This was the restaurant in my hotel, and I ate here twice (once for breakfast and once for dinner). At both meals I noticed locals dining (later my customer told me she dines there frequently for breakfast). The restaurant has two sections, one of which is open to the main courtyard and fountain. During the day, you can see the volcano, and at night, the stars and the fountain create a romantic atmosphere. The service is, in a word, doting.
For breakfast I had the desayuno antigueno, which was a collection of little portions and sauces arrayed on my plate. It included beans, guacamole, tortillas (hand-patted, the best I had in all of Central America), a chichen tamale, scrambled eggs, and a separate huge plate of fresh-cut fruit. I ate at 8am, and was not hungry until 2pm.
For dinner, live marimbe music wafted out to the courtyard tables from the interior dining room. I had the unusual, tangy abalone ceviche served with crackers, and their plato tipico. More beans, guacamole and tortillas, with rice and three savory pork sausages. The ubiquituos guacamole seems hard to mess up, as the avocados are so delicious here. If you are a wine-drinker, this restaurant offers a red Californian wine by the glass, which is a treat as I find the more commonly found Concho y Toro red from Peru too syrupy.
For dessert I had a slice of rustic apple cake, which had the softest sweetest apples that contrasted perfectly with the grainy texture of the cake.
Altogether, both meals were very pleasant dining experiences, even as a solo diner.