Retire Early
Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler
In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age
of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this
financially independent lifestyle, they invite you
to take advantage of their wisdom and experience. |
|
Top Cafes
in Chapala, Mexico
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
Chapala,
Mexico is getting a cultural upgrade.
It used to be that
the only
cup of coffee one could purchase here was some hot water and instant
Nescafe. For those of us who enjoy a
rich, foamy
cappuccino, this was a disappointment.
However, these days
there are several cafes from which to choose, each with their own charms and
specialties. Take
a look below.

Ripe coffee berries
Coffee
is a brewed beverage prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee
plant. Coffee is grown in over 70 countries around the world, and did you
know that the unroasted green coffee bean is one of the most traded
agricultural commodities in the world?!
What you see here, are the red coffee
"cherries." This is
how the
coffee bean looks when it is growing on the tree. Mechanical harvesting
of these coffee cherries is impractical for several reasons, so the picking
is almost always done by hand. Al
Kafé
Avenida Francisco
Ignacio Madero 407
Chapala Centro, 45900 Chapala, Jalisco
Open 8am to 10pm Closed Tuesdays
Tele: 01 33 1869 6086

Indoor and outdoor seating at Al Kafe
Al Kafe has a great location in the
center of town, just up from the Cathedral, the
malecon and Lake Chapala. On any
Sunday one can sit here with their fresh brewed drink and watch the locals
dressed in their Church finery walk to Mass.
You can also get a glimpse of
the Lake.

From inside Al Kafe looking out
Clean, quaint and with a European feel,
Al Kafe has become popular very quickly. Our favorite places to sit are at
the window or outside. Directly across the street you can see the Old Nido
Grand Hotel, now the Government City Office Building.

Eggs Benedict/Florentine
Hey! It's Mexico!
We heard that Al Kafe offered Eggs
Benedict and Billy wanted to try them out. Since he's a French Chef by
trade, you can't pull one over on him. He'll know for sure if the sauce is
fresh, canned or a dried packet.
Billy gives this dish a thumbs up, even
though it's not 100% classical Eggs Benedict (since it also has the
spinach...) the muffin was freshly made, ham was good, sauce had flavor.
Al Kafe also sells omelets, smoothies,
chai and various coffee drinks.
***
El Árbol de Café
Hidalgo 236
Centro, 45900 Chapala, Jalisco
OPEN 8am to 2pm CLOSED Sunday
Tele: 01 376 765 3908

El Arbol de Cafe
This is one of the first real coffee
shops that opened up in
Chapala
some years ago. It is locally famous and has a loyal clientele. This is the
place where I most often purchase my freshly ground beans to take home for
our personal use.
This cafe has indoor and outdoor seating,
has the "best" cheesecake in town, offers really good breakfast choices and
is a great social hangout.

Lalo, the owner, roasts the coffee
beans here in the roaster
One can purchase regular coffee or
decaffeinated, whatever your choice might be. You can choose medium roast,
espresso, or French Roast.
Sometimes when you walk by Cafe de Arbol,
you can smell the beans roasting. Mmmmm!

The "best" cheesecake along with a
Chai Latte
What a great combination! The cheesecake
is super creamy, and with the raspberry sauce on top, it's pert-near
perfect!
As I mentioned, years ago we were luck
enough to get a "real" cup of coffee, and these days... we can now get Chai!
Chai tea or Chai lattes are available.
Isn't that fabulous?
Try some of their other pastries as well,
like their carrot cake or apple pie.
***
My Coffee Restaurant
Juárez 617-647
Chapala Centro
45900 Chapala, Jalisco
OPEN 9am-3pm, 5pm-8pm CLOSED Wednesday

My Coffee Restaurant
On Francisco I. Madero,
the main street in
Chapala just south of the bus station is this clean new coffee
shop. It currently has the best prices for coffee and Chai, a breakfast
menu, and a deli case full of yummies.
In the afternoons, they serve wine and
beer also. Nice!

A peek inside My Cafe
The menu is on the wall lists hot and
cold coffee and Chai selections. The breakfast menu is on the counter in the
corner of the photo, and a flat screen TV is hanging down from the ceiling.
It's a quieter location and Beto the server
is very attentive.

DEE-licious Cappuccino
We are getting spoiled with having so
many cafes that make quality coffee drinks. This is yet another A+
cappuccino.
***

Coffee Hour
Avenida Francisco Ignacio Madero 413
Chapala Centro, 45900 Chapala, Jalisco
OPEN daily 8:30am to 10:30pm
Tele:
01 376 765 5931

Inside Coffee Hour
Coffee Hour is very popular, as its
location is prime. Across from the fountain in
Chapala
Centro at the traffic light, it's a great place to people watch as you sip
your beverage.
Along with various coffee, tea and Chai
selections, Coffee Hour serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts. It is
open daily, which is another convenience.

Comfortable outdoor seats
Coffee Hour offers free access to WiFi. You can have your caffeine perk-me-up while
doing your email, catch up on some news, or read on your Kindle.
Seats are fairly close together, and soon
strangers become friends brought together by their love of the roasted bean
brew and people-watching.

The Lovely and Gracious Martha serves a latte
One of the most picturesque and active
corners in Chapala, Centro, sitting outside offers you non-stop activity of
the village.
The main fountain of Chapala is to the
left in this photo, and the traffic from Ajijic and other towns around the
lake comes into our town right at this light. You are directly on the sidewalk
here, so passers-by often will interact with customers of the Coffee Hour.
A very social place.
***
***
Café Paris
Chapala on Franco I. Madero on the way to
Guadalajara #423
Chapala Centro, 45900 Chapala, Jalisco
OPEN 8am to 10:30pm CLOSED Monday
Tele: 376. 765. 5353

Cafe Paris
Just a few steps from the Central Plaza
and the indoor farmer's market, Cafe Paris has been a mainstay in town for
many years.
This restored cafe has a history that
dates from the mid-1950s, and you can choose from breakfast, lunch or dinner
offerings.
The restaurant itself is open and airy,
and pictures of Paris line the walls.

Inside Paris Cafe

Here you see the classic photos of Paris,
with the Tour Eiffel and the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe.
The Paris Cafe offers coffee drinks and
also a full menu featuring hamburgers and fries, sandwiches and salads as
well as an interesting selection of dinner entrees.
The breakfast menu offers 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.

Antonio serves up a great cappuccino
Prices are a bit upscale, but during the
weekends this place is packed with tourists from Guadalajara.
One of the main attractions is
live music on Sunday mornings,
which spills out onto the sidewalk. This creates an unbeatable atmosphere
and draws people in to the cafe consistently.
Music can be a wide variety with violin,
saxophone, piano, guitar and bass, all of it delightful.
With all of these choices of cafes to
visit in Chapala, I guess you could say that this town is growing up. Grab a
friend and go get a cup of Joe! Have a meal or a pastry.
Get social!
We're sure to see you around in one of
these great cafes.

About the Authors



Retire
Early Lifestyle appeals to a different
kind of person – the person who prizes their
independence, values their
time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly
follow the crowd.
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