Reviews

• • cacao
    May 6, 2013
    1 reviews

  • Dear customers

    Cacao informs: Due to renovations we are going to be closed for the next few weeks, thank you for your understanding and we hope to see you back when we open again.

• • CastrationU
    May 2, 2013
    1 reviews

  • guitar getting so boring now, try sth new !

• • DeadlyMiho
    April 15, 2013
    1 reviews

  • Dear site mods. I understand Cacao is your favourite place maybe. And here comes a newbie with a negative rating.... Naturally, you can't let this outraging be... I don't want any troubles either, so could you pls mark places which are untouchable with "only nice reviews accepted" signs? That would save lots of efforts for you and for the people. Cheers:)

• • abcdabcd
    April 15, 2013
    6 reviews
    5 stars: 1

  • Oh, so now you give it 3 stars? Why did you change from 0 to 3? And why do they call you "Deadly" anyway?

• • Moderator
    April 15, 2013
    6 reviews

  • The recent zero star review has been deleted, as have the 'replies' to it. Please refrain from rating any business you have not actually visited.

• • Ouyang
    March 20, 2013
    9 reviews
    0 stars: 1
    1 star: 3
    2 stars: 1
    3 stars: 2
    4 stars: 2
    5 stars: 1
  • Food was great. I had tacos, nachos, and desert. I would give 5 stars, but the service was a bit slow. Expect to spend at least 75 to 150 yuan per person.

• • Bad Boy
    March 13, 2013
    3 reviews
    4 stars: 2
    5 stars: 2
  • Ate there with a large group last week and have had several meals there before. Some days its hit and miss but overall the food is good and the outside deck is great. Though the price is high you have to take into account the rent and the huge jump in food costs from the last year. As for BillDan how can you rate a restaurant that you didn't even eat at your review should be removed!!! As an American I can say that you are an ignorant American, Tex-Mex is not Mexican food and Peters Tex -Mex in Chengdu definitely has worse food at comparable prices and far worse ambiance. Sorry that they aren't walking around in sombreros pouring tequila serving nachos with salsa to meet your high standards.

• • debaser
    March 11, 2013
    9 reviews
    1 star: 1
    2 stars: 1
    3 stars: 1
    4 stars: 3
    5 stars: 3
  • Kunming's best Mexican restaurant and a great place to entertain too. In fact, I can't think of many other places that could even compete with this level of class and quality! Prices are reasonable bearing in mind the price of ingredients and what you're getting. It is well decorated inside even if it's not 'authentic' Mexican enough for some. The outside patio is great for a few relaxing beers with friends (something i have tried and can thoroughly recommend). I've lost count of the times I've been to Cacao and I've never been disappointed. One star off because I would prefer a bit more spice!

• • BillDan
    March 10, 2013
    9 reviews
    0 stars: 5
    1 star: 1
    2 stars: 2
  • You can look at the goofy food in the pics and tell this place is overpriced and the food sucks. I lived in San Antonio Texas and Seattle and never saw Mexican food like this. I stopped in here a couple weeks back with an Australian friend and he ordered some food and I jsut got a coke after looking at the prices.

    He said the food was okay though eh admitted it was the first Mexican food he had ever had. I made him some homemade enchiladas with refried beans and nachos a week later and he swore off Cacaos and comes to my place now for Mexican food. And what is up with the tiramisu fetish in China. No mexican place I ever ate at had stupid tiramisu for dessert.

    And ambiance is secondary to food quality. The interior does not even look like a Mexican restaurant. I was in Chengdu and went to Pete's 9or Peter's) Tex-Mex restaurant there. While not really Tex-Mex it smelled like Mexican food in there, can't say the same of this place. Smelled boring and bland and expensive. My friend's meal set him back almost 100 RMB and I tried a couple bites of some sort of enchilada thing at his offering... only go if you know nothing about Mexican food.

