Letra CH Restoran Del Mar

Address: Carretera San Nicolas #4, Chapala
Phone: 331 117 2325 or 331 007 0216
Hours: Open daily, except Wednesdays, 1:00pm to 9:00pm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/letrach-restorandelmar

Credit Cards not accepted

Directions: From WalMart, drive east on the Carretera and turn left at the stop light in Chapala. Take Madera north to the next stop light. Turn right, onto Calle Venustiano Carranza, which runs at a 45 degree angle to Madera. Turn right on Avenida Pepe Guizar.  Avenida Guizar dead ends at Calle Gonzalez Gallo. You will see Letra CH on your left, the second building on the left. Parking is in front of the restaurant.

First Impressions

Letra CH, Restoran Del Mar

If I had not read the rave reviews of this restaurant I might never have eaten here. First of all, it is not easy to find, and once you know where it is, you are still not sure if it is really a restaurant from the outside.

I have posted a picture of the outside so hungry readers will know what this place looks like from the outside.
And, you definitely do not want to bypass Letra CH. It is a hidden treasure.

But not for much longer, once the word gets out about the scrumptious food prepared inside this tiki-hut looking structure. 

Park in front of the building and walk through the front toward the back of the restaurant and then up a flight of stairs to the thatch covered dining room. There are about ten tables in the dining area, a bar and a nice view of the lake.

Fried Calamari

We went with friends on a Thursday evening. There was one other diner in the restaurant and she left shortly after we arrived. After that we had the entire place to ourselves. The weather was pleasant so we were comfortable sitting in the outdoor dining room.

This is a family owned and operated establishment, with a small boutique hotel and spa at the back of the property.

Menu

The menu is printed on material, and one of our friends found it difficult to read.

The selections were limited to about ten tantalizing selections of seafood and chicken dishes, uniquely prepared. This place has a very interesting concept. Your meal includes the choice of an appetizer and a side dish included in the price The waiter, also one of the owners of the restaurant, took our drink order and brought out a basket of bread and herb butter.

L'Orange Salmon

Starters included salmon mousse on crisp wontons, asparagus in tequila sauce, fried calamari or soup of the day. We decided to each try something different and  share between us, and found them all delicious.

The one drawback was the very small size of the asparagus, especially considering that there was an extra $20peso charge for this appetizer.

There was also an extra $20peso charge for the fried calamari. The salmon mousse was flavorful, but we were all most surprised and impressed with the crunchy fried calamari. It was lightly battered and deep fried with not a hint of the rubbery texture I have grown used to expecting.

Nutty Sea Bass

The entrees were tantalizing and it was hard to choose between them. Fortunately, there were four of us dining so we each could order something different and share.

The menu presented us with a number of tempting choices, Nutty Sea Bass, prepared with a pistachio and pecan topping, Four Cheese Chicken, Coco Shrimp, L'Orange Salmon, Octopus, Letra CH Pasta and Citrus Tuna.

The side dish selections, included scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes, wild rice or a green  salad.

We ordered the scalloped potatoes and wild rice, but the waiter also brought a bowl of sweet potatoes for us to sample, convinced we would love it. And we did. It was so delicious, and sweet, almost like dessert.



Brownie with Ice Cream

I had read another diner's review, raving about the Nutty Sea Bass and so this is what I ordered. I was not disappointed. The fish was fresh and lightly cooked with a delicious nut topping.

The other hit of the evening was the L'Orange Salmon, a thick piece of salmon cooked perfectly, topped with a  light citrus sauce.

We also had the Four Cheese Chicken and Coconut Shrimp with mango sauce. Several of us ordered a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to accompany our meals.

The waiter replenished our basket of bread, during the meal, which we greatly appreciated. We capped off the delicious meal with brownies and vanilla ice cream. The brownie was made in house, rich, dense, and chocolaty.

Ambience and Price

The outdoor dining room is pleasant, with interesting decorative walls made from pallets and PVC pipes filled with live plants. There is a good view of the lake from the dining room. The only drawback was, as night fell, we were annoyed by mosquitoes.

There is a short flight of stairs to get up to the dining room, which may present a hardship to those unable to climb to the second floor dining room.

The prices are very reasonable, ranging from $106pesos to $149 pesos. The ingredients used to prepare the meals are high quality and the price included an appetizer and side dish. Our meals, including wine and dessert, came to $450pesos, less than $35USD.

Our Recommendation ****

Find this place and eat here. The food is so good and this family has a very interesting and unique concept that sets them apart from the rest of the restaurants in Chapala. Make sure to go before sunset to avoid the annoying mosquitoes.

