Sababa Restaurant — Restaurant in Sololá

The food (Shakshuka) was good and the setting was great - no complaints there. Unfortunately when it came to the bill, there was a mysterious service charge included, which I found suspicious as it didn't come to 10% which has been the typical amount included in bills throughout Guatemala in my experience, so I asked the waiter what this was. Their reply was that this was an extra tax/charge, but crucially - not - a tip for the staff, but that this was also optional, and didn't need to be paid (but was not a tip!). Needless to say I was unhappy that the bill came to a different price than what was advertised in the menu (excluding the tip), and I also felt uncomfortable with the idea of a 'optional' tax, which I have never come across before. I took my complaint to another waiter, who confirmed that this extra service charge was not a tip, but that I also didn't have to pay it - bizarrely they weren't able explain what this was really for, and suggested it was a management/owner decision. In the end, I asked them to take off the charge, and instead left a 10% tip for the staff in cash, by putting it in the tip jar, and so made sure the staff got tipped, and I didn't pay what appears to be an arbitrary and unadvertised extra tax which lines the owner's pockets. All I can conclude from this is that either both waiters were mistaken and didn't know how to charge their customers - which would be concerning in a different way (but unlikely in my judgement), or more likely, management is charging a stealth tax and hoping that people either don't notice or assume it is a tip for the staff (which it isn't according to two different waiters). This left a very bad taste in the mouth and feels dishonest and exploitative - if you come here, do challenge this and make sure you tip the staff directly, or at least insist on a proper answer and...

Truly disappointed by this place. We saw all the wonderful reviews and were so excited to try the food here. We ordered the shakshuka and hummus since so many people raved about it. In addition to ginger honey tea and a cappuccino. The drinks came and a swarm of wasps kept flying around us. Covered the tea with a plate which I had to ask for and they reluctantly gave it to me. The food came and it was average. Hummus wasn’t anything special (we’ve had better store bought hummus in Canada). The shakshuka was fairly salty and that could be due to us adding salty cheese on top but the flavour was seriously lacking. I’ve made better shakshuka myself. I was hoping the 1 star reviews weren’t true and I’d have a great experience but I really did not. The servers ignored us when we called out to them - maybe it’s because they knew they were getting the 10% tip anyways since it’s automatically added onto your bill as stated on the menu. I asked for a hot water refill for the tea and they ignored me and I had to ask another server and they begrudgingly gave it to me. Lastly to top it off, we had to kill the wasps as it kept landing on our food. Outside of the view, this place is really nothing short of a terrible experience. Take your money elsewhere for better food and a friendlier dining experience without pests landing...

Mixed Impressions

This spot offers a great lake view and a cozy setup. There's a coffee shop on one side and a restaurant on the other. The coffee shop is straightforward: you order at the counter, and the prices are typical for a touristy area with a lake view, albeit slightly high. However, the WiFi has never worked during my three or four visits.

The restaurant serves some nice breakfast options. The Shakshuka is delicious, filling, and comes with a big bread roll and a small salad—really good value! However, the avocado toast, priced similarly, was disappointingly small (only one toast, little avo, cold egg, cheap fruits). So, it really depends on what you order; I wouldn't pay that price for a simple avocado toast again.

The service level is quite poor, with very inexperienced staff. It's not about language skills, but basic customer attention. The young men working there seem like they've been in the business for only a few days, which doesn't match their price level at all.

Suggestions for Improvement:

Ensure portion sizes reflect prices Fix the WiFi Stabilize the wobbly tables Provide basic training for your waitstaff

Card payment is possible, but comes at a 5% surcharge. 10% service charge is added at the restaurant despite the poor...