Chef Rob's Gourmet Cafe — Restaurant in Stann Creek District

The delight...and the doubt...is in the details. With a one-visit snapshot, my impression was: Beautifully presented, delicious food, that utilizes local sources of seafood, meat and produce.

As I traveled the backroads in the area, I saw lush orange groves, abundant vegetable gardens, especially around the back country Mayan villages, and lots of healthy, free-range chickens, pigs, etc. Cattle were a small percentage. This is substantially what we would call organic in Canada, just by the nature of the local farming practices. I trust the significant Mennonite farming community in these matters.

Chef Rob builds on this foundation, with four course dinner packages that are great value, and attention to presentation that made me stop, look and appreciate.

The lady who met me at the door immediately asked if I had a reservation. I did not. (It was a spur of the moment visit on a recommention by a local.) She plunked down a table in the pathway of the waitstaff, and I expected to find a full, busy house. The wait staff immediately made me comfortable and checked in with me perhaps just a leetle too often, but that's better than the alternative. Since I was alone, I had plenty of time to take in the details of not only the food and the staff, but also the moment of silence and direct gaze from the woman when my first request for a drink was water, the frost on the water bottles delivered to other guests as I sipped from my warm water bottle, no glass, and the not set up tables in the quiet corners over there. I can take a hint.

Would I go back? Absolutely. Would I recommend you take a date you'd like to impress there? Oh, yes.

But do make a...

Both soups were thin and without any garnish.(Creamy coconut and shrimp bisque) The salad was iceberg with balsamic dressing and a squeeze of balsamic glaze. A drunk guest loudly exclaimed it was the best steak he ever had so three of us ordered the ribeye. They were the correct doneness, pleased with that. But there was barely a sear on them at all, and the smell and taste of butane torch didn't fade until I was taking my last bites. I thought that maybe they used their hot rocks to cook them but maybe the grill was just low and they had to scramble. Super lean also, I could have sworn I was eating pork tenderloin(but that's just be the nature of the local beef down here, we drove by a lot of farms with skinny cows this week).

My chocolate muffin was good, but the rest of the group had the marinated fruit with ice cream. The fruit was underripe and I couldn't taste any sweetness from the marinade(usually restaurants will marinate fruit with infused simple syrup but this might've just been a liqueur).

Chef Rob if you read this I'm sorry we caught you on a bad day. Sorry you couldn't make my buddy a lime or lemonade and just gave him a sprite with no explanation, sorry that we had to ask for someone to clear our dirty plates. Sorry we had to ask for water more than once before y'all brought it. Maybe next year it will be better.

Get a timer for your microgreen lights, half your trays were scorched. It shouldn't be running full blast at 9pm in the dining room anyways, the purple lovecraftian glow was a little weird with the 80s pop hits.

Better food and service found at the Barracuda or the Singanga(at the...

Our family had a very enjoyable dinner at Chef Rob's Gourmet Cafe in Hopkins Village, Belize on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. We sat down at about 5:30pm and there was only one other party in restaurant. We asked about the mosquitoes and eating beach front, outside. The maitre d' said normally at that hour the mosquitoes could be a problem, but as it was windy, we should be okay. We took a table on the deck with a beautiful view of the beach and water. A gracious waiter came by with menus. As always with our family, much debate ensued about what to order and we spoke with the waiter a couple of times.

The maitre d' came over to ask if the waiter fully explained the menu and we indicated yes, but she then informed us that all items including the prix fixe could be ordered in children's half portions for the children (even for the 16 year old!) at half the price. One of our children did so and their half portions seemed pretty close to a full portions to us so that is a really good deal if your children are not “starving.” Shortly after placing our orders, it became clear the bugs were going to be a problem and moved to inside the restaurant.

We had two prix fixes and two stand alone entrees. My wife had the lobster which was very good. Everything was very good. Our bill, before tip for four with bottled water and a beer was US$100 for a very filling, beach front meal for four. Chef Rob and his wife (the matire d') are originally from Holland/Netherlands so it is not a locals' owned and run place. Nevertheless, it is worth going to if your...