The Smoky Mermaid is located in a wonderful 1927 colonial home just a few feet away from the tourist dock, where the tenders from the cruise ships arrive and depart from. It's directly across the street from the Radisson Hotel, which seems to be a central and well-known landmark here. The restaurant is on the base floor of an inn called The Great House.
The moment we walked into the lush garden patio, we felt a sense of island calm. It reminded me a bit of some of my favorite courtyards in New Orleans. There were tropical plants everywhere and the sound of water moving in the mermaid fountain at the center of the patio.
We sat down and listened to the reggae band playing onstage. The reggae here is very similar to the Caribbean reggae, but Belize reggae has a distinct sound and feel to it. The band was full of energy and great. We all enjoyed the band, but the kids sat in front of them and were glued to their every song. They loved them!
We didn't have one waitperson. It seemed whomever was walking by the table would stop, serve, and check on us. The service was friendly and very relaxed. We ordered rum cocktails. They hit the spot! We looked over the menu, and it was hard to pick from it. The menu offered a lot of local fish, and it all looked like it was worth trying.
In the end, we somehow all ordered the shrimp lunch. When it arrived, we were happy we did. It was not fancy. It was served on paper, and at first glance, looked like ordinary fried shrimp. However, on tasting it, we could tell it was fresh. It was firm and not overcooked or greasy. It was very tasty.
We sat back and just relaxed. We sipped our cocktails and were enjoying the band. Suddenly, a few more guests arrived, then a few more, then a few more, and so on. Suddenly, the patio was packed and it was hard to even move. There were tourists everywhere. We quickly learned the Smoky Mermaid floods the cruise ships with free drink coupons on the shore-excursion buses. The buses had all just arrived, and here were tired tourists all demanding their free cocktails and the whereabouts to the bathrooms.
The magic of our quiet and serene garden was quickly broken, and we felt more like we were on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. We quickly asked for our check and went on our way.
The Smoky Mermaid is a place I would recommend for lunch or dinner to anyone coming to Belize City. However, I would strongly suggest you do NOT do it on a cruise-ship day, as those pesky free-drink chits ruin the peaceful and tranquil nature of this place.