Local Food Restaurants
- Castillo Buffet | Breakfast & Lunch | $3-$5 per meal
This buffett is a great spot for Nicaraguan food. The restaurant has 2 locations across the street from each other. The food is laid out cafeteria style, and you tell the attendant what you want on your plate. The options change everyday but generally include rice, beans, eggs, a few types of meat, and a salad bar. The portions are generous. Meals also include juice or coffee. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve had at Castillo and have eaten there at least once a day. The tamarind-chia juice and the chicken fried rice are my favorites. Open: Monday to Saturday.
2. Baleadas Hondureñas | Lunch & Dinner | $2.75 per meal
This spot has baleadas, similar to quesadillas, with made to order flour tortillas. There’s meat filled and vegetarian baleadas on the menu. They sell drinks but do not sell any side dishes or salads. I enjoyed eating here when I wanted something simple and didn’t feel hungry enough for a larger meal.
3. Restaurante Los Antojitos | Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner | $2-$5 per meal
Los Antojitos is open for all meals and serves standard Nicaraguan food. This is a sit down restaurant, but the options are similar to Castillo. I really like the dragon fruit juice, the tostones, and the jalapeño cream chicken meal. They also make good smoothies that can be taken to go
4. Green House | Breakfast & Lunch | $4-$6 per meal
Green House is my favorite breakfast on this list. They offer pastries in addition to Nica breakfast fare. They also have more fruit included in their meals. Unlike the other local food spots, Green House makes espresso drinks in addition to regular coffee.
5. Panaderia and Reposteria Sarita | Bakery | $0.50 per pastry
This bakery opens earlier than most other places in the city and stays open until the evening. They have savory pastries filled with beans, cheese or meat that you can ask to have heated up. I normally get their refried bean puff pastry with coffee.
Cafes
6. Seleccion Nicaraguense | $2 cappuccino
Seleccion Nicaraguense has the best espresso drinks in Esteli. Their regular coffee and cakes are good too, and they also have beans and chocolate for sale. You can order at the counter or sit down and order with a waiter. They have food like salads and paninis, both of which I disliked here. With the table service and larger groups eating out here, this is not a cafe you can sit and work on your laptop. They also have a location in Matagalpa where the coffee is even better.
7. Batidos Pitaya | $3 smoothie, $5 smoothie bowl
Batidos Pitaya is a smoothie, juice, and acai bowl cafe. They have a lot of different smoothie and smoothie bowl options. The vibe is similar to smoothie places in the US. There are tables inside or you can take your drink to go. Its vibes are great for sticking around to read while you have your smoothie or bowl. I recommend sitting in the back dining area for a quieter experience as many vendors from the park enter the front area. The drinks are sweet on their own, so I always say no when they offer to add sugar.
8. Bourbon Cafe | $3 cappuccino
Bourbon has the best cafe atmosphere on this list. It’s one of the few cafes in Estelí where you can read, study, or work on your laptop. The coffee is decent: not as good as SN but better than many other cafes. I never tried the food, but they have pastries and sandwiches on their menu.
9. Chocolate Cafe | $2 cappuccino
Chocolate Cafe is the most affordable cafe overall on this list. In addition to coffee, they have a large selection of frappes, milkshakes and smoothies. There is a small dining area but most people take their drink to go. My favorite menu items are the banana milkshake and the regular coffee frappe.
Gringo Food
- Casa Vecchia | Italian food | $7- $10 per meal
This restaurant satisfied my craving for pasta here. The food is American-style Italian food, so don’t get your hopes up too high. I preferred Casa Vecchia to the handful of other spaghetti restaurants in the city. The pasta portions are huge and meals come with delicious garlic bread.
- Spicy Grill | Pub food | $10-$20 per meal
Spicy Grill has great pub food- wings, nachos, fries and burgers. I enjoyed the wings and wing sauce options here. The restaurant itself has a calm and quiet vibe.
Hotel
Este Hotel
This hotel is located in downtown in Esteli. The building is very clean and modern. Hot shower too.They offer single and double rooms.
Health
- Farma Value
#12 on the map is one of Farma Value’s 3 locations in the city. I ran out of one of my medications here and was able to get it at this pharmacy. They have an app which tells you the price of the medication and which locations it is available at. Most medications are available without a prescription and the staff at this location was incredibly helpful and kind.
Weekend Trips from Estelí
Somoto
Somoto is under 2 hours by bus from Estelí. I contacted La Ceibita Tours Somoto Canyon (https://laceibitatourssomotocanyon.wordpress.com/). I left for Somoto after Friday class and did the 2 night package ($45 total) that included 2 nights of lodging, a 6 hour guided canyon tour, and all meals. La Ceibita is owned and operated by Francisco and his family at their home/farm. All of the food is made by Francisco’s wife and their land has many places to relax and explore.
Matagalpa
Matagalpa is also under 2 hours by bus from Estelí. I stayed at a guesthouse on the property of an environmental and sustainability program (https://www.aguali.net/). The location is up on a hill on the edge of the city. They serve farm to table meals and have their own hiking trails to explore. The location feels remote, but it’s only a 20 minute walk to get into town where there are lots of places to sample coffee and chocolate. I took a free walking tour with a Matagalpan woman named Lía (https://www.guruwalk.com/p15607-matagalpa) where she showed me around the markets and the coffee museum roasteries
Coffee farm in Matagalpa
