Anabanana (Av. Miguel Hidalgo btwn. Calles Niños Héroes and Hermanos Domínguez, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat., US$2–5) is a longtime favorite on the pedestrian walkway, and for good reason—they serve up hefty baguette sandwiches, delicious hamburgers and soy burgers, plus traditional Mexican soups and tacos. Dishes are made to order in the tiny kitchen in the center. It’s especially popular for lunch, but you can avoid the rush by stopping by before 2 p.m.
La Casa del Bagel (Real de Guadalupe 44-A, tel. 967/631-6187, 7 a.m.–11 p.m. daily, US$2.50–5) offers nine types of bagels with seven types of cream cheese, bagel sandwiches, bagel pizzas…pretty much any bagel creation you can think of plus a tempting list of smoothies, coffee drinks, and gourmet teas. But on top of being a place to satisfy your hunger, it’s a total hangout spot with lots of couches in a huge TV room (movie screenings every day at 6:30 p.m.), a billiards room to shoot some pool (US$2/hr), and a garden where you can relax in a hammock awhile. All that or just sit back at one of the tree-trunk tables while you surf the ’net for free.
Occupying a renovated colonial mansion, La Selva Café (Av. Crescencio Rosas at Calle Cuauhtémoc, tel. 967/678-7244, 8:30 a.m.–11 p.m. daily) is San Cristóbal [1]’s finest café, with a bright spacious indoor seating area and a comfortable cobblestone courtyard in back. The menu includes a dozen different organic coffees, served as rich drip, frothy cappuccinos, and more. Tasty breakfast specials include yogurt, fruit, biscuit, and coffee for US$4.50; there’s even free wireless Internet (though electrical outlets are oddly lacking). La Selva also sells ground or whole-bean coffee by the kilo, including decaf, which is virtually impossible to find elsewhere.
Santé Caffé (Miguel Hidalgo 4, tel. 967/631-6351, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, US$3–8) has umbrella-shaded tables facing the pedestrian walkway, and hip leather armchairs and low tables inside. (There’s also a small but excellent kids’ play area in back.) The coffee is unremarkable, but tea-based “infusions” go well with baguette and panini sandwiches. Beer, wine, and hot dishes are also available.
Few restaurants in San Cristóbal [1] are as serene as Casa Luz (Calle Niños Héroes 2, tel. 967/631-6609, 8 a.m.–9 p.m. daily, US$4–10), a café-bookstore-yoga center that serves tasty sandwiches and egg dishes in a bright spacious locale a block from the pedestrian walkway. Meals are well prepared (especially breakfast), but Casa Luz really shines in the details—from the sleek flatware to the homemade papaya jam. The decor is modern and not particularly ‘Chiapanecan’, but it can be a refreshing alternative to the colonial look found everywhere else. Service is first-rate, and there’s free wireless Internet. Massage and yoga are offered on the second floor and get high marks.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/chiapas/san-cristobal-de-las-casas