Address: Carretera Chapala-Jocotepec #920A
Ajijic, Jalisco
Phone: 331-768-1063 (cell)
376-106-2063
Hours of Operation: Monday - Saturday 11am - 9pm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/montecristotestaurant
WIFI: Available
Credit Cards not accepted
Directions: From WalMart head west on the carretera towards Jocotepec approximately 3 miles. Monte Cristo is on the left just past the La Huerta Event Center. There is ample parking in front of the restaurant.
We arrived for lunch at about 1pm on a Wednesday afternoon. There were already diners inside the open air restaurant and seated at the umbrella covered tables on the front patio.
There is plenty of room for diners at the Monte Cristo, which also features a large patio dining area located just off the bar. Though the smaller patio is near the main road, the noise was not bothersome on the day we visited. The landscaping is beautiful and designed to block much of the road noise, once it fills out.
We recognized friends dining on the patio and asked if they had been to Monte Cristo before that afternoon. They assured us that they had, and that Monte Cristo had become one of their go-to places to eat. The patio is dog friendly and wifi is available.
The décor inside the restaurant is fresh and modern, with wooden tables and wrought iron chairs. There was upbeat, Latin music playing softly in the background.
The interior is spacious, with tables placed far enough apart to provide some privacy for conversation. The Monte Cristo also has a full bar.
We ordered two glasses of the house red wine, a good Merlot. The waiter brought out a basket of freshly baked bread with garlic spread and even offered to bring more after we gobbled the first basket down.
The menu offers a number of tempting appetizers that include shrimp and cream cheese spring rolls, salads, seafood chowder, avocado stuffed with shrimp or smoked oysters and fish and chips.
Entrees included salmon with herbs, Spaghetti Monte Cristo, paella, mahi-mahi Monte Cristo and shish-kabob. A variety of hamburger plates are also available.
We decided to start with the shrimp and cream cheese spring rolls. These did not disappoint, served hot and cooked perfectly with a plum dipping sauce.
The simple descriptions in the menu were tantalizing, making it difficult to choose what to order.
Everything about the Monte Cristo communicates the owner's concern for the customer's dining experience.
Finally, we decided on the special of the day, which was a seafood, chicken and steak shish-kabob, served with either four or five skewers. We also ordered the pear and goat cheese salad.
We did not wait long for our meals. The presentation was lovely, the interpretation of these simple dishes, sophisticated.
For dessert, we ordered the house flan. This is usually a good choice, since just about every restaurant in town serves their own version of this traditional dessert.
This is the only spot in the entire meal where we were disappointed.
The flan was obviously made in house, but had been frozen, which caused the custard to separate slightly as it defrosted.
It was still frozen in the middle when it was served to us. It was presented beautifully, but the taste was ruined by having been in the freezer.
This, alone, will not stop us from going back to Monte Cristo.
* We returned for lunch the following week and this time had the cheesecake for dessert. It was excellent, with a cookie crumb crust and creamy filling. It was obviously made in house and served, as is everything at Monte Cristo Restaurant, with flair.
Ajijic, Jalisco
Phone: 331-768-1063 (cell)
376-106-2063
Hours of Operation: Monday - Saturday 11am - 9pm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/montecristotestaurant
WIFI: Available
Credit Cards not accepted
Directions: From WalMart head west on the carretera towards Jocotepec approximately 3 miles. Monte Cristo is on the left just past the La Huerta Event Center. There is ample parking in front of the restaurant.
First Impressions
We had heard nothing but good things about the new addition to the Lake Chapala restaurant scene, Monte Cristo Restaurant, so added it to our list of restaurants to review.We arrived for lunch at about 1pm on a Wednesday afternoon. There were already diners inside the open air restaurant and seated at the umbrella covered tables on the front patio.
There is plenty of room for diners at the Monte Cristo, which also features a large patio dining area located just off the bar. Though the smaller patio is near the main road, the noise was not bothersome on the day we visited. The landscaping is beautiful and designed to block much of the road noise, once it fills out.
We recognized friends dining on the patio and asked if they had been to Monte Cristo before that afternoon. They assured us that they had, and that Monte Cristo had become one of their go-to places to eat. The patio is dog friendly and wifi is available.
The décor inside the restaurant is fresh and modern, with wooden tables and wrought iron chairs. There was upbeat, Latin music playing softly in the background.
The interior is spacious, with tables placed far enough apart to provide some privacy for conversation. The Monte Cristo also has a full bar.
Menu and Service
Our waiter brought the menus, took our drink orders and informed us of the specials of the day, in English and in Spanish. He was friendly and knowledgeable about the items on the menu.We ordered two glasses of the house red wine, a good Merlot. The waiter brought out a basket of freshly baked bread with garlic spread and even offered to bring more after we gobbled the first basket down.
The menu offers a number of tempting appetizers that include shrimp and cream cheese spring rolls, salads, seafood chowder, avocado stuffed with shrimp or smoked oysters and fish and chips.
Entrees included salmon with herbs, Spaghetti Monte Cristo, paella, mahi-mahi Monte Cristo and shish-kabob. A variety of hamburger plates are also available.
We decided to start with the shrimp and cream cheese spring rolls. These did not disappoint, served hot and cooked perfectly with a plum dipping sauce.
The simple descriptions in the menu were tantalizing, making it difficult to choose what to order.
Everything about the Monte Cristo communicates the owner's concern for the customer's dining experience.
Finally, we decided on the special of the day, which was a seafood, chicken and steak shish-kabob, served with either four or five skewers. We also ordered the pear and goat cheese salad.
We did not wait long for our meals. The presentation was lovely, the interpretation of these simple dishes, sophisticated.
For dessert, we ordered the house flan. This is usually a good choice, since just about every restaurant in town serves their own version of this traditional dessert.
This is the only spot in the entire meal where we were disappointed.
The flan was obviously made in house, but had been frozen, which caused the custard to separate slightly as it defrosted.
It was still frozen in the middle when it was served to us. It was presented beautifully, but the taste was ruined by having been in the freezer.
This, alone, will not stop us from going back to Monte Cristo.
* We returned for lunch the following week and this time had the cheesecake for dessert. It was excellent, with a cookie crumb crust and creamy filling. It was obviously made in house and served, as is everything at Monte Cristo Restaurant, with flair.
