I live nearby in Panajachel, about a 15 minute drive away, and sometimes it's good to just get out of town and try someplace new. My intention was to go the the restaurant that is just past this hotel and sits right on the lake...and have lunch up on their second floor patio resturant with a view. I never made it because the turn-off to get there is a very narrow road and when I saw the large parking lot for the Sanata Catarina I decided I would pull in there and give it a try and walk down to the other resturant and check out the road/parking conditions and maybe go another day. So, that's what I did. The Hotel property is very picturesque. They have a patio type restaurant are that kooks over the pool and the well keep grounds and it was very pleasant to get away from the chaos and crowded bistro's of Panajachel and be able to sit, relax, and just enjoy the view. At first I was the only one there at the Patio restaurant and I was surprised that it took them about 10 minutes to get someone over to speak with me. I really didn't mind because I was enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and pleasant surroundings anyway. So I got a coffee and a menu, pulled out my ipad and checked messages and such as they have an excellent Internet connection, and just sat and sipped. The coffee was beyond spectacular. Of course this is Guatemala and I've keep trying different coffee;s but they are all so good I have yet to decide which is best. I ordered the Soup of the day, a local vegetable type soup, and a club sandwich. I probably should have tried the camorones or some other more local dish but I though I was hungry and wanted something substantial. Some of the hotels guests arrived and sat at another table at the far end of the patio, so now there were two tables occupied. The soup was nothing less than fantastic! Fresh sliced French Bread type bread for dipping in the soup and fast and very personable service. I really enjoyed the tranquility of the whole experience and the beautiful view of the property. For those of you that don't know Lake Atitlan is in the Altiplano at 5000 ft and every day is a Spring like day. Next came the club sandwich which was OK and I found out I wasn't really as hungry as I though and only finished half of it. I should have gotten one of the other local dishes, but I had them box it and I ate the second half for dinner back home in Pana. IT was OK, nothing special, but I don't think this is really one of their often ordered dish. I've had some great club sandwiches in my day and this was just average. I got a second cup of coffee and the wait staff was prompt and attentive. Again the weather there is wonderful, the atmosphere tranquil, the well keep hotel grounds created a relaxing and enjoyable experience. I got the bill "La Cuenta" and got up and walked the grounds and took a few pictures with my ipad. The price for everything was marked so I wasn't surprised by the bill, just disappointed. Q135 equals $18 US which probably seems inexpensive to an American, but this is Guatemala and that is VERY expensive for a simple soup and sandwich. Typical of most places in Guatemala they charge you every time you get a refill on your coffee unlike in the US where we are accustomed to unlimited refills with a meal. I walked down by the pool and just past it they had what looked like a small childfrens pool. They have some English speaking Guatemalan tourists there that spoke some English, I speak some Spanish, and I asked them about the little pool. No they said, that's not a children's pool, that a natural hot springs pool. There are three volcanoes around the lake and underground water flows down the mountain and they have some of it routed into this pool. Fascinating, yes? Anyway we traded a few pics and I took the short walk down the road to take a look at the other little restaurant down by the dock and what the deal was with there place and whether I could get my car down there and have a place to park. I have a crew cab pickup and you have to be careful where you drive because many of the roads are narrow and you don't want to go down a street your not sure has some place for you to park and a way to get turned around and get back out. So I walked down there and a pretty young guatemalan lady escorted me up to the second floor restaurant and explained that I could drive down there and park in the basketball court next door. She says it's OK, the kids play there but sure enough they had a couple of cars parked there. I took some pics, the restaurant looked interesting, very local, and decided I would come back another day for lunch. I did come back a week later to this restaurant and it was a horror story, and I'll try to write a review on it another time. I've attached some pics which might help give you an idea of the layout. - DSMore

No bufet so you eat what you chose If there are many groups in the hotel at braekfast you must be early in order to get service

Mintina drink very refreshing. Nice atmosphere. Food ok. Three cheese pasta is really fettuccine Alfredo. Very rich. Fries excellent. Burger ok. Butter cutely wrapped in leaf.

Uninspiring menu, food was lukewarm and served on cold plates. Wine was expensive, take a taxi and eat in the town which is about 10/15 minute ride away

Had a quick stop-over from Pana at the hotel's restaurant. Food was good. View was stunning. Nice service and attention. Recommend if you are in the area.

I went to have lunch. For entree I had shrimp ceviche, and for main plate I had Chapin, it was steak with avocado, baby onions, frijol, tortillas. The mint and pineapple beverage was delicious too. The prices are about right, and it is the only...restaurant in the area that accepts credit or debit card as payment.More

This restaurant (and hotel) is right on Lake Atitlan. If you come by boat there is a dock by the hotel – just walk up the path a few hundred yards and it’s on your right. They have both indoor and outdoor seating where the...outdoor seating is under a solid roof (overhang from the main building) and from here you have a great view of the hotel pool and lake. It’s quite lovely. The décor makes great use of vibrant colors. They put bright colored cloth napkins in the water glasses making for a very colorful table setting. The food was very interesting and good, It was well presented, fresh tasting and well made. This is a very relaxing place to have a very good lunch (or dinner I suppose) in Santa Catarina Palopo. If you found this information useful in your decision making process, you gleaned information you may not have otherwise discovered, or you just enjoyed reading it and appreciate the time I put into writing it, please give me a "helpful" vote.More