1981 Restaurant
Belize
Named for the year Belize gained independence, 1981 is the signature restaurant at Naia Resort & Spa on the Placencia peninsula. Its waterfront setting and relaxed dining room give a contemporary Belizean menu an appropriately coastal home. Local ingredients shape a selection that gives seafood particular attention while retaining meat and vegetarian options. The published menu includes seafood dukunu, a corn tamale topped with seafood in a creamy sauce, and fish baked in a banana leaf with local herbs and spices. Other dishes draw on the region’s fruit, spice and coconut. A seafood sere brings fish, prawns, vegetables and green plantain together in coconut broth, while pork ribs are glazed with mango-and-ginger barbecue sauce. Seasonal lobster preparations add another reason to ask what the kitchen is serving that evening. A curated wine list and signature cocktails accompany dinner, and the restaurant welcomes guests from outside the resort. It offers a useful opportunity to explore Belizean flavours at a comfortable pace, whether over a meal for two or an evening with family and friends.