Asawa-ko — Restaurant in Panajachel

WHAT TO EXPECT? Small cafe / bar located on Panajachel main street serving cakes, coffees and cocktails. Small number of 2-3 seater tables both down and upstairs.

POSITIVES- Great selection of cakes including chocolate ganache, oreo cake, almond cake, black forrest gateau & more. Intimate relaxing atmosphere with mood lighting and nice music. Friendly accommodating staff dressed in traditional Mayan clothing providing quick and personal service. Clean and equipped polished setting with full bar and barista coffee machine.

COST / PRICE / PAY - Menu photos attached. Cakes around 30Q. Drinks 25-40Q. We had 2 cakes and 2 drinks for 110Q, great value for the quality. Can pay card. Can pay cash.

OUR EXPERIENCE- We went at 7pm for a sweet dessert treat following a taco dinner elsewhere. We enjoyed a slice of warm apple pie and tres leches - both absolutely delicious. We had a Bailey's and a hot chocolate (best I've had on our central america travels so far). Food was delicious, comforting and like a taste of home. Would definitely go for dessert / drinks here!

TOP TIP- check out all the delicious cakes in the window before deciding to avoid food envy, note that the menu is...

I have never left a one star review, ever and it saddens me to do so but I want others to avoid being taken advantage of simply because you’re a tourist. I purchased a piece of cake for 31Q and the portion was about 1/4 of a portion of a regular piece of cake, I finished it in 2 and a half bites 🥲 but I noticed the other servings were much bigger for the locals. I just believe in treating everyone equally. So, I mentioned that the piece was quite small as I was paying but I didn’t expect to be screamed at 😂 she started screaming that this is Guatemala this is how we do things, and the truth is that I’ve had the most incredible service while traveling here for a month. This is the first time I’ve encountered any issue with service or food. Never thought I’d get yelled at over tres leches cake haha. I know backpackers don’t always have tons of cash despite what locals and natives may perceive so if you’d like to save your money for a better bargain...

One star because zero isn’t an option. This place is the definition of a scam. They advertise a happy hour deal with a big, clear sign stating you get two Cuba Libres or two Mojitos for 30Q. Sounds great, right? Well, when it’s time to pay, they suddenly claim the deal only applies to small glasses—even though that was never mentioned anywhere.

This is blatant false advertising, and we ended up paying way more than expected. To make things worse, the Mojitos were badly made and barely drinkable. I honestly don’t understand why a business would stoop this low just to rip people off.

Avoid this place unless you enjoy...