A handful of small cafes perch on the canyon rim near Panorama Park, with terraces hanging over the gorge. Order a kopi tubruk — coarse-ground Sumatran coffee brewed by pouring boiling water directly onto the grounds — and a plate of fried banana with palm-sugar syrup, and stay until the canyon fills with afternoon mist.
The setting does most of the work; the coffee is good, the snacks are fine, and the staff don't push you to leave. One of the most pleasant ways to spend an hour in Bukittinggi.