When it was presented to us that tablecloth dining would be a great asset to the south end of the island we immediately had thoughts of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. ....Whew! not for us!
However, after a little more prodding and a whole lot of marketing it turned out we were up for the challenge. The decision was made in November 2007 shortly after we formally incorporated. We then purchased a lot and began to build our humble island eatery.
In the meantime off to Culinary Arts School for an education in the Artisan practice of gastronomic presentations (that's the fancy way to say we learned to cook). Graduating in 2011 we began our trial & error days; after a few cuts, burns & bruises we have created an exciting menu with both traditional choices and vacation flair. We hope you enjoy your visit with us.
2012: We Opened October 31st for a special evening event to support our South Ambergris Caye Neighorhood Watch Halloween Party. It was great fun to have the children who had just finished trick or treating to stop by along with their parents. We are so very happy to have such great suport from our neighbors, everyone has made us feel welcome. Our goal has been to serve a variety of really great food in an elegantly casual environment. We have local culinary talent to work along with us to make incredibly delicious meals. We offer both private dining booths and cocktail dining appetizers.
2013 We enjoyed a great 11 months as we worked our way into slow season taking a break in September. Now preparing for this next season we want to say Thank you to the community of San Pedro for a wonderful welcome to our new lives.
2014: We have enjoyed a great year for the busy season as the Fall/Winter weather returns....In Belize that weather translates to temperatures in the high 70s low 80s with very little humidity......We are so grateful for all of our guests, staff and the recognition we've received from both local and electronic media. We've enjoyed great stories, fantastic meals and lots of great feedback. We also want to send a big Thank you to our Guests who have visited from all Around the World, we find ourselves so very fortunate to meet each and everyone of you. We look forward to return visits and meeting even more people as you explore our little piece of white sand in the Caribbean Sea.
2015: If you'll indulge us just a bit we would like to announce a record year Yippeeee, it appears we might have learned a thing or two. Regardless we have enjoyed a great year to include; Celebrity Guests, Diplomat & Government Events, countless Birthday Celebrations, a few Marriage Proposals a number of Wedding Receptions and a host of catering events to a few looking for an offshore private dining experience..... If you have not already visited with us we hope to offer you a warm welcome and home away from home. Whether you are looking for an Appetizer in the bar or a Gourmet Dinner with Wine & Desserts we look forward to serving you.
2016: We still have to pinch ourselves as this dream continues and another incredible year is well under way, we look forward to becoming even a better eatery. We are dedicated to providing outstanding Appetizers, Dinner Choices and Desserts. We are including a Happy Hour Social from 3p-5p with Dinner Starting at 5:30p Tuesday through Saturday. We hope you find yourself enjoying a fabulous meal with us this year
2017: Living in Paradise is everything you could hope for, and this contnues to be our daily blessing. We are even more blessed as we move into this year with reservations booked throughout the months ahead. We find ourselves again humbled by the local community, the media support, the international recognition and the great socializing that goes on in our lounge each day. Our staff continues to grow and have become the best group of hospitality professionals we could ask for. If you have not dined with us yet, we hope to meet you this year and if you have, we look forward to seeing you again. We wish all of you the happiest of travels.
2018: Wow! Our 6th Season is well under way and our little eatery continues to be visited by people around the world. Making so many friends and enjoying continued celebrations with guests has become an unexpected blessing. We hope you will join us soon and tell us your story, who knows we might just become life long friends.
2019: Just when we thought it could not get any better... Season 7 and going strong with an exciting new addition. This year we will be opening an in house Deli & Gift Shop. Many guests have asked about our Wood Carvings, Specialty Sauces and other Local Products. We hope to deliver these things and more with our ever changing inventory; if you simply need an overnight toiletries kit or the perfect Souvenier we hope to have it for you. In addition we will be offering ready-to-eat Snacks, along with Meals to make at your Villa and a few other fun beach and pool items for the kids. Wishing us all a Tropically Beautiful Year!
2019: Wow... Incredible news.... Black Orchid Restaurant & Salt Life Belize Resort both of San Pedro Town Belize have partnered to bring Dining to a new level on the Island of Ambergris Caye. This year we have Enclosed our Open Air restaurant with beautifully designed Glass front finish and Interior Air Conditioning. Island Dining just got better. Hope you can join us!
2020: This year is off to an adventerous start. With the Covid-19 Virus closing our borders our community has united in a way we did not know was possible. Truly living on a desserted island we are finding ways to support our community both for basic needs and comfort. There is no other place on Earth we would rather be. Thank you San Pedro and all of our small island neighbors as we continue to grow, care and survive!
2021: We are so proud of our Staff and Community as we have learned a modified way of doing business. The same great Team, the same great Food supporting a Special Dining Experience. We have learned to operate under the guidelines of our government in order to protect our Guests and our Staff. We hope you will continue to join us for unsurpassed service and lots of smiles. Thank you again for your continued support of our beloved Black Orchid Restaurant.
2022: This year is like a new beginning for our beautiful eatery. As the dust clears and our COVID restrictions have become less instrusive we are all so excited to share our smiles with you again! We've had a great start to the Season and cannot thank you enough for all of your support during some rough times. However, we would like to extend that Thank you to our ever-faithful staff. We are here, we are healthy and we are eager to serve you!!!
2023: Mr. Tom and I are still around and loving life in Belize. However, our wonderful staff at The Black Orchid Restaurant has all but retired us. We are so proud of Maritza, our General Manager as she has taken on the Challenge and proved herself more than worthy. The rest of the staff followed suit and all took on the roles of running our beautiful eatery even better than we could have imagined. You will still find us around as we enjoy dinner often at our 'Favorite Restaurant'. In addition, we consider the staff family and have been blessed to become legally accepted as such. We rarely let a day go by without visiting with them as we continue to watch them grow both personally & professionally. They work together to create better dining experiences for all guests. We hope you have an opportunity to experience the Very Special Family of the Black Orchid Restaurant. Lots of warm wishes from Mr. Tom & Judyann living happily ever after in Belize.
2024: Mr. Tom and I could not be more pleased with Mrs. Maritza, our Manager. She has done an incredible job bringing our little eatery up to date. The Black Orchid Restaurant has become a landmark on our little piece of sand and we have her to thank for that. Mr. Tom and I stop in daily to visit with our team and offer any support. However, we are usually sent on our way with polite smiles and assurance "We got this". Therefore, we enjoy eating there often and feel as blessed as ever to be a part of this community.
San Pedro, Belize We Love You.
Warm Breeze Wishes,
Tom & Judyann