Sandra's Cafe in Panajachel

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then Sandra's Cafe is the place to start the day in Panajachel.

The "Sandra" in Sandra's Cafe hails from Oxford, England, and has lived in Panajachel 18 years. She opened the cafe on Avenida Santander two years ago.

Dining Indoors or on the Patio

It's a bright and cheery place with neat red and white checkered tablecloths and comfortable seating.

From inside or at a table on the patio, you can watch tourists, Maya and ex-pats stroll by in a colorful, never ending parade.

For breakfast last week, I ate the waffles sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with strawberry jelly and slivers of butter.

Other breakfast choices are omelets, pancakes, croissants, crepes, fruit salads and Guatemalan egg dishes.

Lunch and Dessert

Lunch items focus on Mexican meals like burritos, quesadillas, chili con carne and nachos. Calzone, sandwiches and hamburgers round out the lunch menu.

For dessert, I suggest the lemon curd, a tart and sweet pudding that is not well-known outside England and Canada.

Sandra also has home-made baked goods, chutneys and jams. She will soon introduce hand-dipped chocolates and edible floral arrangements made of strawberries and other fruit.

Pleasant surroundings and good food make Sandras Cafe a bright spot for breakfast or lunch, or to sip coffee, juice, tea or a licuado.

Open from 6 AM-2 PM, it's below La Terrazza on Avenida Santander. Closed on Wednesdays.