.nHiram a great character
Such great friendly service and incredible food. The Sea Bass took us by surprise.
Incredible food. Great service. We sat upstairs and loved the experience
It appeared on Google as an excellent option. Arriving at 8 pm. Closed
The chef is very detailed and it was the best food we had in Santiago.
Last night I enjoyed a most delicious dinner here. I had the soup de jour (vegetable) and the daily special which was sea bass with a creamy mustard sauce. ¡Muy rico y sabroso!
Best food we have had so far on our trip! Try the fish, it’s amazing! Everything was fresh and our kids were happy with the burgers.
We had the chicken and a burrito. Both were excellent. The potatoes were great. We also had the brownie dessert but I would not order that again. Would definitely eat here again.
Delicious food and excellent service. Best veggie burritos I have had in Guatemala. Ask about the specials too. Bit noisy (traffic)but so is everywhere on roads in Santiago. Definitely recommend this place.
Big appreciation and happiness after eating here !! Staff were so lovely and accommodated me being gluten free & vegetarian, and the food was legitimately DELICIOUS. The meal was beyond what I expected and I couldn't recommend the food and lovely staff any higher. Worth visiting when you're here - Thank you!!n(Eat in the upstairs area, super lovely vibe :))
excellent menu , good service, fine food preparation.
Fantastic place with a nice roof terrace. When you look inside you just think a dark place with only pancakes but he has much more delicious and also vegan. I gave him the tip to mention this on a sign. Was something different from the usual dishes and nicely finished. Super nice sitting up there. ♥️
Very nice owner and awesome food. He was open for special wishes (vegan, vegetarian) and very friendly. On top the food was delicious. The top terrace is very cozy.
By far one on the best places I've tried in town. The owner chef (Hiram) is clearly passionate about his work and it shows. There are plenty of vegan/vegetarian choices but the last time, the best choices were off menu.
Run by a chef and a baker. Best burgers in town. Good desserts, options depend on what they've baked that day. Open kitchen concept. They have some cocktails, beer and wine. I definitely recommend it.
This place is awesome. The food is made Infront of you and it’s delicious. Salmon, shrimp, burgers with home made buns. Bar, coffee, wifi, ability to pay with a card and the upstairs ambiance is so relaxing. 10/10
Hiram is a culinary professional and lake food enthusiast. We tried Ch'am Ch'uu (fish cooked in lemon juice, tomato and jalapenos) as the daily special. The restaurant is very cozy and the service is very pleasant.
I loved stopping in here twice. Hiram is a very talented chef, the menu is interesting, healthy, with alot of options. Wifi is great. I did some video calls here. I consider Hiram a friend and if I return to Santiago, I'll definitely come by. My go to in Santiago. Excellent.
Great cafe / restaurant with delicious food, drinks, a beautiful terrace and super friendly staff! Would come here again in a heartbeat :))
The attention and friendliness of the staff is very good.
A charming place, wonderful service and delicious burritos!!!
I can't say enough about this restaurant. The food is fresh and delicious!!! The owners are so nice and friendly. I highly recommend stopping in. The F. de Tamarindo is a delicious drink!!!
Great place, excellent food and lovely staff!
