Twisted Tanya's (website) was a great find on our short stay in Copan Ruinas. We had walked by on our way to the central plaza and had seen tantalizing specials posted outside the door. At night, when the restaurant opened, we crept up the narrow stairs to an unbelievable dinner.
It's on a corner, marked by a funky metal sign that's hard to miss, with most of the tables near the overhang so you can enjoy the restaurant's night air and view of the quiet street below. A bar dominates one side of the restaurant, and the drink menu is the only thing handed to you when seated. Meals available for the day are posted on a board without prices, which is why I guessed at the price range for meals, because I still don't know. The atmosphere is like a trendy place you'd find in the States, designed by and for 20-somethings. Curiously, a tiny lizard had climbed one of the walls and pasted itself there as if it were a greenish wall decoration, basking under a light bulb. A small puppy relaxed on the floor of the restaurant and was completely uninterested in anyone except its owner, who swished her skirt along as she checked on each table; we soon learned that this was Tanya.
Dad ordered several Honduran beers, and I ordered a licuado. Later, we had coffee. I started with a delicious chilled cucumber soup that was hearty and slightly tangy - very good and apparently included in the price of my entrée, but I'll never know. It came with a fresh multigrain roll. I was inspired to order the salmon and herring ravioli, which was incredible in of itself, but the lemon cream sauce with capers surprised me, along with the helping of pataste, a Honduran vegetable that tasted like mild broccoli. Dad ordered seafood linguine bursting with clams, mussels, crab, and octopus in a rich red sauce. He chose a bowl of herby cream of potato soup to start.
After such indulgences, we were horrified that, when the bill arrived, the total was a mere one lempura more than we had in our pockets. We stared at each other in disbelief as embarrassment sank in. How were we going to explain or rectify this? Tanya had just left our table after chatting about Honduras and the ruins and offering advice for further travel there. Furthermore, this was our first day in Honduras, and we had no idea if we were expected to tip here or not. But, with a British owner and such an upscale setting, we guessed so - if we could afford it. Actually, the staff was super-nice, accepted our lagging total and missing tip, and even included worry dolls as parting gifts to thank us for coming. Although we slunk down the stairs with our tails between our legs, it was incredible that such great food came with equal hospitality and understanding. Our next stop was to a nearby ATM to replenish our suddenly stark, empty wallets.