• • ksmcqueen
    March 2, 2013
    3 reviews
    3 stars: 1
    5 stars: 2
  • I ate here a couple of weeks ago and was thoroughly impressed. The place is huge, for starters. The outside patio is lovely and beautifully designed, and is the best place for a party or event I've seen in Kunming. The food was delicious, authentic, and well-presented. Except the ceviche. That was a bit disappointing, since the main ingredient seemed to be canned tuna rather than shrimp, octopus, squid, etc. But the tacos, guacamole, queso fundito, and flan (and I'm sure we got something else too but I can't remember what it was) were are amazing. Well worth it, and the prices weren't as high as they're made out to be. Pretty reasonable really, for what you're getting. Looking forward to a return visit.

• • BBinKMG
    February 28, 2013
    1 reviews

  • I just went there on Thurs. night, supposedly taco night, but it was closed with no sign about why. I went at 7:20pm on Thurs. so I don't know what's up with it. Did the restaurant close? I've been gone a few months so I suppose that's possible.

• • bjtokm
    February 10, 2013
    6 reviews

  • taco night is a lie ....they charge 15 not 13 and no free tequila !! IMO only worth 3rmb..

    all came on one plate in a greasy pile!

    bummed because i really wanted to like this place ...but not up to Mexican street standard yet alone the high class vibe the present! I wrote a longer review but it got cancelled when i tried to add more comments

• • Natsymir
    September 30, 2012
    55 reviews
    0 stars: 1
    1 star: 3
    2 stars: 7
    3 stars: 16
    4 stars: 15
    5 stars: 10
  • The food is very good and the staff attentive to the point of being irritating (please let me eat in peace instead of standing at my table ready to fill my water glass every minute?), and the roof terrace is very nice. I don't know if it's intended to come off as a very fancy place, but it does look the part, and in an unusually positive way. In the end, though, this is way too expensive for me, and for what you get, and Beichen way too far away from anything.

• • filipd
    June 26, 2012
    5 reviews
    2 stars: 1
    4 stars: 1
    5 stars: 3
  • Had dinner there last Sunday evening. I love traditional Mexican food and was looking forward to trying out their menu. We ordered four dishes and the best of the bunch proved to be the Nachos. The rest of the food was OK...but when I think of Mexican food I think of spices and the food was lacking that heat I was after.

    Service was adequate...the waitress forgot our last dish and everyone (including the kitchen staff) didn't know which food was delivered to our table and what dish was missing. After a few minutes they recovered and brought our final order.

    To our surprise the restaurant was empty on a Sunday night...and for anyone who has been there knows it's a huge place. I wonder how it is on different nights, if the place attracts more clientele or not. I used to live on the East Coast of China in one of the major cities there and a restaurant like Cacao would have been packed every night of the week, but I guess this is Kunming and the love of true Mexican food has not taken off yet.

    Overall I would give the place 3 stars for food quality and service...so why did I give them four? Simply because we were given a free dessert because of the mistake they made which shows that they care about repeat business. So, for that, they get four stars.

• • Anele
    June 17, 2012
    1 reviews
    5 stars: 1
  • Maravillosa y agradable decoración, deliciosa comida y cocktails buenísimos.

    Cuidan al máximo los detalles, no puedo esperar a repetir...mi restaurante favorito en Kunming!
    Un autentico oasis...ENHORABUENA!!!
    H&D

• • Rita@
    June 13, 2012
    1 reviews

  • i miss the days in there. i worked there for part-time last year.There are nice foods,nice boss,nice colleagues...steph and camilla are very friendly, so are baozhen and jinlong.i miss them so much. There is harmonious atmasphere among staff. Josue is an excellent chef as well as Allen. i also like vicky who is an interpreter in Cacao and speaks Spanish very well. She is so good, and i envy her....i know it's getting better and better, that's what i hope.

• • Stephanie1098
    April 28, 2012
    1 reviews
    5 stars: 1
  • So now that I no longer bartend there, I think I am allowed to rate it.

    I absolutely love Cacao. In fact, even when I worked there 6 days a week, I'd go eat there on my day off!
    I lived in Km for about 4 years and I think the service at Cacao is better than that of any restaurant I've been to... and it gets better and better. The management works hard and is constantly looking for things to improve.
    I can't wait to get back to China in a year or two, go to Cacao and hear the waiters speaking in English, and who knows, maybe even a little Spanish.
    The chefs are the most obsessively detailed people I know, specially Josue. Everything has to be perfect.
    I highly recommend the tacos al pastor and chicken quesadillas, I ate them almost everyday, never disappointed, and to drink: margarita, mojito or a must try caipirinia...if you like red wine: Luis Felipe Merlot and the Norton Barrel Merlot are delicious!