Roberto's

Address: Carretera Poniente #35, Ajijic
Phone: 376-766-1616

Website: www.Robertosrestaurante.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/robertosrestaurante

Hour of Operation: Wednesday through Saturday 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday Brunch 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Parking: On the right, off the Carretera, in front of Roberto's.
Live Entertainment

Directions: From Walmart, drive west on the Carretera through Ajijic, approximately 4 kilometers. As you head out of town, you will come to a small hill. Just over the hill on the right, Roberto's is just past Calle 5 de Febrero. If you reach Calle A. Obregon you have gone too far. Look for the tables set up outside the hacienda gates.

First Impressions

Roberto's was difficult for us to find the first time. Everyone gave us vague directions. It is located right on the Carratera so it should have been easy to spot.

Right? Well, no. Not unless you know where to look you can drive right by it and never know it was there. * Roberto's now has a prominent sign in front of the restaurant. It is on the right, as you come over the hill heading west out of Ajijic. Roberto's is situated on a hill just above the Carretera.  The picture, left, is of the front of the restaurant.


It would be a shame to bypass Roberto's because it is a very good restaurant offering consistently delicious food in a beautiful old hacienda.

Plentiful parking in front of the restaurant and a few tables are set up outside the gates to help customers find the entrance. This is another of our favorite restaurants in Ajijic.

* See below for update on Sunday Brunch at Roberto's.

The Menu

Robert's menu offers a wide variety of dishes - steaks, chicken, seafood, salads. This is North American style food prepared well.

Once  you are seated, the waiter takes your drink order and delivers a basket of warm bread and croquetas de la zanahoria (carrot croquettes) to your table to stave off hunger while you browse the menu.



Some of dishes available daily include Panko Encrusted Fish, Steak Diane, Crab Cakes, Salmon Dijon, Moo Shu Pork, Mongolian Beef.

Brunch is available on Sunday mornings with dishes that include a brunch burrito, salmon scrambled eggs, pancakes and bananas foster, eggs Florentine and crepes.

We visited Roberto's to sample their Sunday Brunch for ourselves and it was scrumptious. There are so many creative, tempting dishes from which to choose.

We finally settled on Robert's Special Breakfast of eggs, ham, bacon, hash browns and praline French toast. Before the meal arrived, we were served  a fruit plate with a seafood spread and two toasted and buttered slices of bread. The waiter also delivered a basket of fresh bread  and carrot fritters.

We also ordered Roberto's Breakfast Special, a frittata-type concoction of chorizo, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, onions and eggs with creamy potatoes on the side.


To drink, we chose freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee. Coffee was included in the price of the meal. When we thought we were finished and full to the brim, our waiter brought out two small bites of very rich cheese cake that neither of us could resist. Roberto's has to serve the best Sunday brunch lakeside.

Roberto's offers special menus during the holidays. Spring is here, and the advertised special for St Patrick's Day will feature a special meal of corned beef hash made in house.

There is a full bar offering mixed drinks, wine and beer. Sunday brunch features drink specials, including Mimosas, Champagne, Vino Blanco
and Bloody Mary for $50 pesos each.

 

Service

Once again, we observed the service at Roberto's and found it to be impeccable. The waiters are very attentive, watching to refill your coffee cup or bring another drink as soon as your glass is empty, friendly and unobtrusive.

We never feel rushed when eating at Roberto's. I appreciate this about a restaurant. If I am made to feel like I could linger all day, I am apt to order another drink, or a dessert to share. We had only been a few times before the waiters recognized us as regular customers.

Ambience

The unassuming entrance hides dining areas perched above the road and shielded from noise by a lush landscape. The wooden gate opens up to a  small flight of steps into an old hacienda turned restaurant.



Musicians play on Sunday afternoon.

A waiter will rush forward to greet you and make sure you are seated in one of the cozy dining areas outside, or in the larger dining room inside the casa. It is easy to find a cozy, romantic corner at Roberto's for an intimate lunch or dinner.

The décor is old Mexico, though the food is definitely Norte Americano. If there is entertainment, it is probably best to dine in one of the indoor dining rooms, as the music can make it difficult to hold a conversation. There is ample parking in front of the restaurant and it is a fairly easy walk from Ajijic.

Price

Roberto's is a moderately priced restaurant. The Sunday Brunch is priced between $75 - $120 pesos. Lunch entrees are smaller versions of the dinner menu and prices start at $65 pesos, with the most expensive dish at $120 pesos (less than $10).

Dinner prices range from $120 pesos to $150 pesos. The price for our Sunday Brunch was $175 pesos.

Our Recommendation ****

Roberto's is a nice place to have a delicious lunch or perfect for a romantic dinner. This is also a great place to entertain guests. That is my grinning brother in one of the pictures above. He loved celebrating his birthday at Roberto's. We highly recommend Roberto's for delicious food.

After today, we can also recommend Roberto's for Sunday Brunch. The chefs are very creative, the food is so good and the overall experience is delightful