Palmeira’s Guest House isn’t open to the public but it serves an amazing breakfast for guests that is worth checking into the hotel for.

In a room overlooking the lush and colorful back garden in a lovely Maputo neighborhood, a buffet breakfast is served every morning to guests staying at the six-room lodgings.

There are six tables inside and another four outside.

Carlos Pereira and Celia Rocha own the guest house and run it with the help of their children including Amailcar Pereira.

Celia’s family is from Mauritius. Carlos is Portuguese. Mozambican dishes are influenced by Indian food, Amilcar told me.

When it comes to what’s for breakfast at Palmeira’s, Celia fuses cultures, Amilcar said.

My breakfast included dainty wraps made with chicken, spicy garlic, onion, and piri piri; a fritter-like green bean delicacy; and rissois — Portuguese dumplings — made with shrimp, cream and flour.

There was a beautiful-looking garbanzo bean salad with cod fish, onions and olive oil — by no means your common breakfast food in Mozambique, Amilcar said — but a demonstration of the lengths to which the owners will go to satisfy guests.

Every guest who stays at Palmeira’s says good things about breakfast. They go on the record in

the guest log book, where the same message is repeated over and over: “great breakfast.”

Mozambicans know how to do bread. Among the breads and pastries at the Palmeira’s breakfast were pastel de nata (a Portugese egg tart pastry); a coconut pastry reminiscent of a tiny macaroon pie; chocolate croissant; and an apple pie-type pastry.

Breads and pastries at the breakfast included white and wheat loaf bread, a roll called papo secos that’s hard and crusty on the outside and soft inside; a sweetish, coconut-flavored roll with powdered sugar dusted on top, and croissant with an egg-cream filling.

There was also cheese, yogurts, fruit and juices including a mix of grenadilla, pineapple and papaya.

If you get peckish at night while staying at Palmeira’s, you can always raid the Honesty Bar. Right outisde my door was a stash of Cadbury’s chocolates, candy bars, cookies and crackers, available on the honor system.

There was also a well-stocked mini fridge with apple cider and Laurentina beer — a locally brewed favorite.

Just write down your purchases in the “honesty book” and you can settle your bill when you check out.