    Stephanie

• • aiyaryarr
    March 19, 2012
    4 reviews
    0 stars: 1
    5 stars: 1
  • The food was as authentic as it gets compared to up-scale Mexican restaurants in New York City's Manhattan & parts of California. Though we only had a salad & one main course, the price was even less expensive compared to some lesser restaurants (Chinese or Western) in Kunming. The portions were not stingy as in other restaurants. The ambiance is unmatched in Kunming, particularly the rooftop terrace and the narrow 2-seater 2-table enclosed balcony. Though we ate in the remote enclosed rooftop balcony, we were not forgotten by the attentive staff. The owners were very gracious and show an obvious passion for running a classy restaurant with good food & service in every detail! The presentation in every respect is proof the restaurant is managed by professionals. What a treat!

• • Adrian
    March 18, 2012
    5 reviews
    2 stars: 1
    4 stars: 3
    5 stars: 1
  • Well deserved award to Cacao for 'Best New Restaurant' from the GoKunming Reader's Best of 2011. Great tasting, authentic Mexican cuisine. I can't help but crave their large nacho platter. Maybe the only place in town to get real jalapeños! If Cacao can alleviate minor problems with slower service and rare wrong orders, then it should contend for the "Best Fine Dining" award every year.

• • andrewjames
    October 27, 2011
    1 reviews
    3 stars: 1
  • Excellent food! Excellent atmosphere! However the food is over priced for the amount you get. I don't mind paying higher prices but I want to get a large sized portion if the prices are high. They either need to make the portions bigger or lower the prices. I believe they will also have to change some things such as add some not so authentic "Chinese-Mexican food" in order to make it more "Chinese friendly" if they hope to make money in Kunming.

• • MichelinStar
    October 12, 2011
    5 reviews
    1 star: 1
    2 stars: 1
    3 stars: 1
    5 stars: 2
  • I give 3 stars for the design of the restaurant. And for the waiters trying to be nice.
    But walking in a place like this I expect much more.

    The waiters did not know their menu and were not able to recommend anything.
    We had soup, salad, tacos and as a main course the bacon wrapped steak.
    Plated was everything very nice, but disappointed while eating.

    Soup was way too salty. Salad was bland and boring. Chicken tacos ok but could use more sour cream. Main course disappointed the most. 190 RMB for a poorly executed steak of questionable quality. Meat was having almost no flavor and tasted like very cheap mass produced Chinese meat. For RMB 190 I expect to get much better quality meat.
    The wine selection is small and low in quality.

    For tacos and a cold beer on the terrace a nice place but far away from the fine dining experience you might expect walking in the really nice designed restaurant.

• • clsdas
    October 9, 2011
    1 reviews
    5 stars: 1
  • Ah-MaY-zing!!! REALLy REALLY good! Atmosphere is like none to be found in Kunming. The food was authentic and worth every penny (or kuai!) The price was just right for such a wonderful oasis in the city. I will be going back at least once a month (we live far away). Excellent service - very attentive and "western" like. Good job with this place!!!!

• • Jean Luc Godard
    October 8, 2011
    3 reviews
    4 stars: 1
    5 stars: 2
  • Excellente atmosphère pour un restaurant "4 étoiles", au service impeccable, à l'atmosphère feutrée, mais sans affèterie, sympathique. Enfin de "vrais" cocktails, au prix modéré, préparés de manière professionnelle.

    A venir avec sa meilleure petite amie, pour un repas en amoureux à moins que vous ne préfériez inviter votre dame pour vos 20 ans de mariage. Prix des plats en rapport, c'est à dire élevé, mais pourquoi bouder son plaisir pour une vraie cuisine, si rare à KM ?
    Mais qu'est-ce que des mexicains sont venus faire dans cette galère ? Ils sont poursuivis par les maras ou quoi ? ..chut !
    [excellent, a bit luxury with nice atmosphere, ideal with your girlfriend for a loving meal - true cocktails huh !]

