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$ | Fracc. La Toscana |
Basic Foodie is that cool bakery we all wish we had in our neighborhood, as its artisan bakery has no equal in town, and the rest of its menu caters to organic-minded, vegan, and gluten-free customers. A modern design and laidback atmosphere (plus a reliable Wi-Fi connection), mean the place has become a magnet for hipsters, digital nomads, and the like.
Avenida 25, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, 77710, Mexico
Known For
- Wide variety of handmade bread
- Vegetarian molletes (baguette w/beans Mexican style)
- Organic smoothies
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$$$ | |
This hidden jungle garden with hardwood tables and twinkling candlelight is hard to spot from the road, but once you're here, you won't want to leave. Start your meal with stuffed piquillo peppers or a relleno negro shrimp tostada, and don't miss the sweet-savory pork ribs with organic vanilla, sweet potato, and an apple-cinnamon topper. Vegetarians will appreciate dishes like the stuffed local Mayan pumpkin and beer lovers will enjoy the restaurant's craft beers, produced in-house.
Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila, Km 7.3, Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Known For
- Vegetarian options
- Duck carnitas
- Beers brewed in house
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$ | |
Céline's fresh-baked breads and pastries bring honor to France, especially exquisite desserts like the classic lemon tart and bold passion-fruit crème brûlée. Classic bistro fare—including quiche Lorraine and flavorful croque madames—make for a light lunch comme il faut. For a light, sweet breakfast or snack, don't miss the parfait with chia and red fruit coulis. Street-side tables on 5th Avenue are great for people-watching. Chez Céline stays open until 11 pm daily, and there's free Wi-Fi for patrons.
Av. 5 at Calle 34, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, 77710, Mexico
Known For
- French bistro-style croques
- Pastries and sweets to eat in or take away
- Quiche Lorraine
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$$$ | |
Using only the freshest ingredients—from local fruits and vegetables to seafood right off the pier—the chefs at this jungle-side restaurant work their magic in a comfortable, contemporary setting that feels more Manhattan than Mayan. Ask about the tender roasted duck breast with tequila, chipotle, and honey, or order an addictive, understated bowl of shrimp macaroni and cheese with notes of truffle. The fresh tuna tostada is also a treat. Daiquiris are served strong and fruity and portions are ample, so get ready to loosen your belt. The specials change weekly and the menu changes seasonally, so repeat guests are always in for a treat.
Av. Niños Heroes, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, 77580, Mexico
Known For
- Tuna tostadas
- Hamburgers and chicken wings for lunch
- Duck breast with honey, tequila, and chipotle sauce
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Mon
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$$$ | |
This Playa institution, in a funky jungle garden with fountains, palmettos, and a rambling koi pond, is a favorite breakfast spot. The well-prepared, authentic Mexican selections include multiple styles of chilaquiles, a tart mix of meat, sauce, and egg on a bed of tortillas that will have you skipping lunch. It's popular for lunch and dinner as well.
Calle 38, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, 77710, Mexico
Known For
- Chilaquiles, served spicy or mild
- Good coffee
- Enchiladas with mole
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$ | |
Overlooking the town square, La Sirena serves an eclectic mix of dishes ranging from mini sliders and grilled grouper to hearty plates of barbecue pulled pork with shoestring fries. If you like Mediterranean food, opt for Greek specialties prepared by chef Anthony Chalas, who credits his skills to his years spent in Greece. The dip sampler—with homemade hummus and tzatziki—is simple and delicious, as is the Greek salad topped with a block of feta and kalamata olives. The keftedes (Greek meatballs) are outstanding. You can taste the quality here, reflecting Anthony's effort to buy only organic and fresh ingredients. There's live music nightly in high season.
Jose Maria Morelos, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, 77580, Mexico
Known For
- Greek salad
- Greek meatballs
- The dip sampler with homemade hummus and tzatziki
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun
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$$$$ | Zona Hotelera |
The mystical jungle atmosphere of this sophisticated restaurant is only beaten by its exquisite blend of Mexican and Mayan traditional cuisines. Dine to the tune of indigenous drums and the tenuous shapes formed by candlelight, while enjoying delicious cocktails prepared with local and organic ingredients. Try the octopus in black recado or the duck in black mole and, either way, you'll thank me later.
