Jaunted

We discovered the place a few feet down the street from our hostel in Antigua on 7 Avenida Norte. Fernando sits in the foyer, lined with roasting machines, coffee makers and bins of beans. A glass case displays fresh pastries.

He greets each customer, and shows her to a seat in the lush, outdoor courtyard. Coffee beans fill the tables and a canvas awning protects diners from the morning sun.

The tipico comes with two scrambled eggs, thick black beans, fried plantains, and basket of warm flour tortillas. It costs Q10 (about $1.50). The pricier Americano breakfast, Q20, includes two eggs scrambled with ham and cheese, bread, and fresh fruit.

The restaurant's main draw, its coffee, includes Q10 lattes, espressos, and mochas that rival the best cafés in the United States. Don't order anything with milk in it, a woman dining next to us advised. It spoils the flavor. Newly converted, my companion and I each bought a bag of beans after our meal, so Fernando gave us our coffee for free.

I ate here my first morning in Guatemala, and the experience set the bar high. Though delicious, no succeeding desayano tipico measured up to Fernando's meal.