• • yeong
    October 1, 2011
    3 reviews
    1 star: 1
    5 stars: 1
  • went there last night with good mates together ( : price was a bit pricey but well worth for its nice atmosphere and good food, not to mention its fantastic customer service! (can hardly be found in China) probably, the best western food i've ever had in Kunming and will definately go back again. As other people mentioned, the overall taste was a bit mild to attract the local customers, but it was just perfect for me and my friends. give you 5 stars!

• • xiao shakira
    September 19, 2011
    1 reviews
    5 stars: 1
  • I went to the latin party which Cacao had on the 16th, and it was definitely one of the best parties I have ever been to... Their staff is very attentive, and the food is outstanding! Prices may be a bit high but definitely worth it, considering it's all imported...

    There was many (attractive.. sexy) single men which was also a plus :)

    They also have a very big place, outside and inside.. at other places it is always too crowded to dance, but they had just enough space.. cant wait for the next party!

• • LaoBenDan
    September 9, 2011
    2 reviews
    4 stars: 1
  • I like the food very much. You can tell, that the owners love to cook and the staff like the customers. It is good to have a place like this in Kunming.

    Why not 5 stars ?

    It's because it can be quite pricey to dine with friends or family. So I agree with 'Geogramatt' as me too, I would like to see - maybe only a few - less expensive choices on the menue.

• • eliz33
    September 9, 2011
    1 reviews
    5 stars: 1
  • I have never been to a mexican restaurant like cacao. In america, mexican restaurants are fast food like tacobell or taco stands. This restaurant superceeds all expectations, it is a five star restaurant with a beautiful terrace and attentive staff. The plates are thought through in presentation. I had a chance to speak with the manager and one of the cooks, and was informed that most of their products are imported from mexico like the avocato and the jalepenos. This is the perfect place to go to with Chinese friends and business or for a romantic dinner with your boyfriend or husband, specially on a jazz night *hint hint to mine.

• • tonschultz
    September 9, 2011
    1 reviews

  • HEY,

    I WENT TO CACAO AND HAD A GREAT TIME WITH FRIENDS. THE JAZZ MUSIC WAS VERY NICE.

• • Geogramatt
    September 9, 2011
    5 reviews
    3 stars: 1
    4 stars: 1
  • If I were rating the environment, it would get a 5. If I were rating the food it would get a 4. But I'm rating the whole thing combined, and my overall rating gets pulled down to 3 namely because of one thing: the price.
    I'd been warned y all the previous reviews that Cacao is expensive, but somehow I didn't expect it to be THIS expensive. It is REALLY expensive. I have never been to such an expensive restaurant in Kunming.

    What's really strange is that where I come from (California), Mexican food is one of the cheapest foods one can find. A foot long burrito for $5. Who knew that in Kunming 2 tiny tacos will run $10?

    Yes yes, I know, Cacao's environment is much nicer than a California Tacqueria. But is it really necessary? It seemed pretty overboard to me.

    And the location is really far away and inconvenient. I don't expect I will become a regular diner at Cacao anytime soon. Which is a shame because the food was pretty good.

    I wish they hadn't felt the need to go so upmarket, and had instead built a Tacqueria - simple environment, simple food, affordable prices. That's what Kunming needs, not a 5 start Mexican restaurant.

• • KuiXing
    September 4, 2011
    2 reviews

  • Went at 4pm to find out there was no food. Bummer. Had Thai food downstairs instead.

• • jeremy Elrick
    September 3, 2011
    1 reviews
    4 stars: 1
  • Great Location, Excellent staff. Will need to work my way through the menu but was slightly unimpressed with the fish and chicken which were fairly bland and subsequently overpriced.

• • everyday
    September 3, 2011
    4 reviews
    2 stars: 1
    4 stars: 2
    5 stars: 1
  • Dine there for few times tried different dishes, never let me down

• • nicolas
    September 2, 2011
    3 reviews
    5 stars: 3
  • Great food, nice atmosphere and a surprisingly efficient staff compared to Kunming standards. Not to mention the very nice roof top, which is also seldom in Kunming.

