LOS TRES TIEMPOS: GUATEMALTECAN FOOD ON THE MOST FAMOUS STREET IN ANTIGUA
The Cost -$18 per person
The Atmosphere – Los Tres Tiempos is located in the main district of Antigua, Guatemala. It is a three-story restaurant with a terrace on the third story that boasts views of the city’s volcanoes. The outdoor tables at the restaurant are colorfully tiled and are very cute and the restaurant has a casual vibe to it. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the drink menu features cocktails, beer, and wine. Reservations are generally not needed.
Calle del Arco, famous for its 17th-century landmark, Santa Catalina Arch, is home to a number of restaurants, shops, and even an indoor artisan market. One of those restaurants is Los Tres Tiempos which serves up traditional Guatemalan food or comida guatemalteca as it is often called by locals. The restaurant now has two locations, one in Antigua and the other in Guatemala City.
The Order – La Bonita to drink, Elotes Locos, Pepián, and Estofado Huehuetenango to eat.
The Great – The Estofado Huehuetenango is a mouthful to pronounce but this traditional Guatemalan dish is worth the awkward attempt or two to do so. Named after the city it comes from, Los Tres Tiempo’s version is a stew of beef and chicken in red wine with tomatoes, grilled chiles, basil, thyme, and bay leaf served with white rice and a typical Guatemalan tamalito blanco, which is just a corn tamale with no filling. The red wine makes this dish unique and delicious and adds so much flavor to everything in the stew. The estofado was by far the best dish of the night.
The Good – Pepián is one of the most famous Guatemalan dishes. A stew normally made with either chicken or beef that resembles a curry or a non-chocolatey mole, the dish is normally either prepared with chicken (the most traditional) or beef. However, Los Tres Tiempos also has a pork option and that is what I chose given the estofado was a mix of beef and chicken. The stew is made with tomatoes, chiles, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds and was quite good. The pork was nice, but I would try the chicken next time around. This dish also came with white rice and a tamalito blanco and was also accompanied by some vegetables.
The Okay – The La Bonita seemed to be one of Los Tres Tiempo’s signature drinks given that it was highlighted on the menu. A mix of Quetzalteca Especial, a Guatemalan aguardiente that is similar to a rum, with pineapple juice and strawberry, this tiki-like cocktail just didn’t taste like it was made with high-quality ingredients. It tasted sugary, in an artificial way, and really didn’t make for an enjoyable cocktail but at least it made for a pretty picture.
The Bad – I imagined the Elotes Locos to be a spicy corn appetizer similar to Mexican street corn. Given the lack of any description on the menu and my desire for something fun and spicy, I went ahead and ordered it. What arrived at the table though were four small corn on the cob sections that were doused in ketchup, mustard, and mayo, all right from the bottle. One bite was all I could handle. It reminded me of the days that my mom used to let me put ketchup on my macaroni, but worse. This dish is one I’ll never forget, but not for good reasons.
The Verdict – Antigua is a small colonial city that is becoming increasingly popular with tourists from around the world. With its rise in popularity, it is also seeing new restaurants being opened with talented chefs from around the world. Given what Antigua’s food scene has to offer, I’d recommend you choose other restaurants over Los Tres Tiempos, but if you do go, get the Estofado Huehuetenango which is certainly worth the price.