Cafés and Light Meals

For coffee on the go or a nice sit-down atmosphere, Café Barista (on parque central [1]’s northwest corner) serves some favorites, including caramel macchiato, mochas (hot or iced), and tasty pastries.

One of Antigua’s best-known cafés, Doña Luisa Xicotencatl (4a Calle Oriente #12, tel. 7832-2578, 7 a.m.–9:30 p.m. daily) serves delicious breakfasts, snacks, pastries, and light meals in a delightful garden courtyard. There are fresh-baked breads and cakes available all day from the bakery at the front of the building.

Next door, La Fuente (4a Calle Oriente #14, tel. 7832-4520, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. daily) is a good place for breakfast and vegetarian fare as well as for a cup of coffee accompanied by an ever-so-sinfully delicious chocolate brownie topped with coffee ice cream and chocolate syrup.

On the west side of the central park, Café Condesa (Portal del Comercio #4, tel. 7832-0038, 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Sun.–Thurs., until 9 p.m. Fri.–Sat.) is a great place to get some pep in your step with an early breakfast and coffee or to refuel later in the day. There are excellent cakes, pastries, sandwiches, and salads served in a pleasing garden atmosphere or you can enjoy the all-day breakfasts. A Sunday brunch is served 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and includes scrambled eggs, home-fried potatoes, silver-dollar pancakes, quiche, homemade bread, and muffins, just to name a few items. If you’re on the go, grab a cup of the excellent coffee at the Condesa Express next door.

For fresh bagels, bagel sandwiches, and great coffee, stop at The Bagel Barn (5a Calle Poniente #2, 6 a.m.–10 p.m. daily). There is wireless Internet if you’re traveling with a laptop and movies are shown in the afternoons and evenings.

Another Antigua standby is the Rainbow Café and Bookshop (7a Avenida Sur #8, tel. 7832-1919, all meals daily), serving delicious menu options including eggs Florentine, Israeli falafel, and the chocolate bomb for dessert. Try the outstanding Greek chicken fillet stuffed with spinach, bacon, raisins, feta cheese, and covered with a creamy oregano and lime sauce ($8). Live music, poetry readings, and other cultural events are held on-site.

On the pricier side, Caffé Opera (6a Avenida Norte #17, tel. 7832-0727, www.cafe-opera.com [2], closed Wed., $6–15) is a popular place serving some delicious coffee frappé beverages in an eclectic atmosphere stuffed with opera-themed posters and artwork. The panini are recommended.

Under the same ownership as the Café No Sé (which is more of a bar), Y Tu Piña También (corner of 6a Calle Oriente and 1a Avenida Sur) is a juice bar also serving snacks, pastries, and light meals. The mango chutney chicken is good if you’re on the hungrier side.

Finally, a trip to Antigua wouldn’t be complete without a stop for some dulces típicos (typical Guatemalan sweets) from Doña María Gordillo (4a Calle Oriente #11).

Antigua [3]’s finest delicatessen is Epicure (3a Avenida Norte #11 B, tel. 7832-5545, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, $5–12), serving phenomenal sandwiches and deli items. The owners prefer patrons eat onsite rather than carry out, and the pleasant outdoor area centered around a lovely garden courtyard and the remains of an old aqueduct makes that request easy to accommodate. A second location (6a Avenida Norte #35 A, tel. 7832-1414) is only open until 7 p.m. Monday–Saturday (until 6:30 p.m. Sun.).