Restaurant Reviews

Lake Chapala may just be paradise for those who enjoy dining out and eating wonderful, creative food. This guide to our favorite restaurants is just that - our very own favorites. We have ranked them according to their menu selections, service, ambiance and price and have personally eaten at them all, sometimes more than once. If you think we have left out a really good restaurant, it is probably because we haven't eaten there yet. Let us know and we will make a visit and add our review to this guide. Buen Provecho!

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Nuevo Cafe Paris

Nuevo Cafe Paris
Address: Madero # 421, Chapala, Mexico
Phone: 3767655353
Website (in Spanish)
Hours: 8am - 10:30pm Tuesday - Sunday
Live Music Wednesdays at 7:30pm
Directions: Nuevo Café Paris is located on the main route, headed north through Chapala towards Guadalajara. The café is on the right, just before the recently renovated plaza. Parking is available in front of the café and along the malecon. 

First Impressions

Café Nuevo Paris
Nuevo Cafe Paris is located on the main boulevard that runs through the middle of Chapala,  just a few steps from the central plaza and indoor farmer's market. The café looks brand new, though the plaque displayed prominently by the entrance boasts a history that dates from the mid-1950s.
Parking is available on the street outside the café, but we parked along the malecon and walked the short, two blocks to the restaurant to avoid having to back out into busy traffic when we left.  
The restaurant is open and airy, giving the feel of a casual, urban coffee shop. The dining room is bright and modern. Pictures of Paris line the walls. This morning, there were young couples sharing  milkshakes and several tables of businessmen, briefcases open, engaged in serious conversation over huge cups of coffee.  
Cafe Latte at Nuevo Cafe Paris
Because we had read online reviews that characterized Nuevo Café Paris as a breakfast and brunch cafe, we were surprised to learn that in addition to breakfast, Nuevo Café Paris also offers a lunch menu featuring hamburgers and fries, sandwiches and salads as well as a tantalizing selection of dinner entrees.
Nuevo Café Paris opens at 8am for breakfast and closes at 10:30 pm. every night except Monday. Wednesday evenings, live music begins at 7:30pm.  

   

Menu

Scrambled Eggs at Café Nuevo Paris
We found a table  against the picture lined wall and the waiter appeared immediately with menus written in Spanish and in English.  The breakfast menu features a variety of traditional Mexican dishes as well as American standards,  including hot cakes and eggs, breakfast burritos,  enfrijoladas, eggs benedict and frittatas. Light menu choices such as yogurt and a fruit plate are also available. 
And then there is the coffee - Cappuccino, Café Latte,  Cafe Americano, Espresso,  Café Paris (with a touch of flavor) and hot chocolate.
We ordered a Café Americano and a Café Latte, both served steaming hot in over-sized cups. The foam on the latte was embellished with a design that was a work of art. It was almost too beautiful to drink. This is probably the very best cup of coffee I have had in Chapala.

Enfrijoladas
After pouring over the menu selections, we finally settled on a traditional American breakfast of scrambled eggs served with hash browns, beans and a toasted muffin and enfrijoladas, a  Mexican breakfast dish. 
The eggs were scrambled until dry, which is common in Mexican restaurants, and the hash browns crisp with no hint of grease. The muffin was split, buttered and seasoned.
The enfrijoladas, cheese filled tortillas topped with a thick, cream sauce, demanded an order of tortillas to sop up every last bit. This was a satisfying and delicious meal.

 

Service and Price

Dining room at Café Nuevo Paris
Service at Nuevo Café Paris is prompt, friendly and professional. We were served quickly and our waiter checked to ensure we were enjoying our meals, though we never felt rushed.

Like most other restaurants in Mexico, the bill was not presented until requested. The menu items were all moderately priced. The cost of our breakfast only $169pesos, less than $12usd.

Our Recommendation ****

We highly recommend Nuevo Café  Paris for breakfast or brunch. We had no idea, even after living lakeside for nearly two years, that Nuevo Café Paris was anything more than a coffee shop, and that is why we had not visited earlier. Don't make the mistake that we did - visit Nuevo Café Paris for good food served with an artistic flair, friendly, attentive service in a pleasant, bistro-like environment.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Ocampo 71

Address: Melchor Ocampo # 71, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: 376 108 0862  Reservations accepted
Hours: 2pm to 12pm, Wednesday - Sunday ; Summer Hours 4pm - 12pm
Wifi Available
Live Jazz every Wednesday, at 7:30 pm
Facebook Page

First Impressions

Ocampo 71
OCampo71 opened recently as a neighborhood bar and pub in Central Ajijic, just two blocks west of Calle Colon. It has a friendly, "everybody knows your name" feel with a full bar, comfortable seating areas for groups to gather and dining tables in a covered outdoor dining room as well as a pleasant indoor area.

We visited on a Thursday evening when the café was moderately busy. We had reserved a table but there was no reason to on this evening as there were plenty of tables available, though as more people learn about the pleasant, comfortable ambience and friendly service, that will most likely change.

Propaganda Craft Beer
Ocampo 71 has live jazz on Wednesday evenings, starting at 8pm. We were a day late on this visit, but won't be next time.

Menu

We were seated promptly and the waiter brought the drink and food menus. We were waiting for friends to join us for pizza and botanas so ordered drinks and took a few minutes to peruse the items on the menu. Ocampo 71 features a full bar with a large selection of Mexican craft beers.

For those who like a light, IPA, Propaganda Beer, brewed in Monterrey was a favorite of the table. We also sampled the Tijuana Moreno which is a dark stout, and 7B, an amber beer brewed in Mexico City.

Pizza Menu
This is a casual eatery, so the offerings include foods you can eat with your hands, like nachos,  French fries, baguettes, hamburgers, sandwiches and a special pizza menu. When our friends arrived, we ordered fries and nachos and Pizza Margherita.

This is a thin, crisp crust pizza with tomatoes, cheese and basil and was good without being too filling, and is just enough for two people. The nachos were crisp and the topping had just a little kick.

Carlos waited on our table and provide lots of good information about the different Mexican craft beers and also made recommendations. We lingered over our pizza and botanas for two hours, never feeling rushed.

Nachos and Pizza at Ocampo 71


Service and Price

The service at Ocampo 71 is attentive, informative and friendly. The customer is king here. This is a great place to meet friends to chat over a Mexican craft beer and botanas.  Prices are reasonable. Our bill, for pizza, nachos, 3 craft beers and 3 glasses of was $445 pesos, about $30USD. Try getting something comparable north of the border for this price.



Our Recommendation ****
Blu Velvet Plays on Wednesday Evening
 

We like Ocampo 71 and will return for Jazz night. This is a great place to meet friends for a pizza or hamburger, accompanied by a craft Mexican beer. It is within walking distance for visitors staying in Ajijic and one of the few places in the area open until midnight. We made it back to Ocampo 71 recently and spent a nice evening listening to a really good jazz quartet. There is even room for dancing, if you are so inclined.