On our way out of town, before heading to the coast, we decided to eat. We wanted something fast and simple. Mana’s Coffee and Bagel Shop was the perfect place. It is located in a tiny shopping center on the main tourist street. There were virtually no locales open other than the restaurant, but across the street were a few stores for our last-minute souvenir shopping.

The kitchen is inside the building, but all the seating is outside in the courtyard, surrounded by cement planters. The plants are young now, but when they mature, I think it will be quite beautiful. The tables, a few with umbrellas, are set up around a tree. The yellow-and-green tablecloths match the umbrellas. The dining area and the kitchen and counter area were spotless. We could have eaten off the cobbled floor.

We took a seat under a tree and were promptly brought menus. The usual breakfast items are offered, such as pancakes, French toast, fruit salads, and egg dishes. Prices range from Q15 for the pancakes to Q23 for the salami, pepperoni, mushroom, and cheese omelet. There are also many flavors of bagels and various breakfast bagel sandwiches available. For lunch, 20 different bagel sandwiches are offered, along with 10 kinds of bagel pizzas and various salads. Most items run between Q15 and Q25 and are served with fruit and fries. The place seemed to be very busy doing take-out orders. I saw many people walking off with bags stuffed full of food.

A very perky waitress took our order and had no problem with us asking for combinations that weren’t on the menu. Our drinks were immediately served and the bagels arrived soon after. I had ordered a bagel with cream cheese, onion, and tomato. They were skimpy with the crème cheese but made up for it with a huge and very fresh serving of the vegetables. Libby ordered the BLT bagel without the cheese. The toppings were rather skimpy, but the veggies were wonderfully fresh. The bagels were nowhere close to being the best I’ve had, but they were good enough to order a couple for the road.

The shopping center is on Calle Santander. When we were visiting, there was no identifying sign posted, but is easy enough to spot; it is a bright yellow, one-story shopping center on, I believe, the west side of the street.