I came here two days before Christmas and they were extremely crowded. The wait was quite annoying. This review is for the food though. The meal starts with bread and butter. The bread was fairly mediocre buns. They were served warmed, but had a fairly generic premade type taste to them. I ordered the Scampi. As many have said here already, the portion is massive. Just this one entree could heartily serve three people. I rarely can't finish a meal and I had to leave a lot on the plate. The scampi is a basic Fettuccine with red sauce and medium shrimp without tail. There were also large bits of still crunchy onions. This seemed odd. The shrimp was well executed albeit not large. The Fettuccine was clearly dried. There were some occasional lumps in the pasta, a massive blunder. The sauce was a generic tomato and oil. The whole dish was boring. The pasta was store bought. The most enjoyable part was eating the mound of cheese they top the dish with. This is a good spot to come with a group for cheap pastas. They aren't amazing handmade pastas, but they aren't terrible from what I could tell. read more

Chstr - Shrimp Scampi - Italian Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

Chstr (Cheester) is definitely one of those "know what you're getting" places. Their defining characteristic is that portions for everything are huge. (Ok, well, maybe the pizzas are normal-sized.) But this is a place where you order maybe one pasta dish for three people. I don't think we saw anyone leave their table without a box of leftovers. (This also explains the prices, which look high by Playa standards, particularly considering you're essentially sitting in a rustic courtyard at tables with plastic tablecloths.) You can probably tell by my tone so far that we weren't thrilled with our dinner. The food wasn't bad, it just wasn't remarkable in any way. That said, had I spent the day snorkeling with a big group of friends or a family, and I was tired, sunburned, and famished, Cheester might have been exactly what I wanted. Two or three dishes shared around 5-6 people... simple, filling food, decent value for money. read more

This place is awesome... off the beating path and worth the effort! Friendly staff, family style and handmade to your liking! We even bought the T-shirts...This local spot is a winner!!! read more

Four stars 4 the sharing cool concept on a becoming greedy Playa. Expect 20 or more minutes of waiting time with numbers that constantly get closer to your table (there are a couple of benches inside tho). While waiting, don't waste precious time, decide on the blackboard what you are going to have before you get the table (we didn't know/remember there aren't menus). Once seated you'll have warm buns with herby butter and a really watch out habanero salsa. We ordered the caprese salad: spinach, tomatoes, basil pesto, fresh cheese... Loved it. The sea fud wok had slim slices of celery, carrots, leeks, mussels, clams, surimi, some shrimps, Thai curry kind of flavors and shredded coconut. Crunchy, sweet, and we took left overs to go. Cool gringos don't miss this spot, just be patient and remember, at least 10-15% gratitude. read more

Chstr - Caprese - Italian Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

See all

Get a bucket of spaghetti bolognese to go and thank me later! I suggest bringing your own large Tupperware. The server/manager was always super nice(I'm sorry I forgot your name). Huge portions. read more

So i been craving pasta while on my vacation i tried it at 2 other places off of 5th Ave it didn't do it for me left me wanting more and very overpriced and tiny portions so at the suggestion of my hotel clerk he suggested cheesters pasta not touristy at all mostly locals and a few adventurous travlers like myself first off its a no frills place nothing fancy just good delicious pasta..so after first studying there awsome colorful menu board i decided on spaghetti with .meat sauce luis my server told me the portion is for 2 people ive heard that before so i just brushed it aside and carried on with my order didnt think nothing of it until my food came WOW he wasn't kidding omg the portion was HUGE and veryy very delicious. enough for 2 people for sure im a big guy and Italian so i can eat a lot of pasta i left so full i didnt eat the rest of the day and i rearly can say that and my server was luis a very smart young attractive guy very outgoing and friendly and very attentive to anything i need this place was great they even have a little crate on the table for your cell phones and bring your check out in a scooper oh and the pastas are served in a pan cool touch trust me you want good pasta and BIG portions is the place read more

See all

If your looking for great food with great portion and great prices Chstr is the spot! Everything was amazing!!!! Thanks for the great service! Oh yea very clean! read more

Chstr - Chestr was delicious and very worth it! - Italian Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

Amazing food and service, priced reasonably well. From arrival we were greeted and invited to seat ourselves, shown the big menu (displayed only at the entrance), and explained what to expect. Their servings are plentiful, for up to two or three people. The wait was a bit long, about 15-20 minutes, but well worth it, not only for how delicious it was, but also knowing our food was being prepared fresh when ordered. Didn't try their drink menu, but it's also extensive and a lot of their drinks sounded rather delicious. We ordered one meal to share, had two servings each, and still took some home. Also had dessert, warm brownie a la mode, also bountiful and delicious. Great ambiance and decor. read more

Wonderful atmosphere, excellent food. Best pasta dishes I've possibly ever had. Everything has amazing flavor.

