Address: Carretera Chapala-Jocotepec West Rd. N. 527, Between Los Sabinos and Pemex, Mountainside
Phone: 331 410 1707
Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Directions: From Walmart, drive west on the Carretera, approximately 6 kilometers. Just past Los Sabinos and before the Pemex Station, on the mountainside, you will see the Japanese Nursery. Hosteria del Arte is in the building in the middle of the nursery. There is ample parking in front of the nursery.
We rode the bus from Chapala and were let off right at the entrance. The first thing you smell as you walk through the front gate is the overwhelming aroma from the large stand of rosemary growing in a sunken garden at the front of the nursery. It is a lovely setting, with tables set up outside on the patio, shaded by large umbrellas.
The menu was small, but offered a number of standard Italian dishes - spaghetti, fettuccini, cannelloni as well as chicken dishes and salmon.
We ordered the Four Cheese Gnocchi and the Fettuccini con Pollo and two glasses of Merlot.
The Merlot was good, but not an Italian wine. The waiter brought out a basket of 3 hot rolls and some aioli while we waited for our meals. The aioli was an herb enhanced mayonnaise.
As you know, dear reader, aioli is an emulsified sauce that is similar to mayonnaise, but it is not mayonnaise. So, this was our first disappointment. The rolls were hot, however, and would have been good with a garlic butter.
The gnocchi was served in a bowl, with nothing more to accompany the meal - neither bread, nor salad - and was exactly like the packaged product I purchase at the local Walmart, when I feel the desire for quick Italian food.
Gnocchi is very simple to make from scratch, but the Hosteria del Arte does not bother. The pasta was overcooked, and mushy and served with a thick lumpy gravy with the overpowering taste of pepper. It was not very good, I am sorry to say. Someone in the kitchen opened a package of pasta and a can of sauce and poured in some pepper.
The fettuccini was somewhat better. The chicken was tender and the sauce lighter, though still had the overpowering taste of pepper. The waiter did not bring more bread to accompany our meal and had to be flagged down so that we could order another glass of wine. The setting is so pleasant, we were really hoping that we would discover a nice little Italian bistro to escape to on those days when we couldn't stand another tortilla. It was not to be - bring on the tortillas!
Ever hopeful, I suggested we try the tiramisu, it is, after all, an Italian restaurant. I did not expect the quality of something I would eat on Italian Hill in St Louis, but an Italian restaurant should, at the very least, understand the basics of this dessert.
We were served a flat, coffee soaked "cake" topped with cool whip.....no, I am not kidding - the topping was straight cool whip. I let my husband finish the dessert, since after 20 years in the US Navy, he will eat almost anything.
Outdoor seating is near the road, but very pleasant, surrounded by the smell of rosemary. The indoor seating is nice, with a locked antique wine cabinet and the menu written on a chalkboard. This place promises so much and delivers so little. This is neither a Japanese nursery, nor is it an Italian restaurant.
The price for lunch was comparable to what we have paid for gourmet meals at much nicer restaurants in Ajijic - $95 pesos for the main dishes, $45 pesos per glass of wine and $60 pesos for dessert. For those prices, we expect quality ingredients prepared well. It was not to be.
This place needs a chef. They promise a gourmet experience, charge as if they will deliver a great meal, then serve prepackaged food and a dessert made with cool whip. This restaurant is an overall disappointment, one of the poorest quality restaurants in the area. Eat here if every other restaurant in Ajijic is closed. The Hosteria del Arte should be your last resort.
Phone: 331 410 1707
Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Directions: From Walmart, drive west on the Carretera, approximately 6 kilometers. Just past Los Sabinos and before the Pemex Station, on the mountainside, you will see the Japanese Nursery. Hosteria del Arte is in the building in the middle of the nursery. There is ample parking in front of the nursery.
