El Chamán is a well-regarded Managua restaurant specialising in Nicaraguan traditional cooking, a rarer thing than it sounds in a city where many restaurants default to international menus. The kitchen here focuses on dishes that take time to prepare — slow-cooked vigorón (yucca with chicharrón and pickled cabbage), baho (beef, yucca, and plantain steamed in banana leaves), and the hearty stew-like sopa de albóndiga — alongside the more common gallo pinto and grilled meats.
The restaurant is decorated with Nicaraguan artesanía and has an open-air section under a palm roof. Main courses are $6–12. It is a good place to eat if you want to understand Nicaraguan food beyond the standard traveller's introduction; the kitchen is willing to explain dishes and the menu has some description in English. Recommended for lunch after a morning at the Huembes market.