La Casa Zapote

I needed to head to Panajachel, but made time to come to this restaurant and it did not disappoint! The cheese board was INCREDIBLE and the wine was so smooth and delicious. The staff were very kind and even sent someone to carry my bags for me up and down the hidden path to the spot. I highly recommend this experience! I had a great time as a solo traveler but I think it would be even better for groups.

Didn't stay at the Hotel, but ate at the restaurant. Group of 5 of us on our trip around Guatemala decided to have an afternoon tasting cheese and drinking wine. The selection of cheese and meats were great and there was a bit for everyone. The servers were great and suggested some really good options! Really good experience, we very much enjoyed. Little bit tricky to find but they do get someone to come and meet you in the square.

Didn’t stay at the hotel, just ate at the restaurant and it was delicious! The staff were very kind and helpful. They met us in town and walked us up to the restaurant, which was great. The cheese board was incredible- so many different types of Guatemalan cheese. Lovely way to spend an afternoon! Staff also super responsive through WhatsApp.

This is a must-do when you come to the lake. It is not hard to get to, do not let this deter you. There is a clear path through the woods and everyone knows where it is. We've been here twice on our 2 trips to the lake. There is no other experience like it. Get the meat and cheese plate and enjoy a great selection of wines and tremendous service. Nicholas was great! We'll be back!

Was taken here for a birthday dinner and it was perfect! There was a small mix-up when we arrived as the staff had already gone home, but kindly one of the ladies in charge said we could still come in and she would serve us. The place itself was super romantic (more so as it was just me and my partner). The cheese and meat boards were delicious! Wine was delicious too. All affordably priced. As we left when it was dark, someone kindly also walked with us down to the main area with flashlights (super grateful for this as to get back there are lots of windy alleys)

Yes, the dogs barking are as bad for overnight guests as people say they are. I would not recommend this location for light sleepers or people uncomfortable sleeping with earplugs in. The acoustics of the dome are good for playing music however, so playing a soundtrack on your phone all night proved to be a successful sound mitigation strategy. The refrigerator in the apartment did not work at all. Alleged attempts to repair it were unsuccessful and food stowed there spoiled overnight. Water in the unit is cold whenever it is available. A “hot water shower” is completely false advertising in our experience. Water was regularly unavailable throughout the complex at night, and no advanced communication was provided on day-to-night water status. This resulted in a failed attempt of a shower where remaining water pressure was sufficient to shave one leg before running out. 😒 The lodging is artistically built & the grounds have lovely gardens. The site is also very secured & the door was always answered promptly. But be aware of scorpions 🦂 on the rough path to the location at night, we’ve seen three so far during our stay! Not sure if this is seasonal or a year-round occurrence. Also the restaurant is not open regular hours & seems to function on a per-request basis. We were told to order far ahead to make meal requests possible for staff to accommodate. Also, be aware that food is not available past 6pm. There are a lot of details here we’ve had to troubleshoot by trial & error. More orientation and presence of staff on site would have been helpful at times. It seems that maybe the pandemic cut down the service capacity of this location? At least the price is affordable compared to other options. We are at least not paying for the the things we aren’t getting. Experience has been good overall despite the mentioned inconveniences.

Definitely a difficult place to get to. But once you get there its a very comfortable environment. Not very big selection of wine but the meat platter was delicious and for a group of friends its actually pretty well priced. Really beautiful and relaxing place to drink some wine and unwind.

We had a wonderful dinner at La Casa Zapote. The ambiance was awesome, as was the walk from the dock to the restaurant. We had some dietary restrictions in our group and there were options for everyone. They have a great wine selection. We had an awesome experience. I highly recommend it.