This is one of the oddest places I have ever patronized. A small, bustling spot off the main drag, you approach a large chalkboard with dozens of options. While the focus is pasta and Italian food, you can grab excellently prepared Asian chicken salad (a wonderfully executed salad with noodles, cashews, chicken and a delicious, subtle peanut sauce dressing). I indulged with a pasta dish with cilantro pesto, chicken and cheese. Cilantro pesto sauce was delightful and just the right amount of substance and subtlety. There are so many cool things on the menu, but ive been told all of them work. I will be trying more. The space itself is casual and the proprietor encourages talk and human interaction with strangely serious signs telling people to lock up their cell phones. An additional chalkboard with rules that include things like the chef is always right and no substitutions are also prominently displayed. The place has good, well thought out, interesting dishes at a great price. Done deal. read more

This place rocks! Great food with large portions. It's off the beaten path but worth seeking out and not really a long walk (if you know where you're going!). Find it, you will love it. Unique, wall menu greets you as you are lead to your table. Outdoors-dining is warm, but well shaded with plenty of fans to assist air-movement. The "floor" of the restaurant is a combination of gravel, concrete and dirt; tables are wooden and "rocky", chairs are plastic...and yet, I gave it a 4-star rating. It's the food silly! Be sure to order-down in selections, as the portions are HUGE and will serve about 3-4 per dish. Since the prices are so cheap (yes, it's for locals, too!), you will probably order too much like we did. Not to worry, they will box it up for you para llevar! You will find it easy to catch a taxi when you're done, or make it back to 5th Avenue for shopping. read more

Huuuuge portions, amazing ambiance, and very good prices. Italian place that does primarily pasta variations and has some really good salads. There is only one menu and it is written on the wall at the entrance. Sit outside if you can, it's beautiful at night. They ask that you don't use your cellphone and talk to the people with whom you eat, which I thought was great - helped us all to unplug for a bit. Portions are generally for 2 people so come hungry and don't get over zealous. We had the al capon pasta dish, a spicy cheese ravioli, and a great chopped salad. Wait staff was very friendly and manager was extremely helpful in answering all of our questions/translations. Authentic, fresh, tasty! read more

This place was delicious! Portions are HUGE! One pasta is enough for 2-3 people. In American dollars, the price is like $10 for pasta which is incredible. The bread rolls they pass around as an appetizer were also warm, fresh, and the butter they use (some type of pesto butter) was fantastic. It's a cute place with a lot of character. I'd recommend checking it out. If you're a tourist, it's a great way to get a bit away from the madness of 5th avenue for a great, reasonably priced meal. read more

Delicious pasta & appetizers with wonderful, unique & flavorful smoothie drinks. I was amazed at the variety of smoothie combinations and wanted to try nearly every one! We started with the Rollito's BBQ which were like an egg roll w chicken & bbq sauce, it had a great flavor and crunch, it was very satisfying. Our drinks were AMAZING. Fresh ingredients combined with creativity led to a perfect match to our food. There were so many to choose from I look forward to coming back for more. The pasta that we had is a new item and not listed on the online menu so I don't recall it, but it was with trout I believe and a cream sauce, it was delicious. The rest of the menu looks delightful with a smorgasbord of options ranging from salads, deserts, specialty pasta items & more! Service was a little slow but it was busy...great open air location as well. read more

This is my favorite pasta restaurant. Perfect because they are friendly, inexpensive and away from 5th Ave traffic. The portions are so large I would consider one entree for 2 people. Often we walk there from Playacar but get a taxi home. They will call taxi for you. Try it! read more

Great delivery service and super huge portions, like family/party size. Super creative menu, one of a kind!

This place may be my favorite thing period in all of Playa del Carmen. In culinary school the French chefs would scoff at fusion food as being nothing more than "con-fusion", and, unfortunately, that is usually the case. Enter Cheester. The dishes here are cooked in a traditional Italian manner (no overcooked pasta) and then Mexican ingredients are added in a rather subtle way. The portions are unnecessarily oversized but whatever, it's excellent food. Favorite items - the red coffee :-) Don't hesitate to give this place a try. read more

No Pizza here, but a bountiful amount pastas and smoothies. We got a cheese dip that was enough for a football game. We got two spaghetti dishes, that came out in a pan. There was enough pasta to feed 5 or 6! Get your carb fix here that isn't Mexican, if you're looking for a little bit of variety. This place is even better than Olive Garden, although breadsticks are nice. They even had a live band playing classic Spanish music. Amazeballsamic Vinegar! Five stars! read more

First off, I ordered delivery. My Spanish isn't so great and the person taking my order was EXTREMELY patient. They were funny and didn't rush me whatsoever. They even talked me into only getting one pasta dish when I originally ordered 2. Boy was he right! We get our food and there was enough pasta to feed an army lol. Seriously, one order of the chicken&shrimp Alfredo was enough for 2 people and we still had leftovers. The service was exceptional and the food was absolutely delicious. No complaints. read more

Nice staff, HUGE portions, pretty funky place. I came by myself as I was waiting for friends to come into town and ended up with a bunch of food to give them upon their arrival. Outdoor seating is nice but beware of mosquitos! read more

Been here numerous times..... great value, excellent selection, fantastic service......most times you will go home with a doggie bag due to such large portions! TRY TO CEASER SALAD!!!! read more

The place is a little bit weird as the menu is written on the wall. Unique pastas and shakes, but share a place as portions as impossible to finish for one person. read more

Good Italian for very reasonable prices. The portions are indeed large and the waiter warned us about that. The drink menu is extensive and the one I ordered was good (Ricky Martin). Pasta was good.... pizza ok. read more

Looks can be deceiving. The outside and interior do not look like you would get a good meal. Kind of cheesy looking. This place was recommended near the royal Caribbean where we stay. We were more than pleased with the waitstaff and the food. All of our party had pasta dishes. Most of the reviews on this place say the portions are large. They are not. They are huge. The quality was excellent and the price was reasonable. Highly recommend sharing entrees. read more

More expensive than Mexican restaurant here around but food was good. Kind of hipster place-wine from cup, paintings at wall