Most travellers eat where they sleep — the lodges and guesthouses on Ometepe almost all run their own kitchens, and the food is generally simple, fresh, and decent. Expect plantains, beans, gallo pinto, grilled fish from the lake (guapote, mojarra, or tilapia), and chicken in various forms.
In Moyogalpa, Los Ranchitos is reliable for a sit-down dinner of grilled meats and fish under a thatch roof, and Comedor Doña Pancha does the cheapest decent plate of comida típica on the island. On the Maderas side, El Bambú in Balgüe is the social spot, with wood-fired pizza and a long bar; Café Campestre has a small but accomplished menu drawing on European-trained chefs who have settled on the island. Finca Magdalena does generous farm meals at long communal tables.
Lake fish is the local specialty. The guapote — a freshwater bass — is meaty and excellent grilled whole with garlic.