Maná Café — Restaurant in Easter Island

MANA FROM HEAVEN!!! March 2025 I spent two weeks on Easter Island (Rapa Nui) with two groups of scuba divers. Although Rapa is known for the moai, the diving is very interesting too. We went to Mana Cafe for lunch the first time on the recommendation of one of the people at our hotel (Hotel Manavai -separate review). What a great choice!!!

When you first walk in, it'll look like a coffee and dessert place. But don't be fooled. They not only have a food menu but each day they offer a fixed-price lunch special - 14,000 pesos, about $15USD - which gets you salad (or soup), main dish, and dessert. There are two main dishes to choose from and they change both every day. For the dozen or so times we went there, I don't think we ever had the same thing twice.

I never learned the name of the older woman who runs the place. But think of a local Jewish deli in New York overseen by someone in a muumuu and you'll get the idea. She was a wonderful character. However, she doesn't speak English. I don't speak Spanish. So each day, she would try to explain tome wat the specials were. And each day, I'd hope to hear a word - pollo, pasta, something - that I could get an idea of what it was. But most of the time, I had no clue as to what I was getting until it was placed in front of me. No worries. The food never disappointed. (And the service from the young waitress was usually pretty quick too.)

Our first time there we had some sort of a chicken stew. The next day it was a chicken thigh in a broth with some corn on the cob and mango. There was a lamb stew one day that was lovely. But my favorite was the day she kept telling me what I thought was "lisette" and since she indicated it was yummy, I ordered that. Turns out "lisette" was lasagna and one of the best lasagnas I've ever had.

Although it was never too crowded, two of the 13 days we ate there there was a tour group in filling most of the seats. The place seats about 25 people so generally it wasn't too bad. We'd usually get there around 1PM and would leave no later than 2:30 while saying "Mañana" as we exited. You can pay by credit card and they'd always ask if you wanted to add a 10% tip (which we did each time).And she had even learned a bit of English by the time we left and said, "Have a...

Kind and friendly staff without being pushy. UNBELIEVABLE sweets and cakes. WOW. oh wait. And the coffee was PERFECT. A pleasant surprise on our first day on the island. What a find!!! 🙏🏼 muchas Grasias Alex & Maria 💜💜

Ok, just came back for lunch and Couldn’t write a new review so I continue here. 😂

Pumpkin soup… perfect. Followed by a delicious Carne (moo) gulash style feast with rice AND fried potatoes. Again… perfect.

A little bit upset at myself because I don’t have room for dessert and they are all staring at me now… (the desserts)

(Check the photos)

Love this place. And the people.

Ok. Editing again. I forgot, the music has been AWESOME every single time we came in.

“Oh… here comes a surprise mini slice of dessert” I guess I still have a...

Beautiful, chic, brunch/dinner cafe, located in town, less than a 5min walk to the water, but not crowded! The food was amazing and delicious. I went while I was 27 weeks pregnant and they catered to all my dietary needs. The staff really made this a first class experience. They made us feel like family. Very attentive and worked with us on helping translate from Spanish to English. The cakes are delicate and filling, with wonderful flavors. I really appreciated the decor and detail of the space. Felt like a high-end cafe in a...