    Will come for lunch someday, to enjoy the sun with a nice cocktail.

    Thanks to Alan and the staff!

• • XIAO-TU-ZI
    August 22, 2011
    1 reviews
    5 stars: 1
  • had a lunch there, everything was amazing!

    - band was playing nice Jazz,like it :)
    - nice place and view, feel relaxed :)
    - food! unforgettable, a must try cuisine :)
    - chef, great service as in friend feeelings :)

    you gotta go !

• • isildur
    August 21, 2011
    2 reviews
    5 stars: 2
  • Went to Cacao for lunch today. We loved the decor—fantastic atmosphere—and the wait staff were nice. We liked meeting the owner's(?) or manager's(?) daughter, who went out of our way to make us feel at home.

    The food overall was excellent. Because it was our first time there, we went a little crazy with over-ordering; we wanted to try a little bit of everything. Unfortunately that meant we had a bit of sticker shock when the bill came, but we should have been paying attention. Anyway, highly recommend two of the soups we had—a coriander cream and the tortilla soup—and of the main courses, the enchiladas and the green mole chicken were just fantastic.

    It was a bit pricey; I would expect these prices in the U.S. for the food and atmosphere but not in China. That being said, we will absolutely go back again, maybe just not order quite as much. We are going to have to try the desserts next time—they looked beautiful in the menu.

    This restaurant is a great addition to Kunming, and I highly recommend it.

• • peter
    August 18, 2011
    2 reviews
    4 stars: 2
  • Visited the Restaurant last week and was pleasently surprised with the quality of food and surroundings.

    Especially the Beef tacos where excellent, however the portion size was slightly too large for two people consuming other courses as well. ( One should never complain if one receives too much :) ).

    Only one thing should improve and that is the quality of Margarithas, as we ordered forzen ones, but received quite lame shaken drinks without any trace of chillines.

    All in all, we will be back soon, Great Job!

• • Geezer
    August 10, 2011
    13 reviews
    0 stars: 1
    1 star: 2
    2 stars: 2
    4 stars: 2
    5 stars: 2
  • I learned to love Mexican food in East LA. I guess that is pretty much Tex-Mex. You will not get Tex-Mex at Cacao.

    The food is good and the place looks like a fine dining restaurant, which is to say very nice. I went there last week on a hot evening and it was nice to sit outside with a cool breeze.

    I had beef tacos and a beef burrito. Although pretty good it was not what I expected. For my taste there needs to be more flavor. Actually, I'd say it was pretty bland.

    The tacos were presented nicely but the tortillas were super thin and crumbly so the tacos had to be eaten with a fork. The burrito was good. I brought my own hot sauce so I made it better.

    I saw at least two guys that looked Mexican. Service was very good and friendly.

    I will go back and while no longer thinking Tex-Mex, I will try some of interesting looking stuff on the menu.

• • ChrisA
    August 5, 2011
    2 reviews
    5 stars: 2
  • Nicest Western Restaurant in Kunming. Excellent.

• • psycho
    July 28, 2011
    1 reviews
    4 stars: 1
  • Excellent atmosphere, comfortable seating. Staff friendly and attentive. The beef nachos were good with the jalepinos peppers. Quesadillas very good. BBQ ribs tasty. Pina colada good. I would have liked more cheese and sour cream on the nachos though. This doesn't seem to be TexMex. Would like to try some of the soups and salads. Also, the guacamole was not available the evening I went :(

    I would definitely go back again to try out more dishes.

• • beizhan
    July 20, 2011
    5 reviews
    4 stars: 1
    5 stars: 1
  • Had lunch at the Cacao Mexican Restaurant the other day. I was pleasantly surprised! Friendly service (the Chinese staff even speaks a bit English), nice, big terrace with outdoor seating. Good atmosphere. The only drawback is that the food was a bit "boring". From Mexican Food one would expect a bit more "fire" and spices. They would need to "spice up" in order to attract the local crowd. But over all it was a pleasant experience and a place to go back.