First Impressions
West of Ajijic, just past Los Sabinos, the Hosteria del Arte Restaurant is situated at the entrance to a Japanese nursery. It was the location and the idea of eating in a nursery setting that drew us to this restaurant.We rode the bus from Chapala and were let off right at the entrance. The first thing you smell as you walk through the front gate is the overwhelming aroma from the large stand of rosemary growing in a sunken garden at the front of the nursery. It is a lovely setting, with tables set up outside on the patio, shaded by large umbrellas.
Menu
We were seated immediately - the only diners in the restaurant on a Friday afternoon. We don't hold this against a restaurant, since we are perpetually early diners. The waiter took our drink order and gave us a one page menu, written in English.The menu was small, but offered a number of standard Italian dishes - spaghetti, fettuccini, cannelloni as well as chicken dishes and salmon.
We ordered the Four Cheese Gnocchi and the Fettuccini con Pollo and two glasses of Merlot.
The Merlot was good, but not an Italian wine. The waiter brought out a basket of 3 hot rolls and some aioli while we waited for our meals. The aioli was an herb enhanced mayonnaise.
As you know, dear reader, aioli is an emulsified sauce that is similar to mayonnaise, but it is not mayonnaise. So, this was our first disappointment. The rolls were hot, however, and would have been good with a garlic butter.
The gnocchi was served in a bowl, with nothing more to accompany the meal - neither bread, nor salad - and was exactly like the packaged product I purchase at the local Walmart, when I feel the desire for quick Italian food.
Gnocchi is very simple to make from scratch, but the Hosteria del Arte does not bother. The pasta was overcooked, and mushy and served with a thick lumpy gravy with the overpowering taste of pepper. It was not very good, I am sorry to say. Someone in the kitchen opened a package of pasta and a can of sauce and poured in some pepper.
The fettuccini was somewhat better. The chicken was tender and the sauce lighter, though still had the overpowering taste of pepper. The waiter did not bring more bread to accompany our meal and had to be flagged down so that we could order another glass of wine. The setting is so pleasant, we were really hoping that we would discover a nice little Italian bistro to escape to on those days when we couldn't stand another tortilla. It was not to be - bring on the tortillas!
Ever hopeful, I suggested we try the tiramisu, it is, after all, an Italian restaurant. I did not expect the quality of something I would eat on Italian Hill in St Louis, but an Italian restaurant should, at the very least, understand the basics of this dessert.
We were served a flat, coffee soaked "cake" topped with cool whip.....no, I am not kidding - the topping was straight cool whip. I let my husband finish the dessert, since after 20 years in the US Navy, he will eat almost anything.
Ambiance
One of the reasons we chose this restaurant to review was because of the interesting setting - in a Japanese nursery. What an interesting concept, to eat among the flowers and herbs.Outdoor seating is near the road, but very pleasant, surrounded by the smell of rosemary. The indoor seating is nice, with a locked antique wine cabinet and the menu written on a chalkboard. This place promises so much and delivers so little. This is neither a Japanese nursery, nor is it an Italian restaurant.
Service and Price
The waiters were pleasant, but not particularly attentive. They did not bring more bread with our meal, and had to be summoned for a second glass of wine, though we were the only customers in the restaurant.The price for lunch was comparable to what we have paid for gourmet meals at much nicer restaurants in Ajijic - $95 pesos for the main dishes, $45 pesos per glass of wine and $60 pesos for dessert. For those prices, we expect quality ingredients prepared well. It was not to be.
Our Recommendation **
If you eat at Hosteria del Arte, you will not die from the food. You will be sad that you spent so much money on such a poor quality meal, but will not get sick, unless wasting money makes you physically ill.This place needs a chef. They promise a gourmet experience, charge as if they will deliver a great meal, then serve prepackaged food and a dessert made with cool whip. This restaurant is an overall disappointment, one of the poorest quality restaurants in the area. Eat here if every other restaurant in Ajijic is closed. The Hosteria del Arte should be your last resort.
