The small Mexican cafe that goes by the name of Erla's is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in Bandung . It is a quaint cozy joint in one of the side streets of the main road that leads up to Dago, and its clientele consists of expats who go to the nearby Bahasa Indonesia school, and locals who like to meet them and practice their English.

• The Vibe
  As mentioned earlier Erla's is a small place. The seating allows for no more then 25 or so guests, and often on weekend nights it's quite packed. The interior is simple but cozy, wooden tables, and chairs and a counter where you pay your bill, teasingly threatened by the sign that says: ‘In God we trust, all others pay cash'. A cat confidently strides around as if he owns the place, receiving strokes from the regular customers and fearfully observed by the goldfish in the elevated fish tank. The lighting and cozy decor gives Erla's a very European cafe feel, that you hardly find in any other place in Indonesia .

• The food
  The menu of Erla's offers a small selection of Mexican styled platters, at staggeringly low prices. Favorites are Cheese nachos (6000), Fajitas with either chicken, or tofu (10.000) and Veggie chilli (7000). The Huevos rancheros (5000) are fried eggs with a tasty tomato/bean sauce on top. An original yet surprisingly well working dish is the so called Pizza mie (7500) a pancake with noodles, spicy sausage and paprika. All dishes are pretty filling and even though simple, provide an altogether different taste experience at a low price.

   

  Drinks include fresh fruit juices at 4,000 and several self invented mocktails for around 10,000. Most popular however are the large bottles of cooled Bintang that go for just 15,000, and the slightly pricier but seldom found Carlsberg and Tiger beers.

• The service
  The cafe is run by Erla and her husband, a friendly couple and their two daughters, who do everything themselves, from the cooking to the serving and the checking. Regulars are greeted with enthusiasm and there's always time for a little chitchat. Erla is also a good source for information about the Dago area, and the owner is more than willing to help out.

SD's personal take on Erla's Mexican cafe
This place is a great meeting point to hang-out with a couple of friends, while enjoying well-prepared food in an almost European atmosphere for un- European low prices. Although it is nothing fancy, or up-market, Erla's is still a gem, because it is one of the few places where you will find such a mixed clientele of locals and expats. Because of the sheer size and coziness, inadvertently they will come into contact with one another, and end up toasting together.

Adress: Jl. Dago Pojok No. 3
Bandung telp. 022-2505352