Carretera Tulum Boca Paila Km 8.7, Tulum, Quintana Roo, 77780, Mexico
Known For
- Mexican-Mayan fusion cuisine
- Romantic jungle setting
- Eco-conscious restaurant
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed
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$$$ | |
This jungle-chic restaurant serves up creative fine-dining fare unlike anything else you'll find in the region. Standout dishes include deconstructed sushi (where the rice comes in foam form and the soy sauce is a cream), burning grouper with Thai veggies (lightly smoked right at your table), and a rich pork belly dish in a tangy Asian-inspired sauce. It's difficult with dishes this good, but leave room for dessert. The chocolate cream, served with rum, dulce de leche, and peanut foam, is the perfect, decadent end to a perfect, decadent meal. This creative fare is served in a romantic jungle setting, with distressed wood floors, exposed stone walls, and ceiling lights that mimic birds' nests. In the background, Eastern music and the sound of water falling complete the ambience. Even the most discriminating foodies won't be disappointed by this hidden gem tucked away on the beach road just before the Sian Ka'an nature reserve.
Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila, Km 10, Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Known For
- Decadent desserts
- Inventive flavor combinations
- Molecular gastronomy
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$ | |
Enjoy fresh seafood on the shaded patio of this family-owned restaurant in the heart of town. Try fish prepared al ajo (in a garlicky butter sauce), breaded, grilled, or tikin–xic style (marinated with adobo de achiote and sour oranges). Pelicanos also offers a variety of four-hour excursions that include fishing, snorkeling, then cooking the daily catch at the restaurant.
Av. Rafael Melgar at Av. Tulum, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, 77580, Mexico
Known For
- Fish al ajo (in garlicky butter sauce)
- Catch and cook (and eat) options
- Massive margaritas
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$$$ | |
The name says it all at this New York–inspired restaurant where entrées are grilled on wooden planks or Himalayan salt blocks. The smoky flavors of cedar, maple, hickory, and oak come through in signature dishes like grilled salmon or beef Wellington encased in braided dough. Sides of mashed potatoes and portobello mushrooms are served in mini cast-iron skillets, and flatbreads are topped with goat cheese, figs, and arugula leaves. Cocktails such as the Musty Mojito add smolder to your meal. This is the place to celebrate birthdays, as the entire staff will burst out in song with cake and sparklers.
Calle 16, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, 77710, Mexico
Known For
- Entrées grilled on wooden planks
- Beef Wellington in braided dough
- Grilled salmon
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$ | |
Enter through the massive gate and wind your way up a garden pathway through the main dining area and into the back garden where intimate four- or five-table palapas are surrounded by jungle and hung with bright white hammocks and twinkling lights. Many ingredients, as well as medicinal plants, are grown on property and the owners would be happy to cut you a piece of fresh aloe for your sunburn or brew you up some anti-food-poisoning tea. Frozen margaritas are a treat and portion sizes are ample, but the food isn't the point here. It's the jungle ambience, the healing garden, and the friendly owners that make this place special. If you're looking for an intimate tour of local ruins or cenotes, the owners also own a tour company and would be happy to book something for you on-site. A kids' play area behind one of the palapas will appeal to families, and the remote jungle location will appeal to nature lovers.
Carretera 307, Km 241, Tulum, Quintana Roo, 77780, Mexico
Known For
- Intimate jungle garden seating
- Mayan dishes
- Organic chicken and pork
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$$$ | |
There’s more to Agave Azul than those sweeping lagoon and mangrove views. The glass-walled restaurant at the elegant Rosewood Mayakoba is hands down the best place to go for fresh sushi and premium tequila. Housing more than 120 labels of the latter (and 40 of mezcal), it hosts weekly tequila and sushi pairings. In addition to ceviche, sashimi, and maki rolls, the dinner menu here includes Asian-inspired entrées like chicken yakitori, yellow curry, and pad Thai. The coconut flan with strawberry tapioca pearls is the perfect accompaniment to more tequila. Kick off your night by sampling dangerously smooth cocktails infused with fresh cucumber, watermelon, and jalapeños.
Carretera 307, Km 298, Mayakoba, Quintana Roo, 77710, Mexico
Known For
- More than 100 varieties of tequila
- Fresh fish
- Romatic setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$ | |
The smoky aromas of a South American parillada waft down the street from this Uruguayan barbecue joint. The heaping portions of short ribs, flank steak, and chorizo have developed a cult following up and down the Riviera, and locals swear by the empanadas. Tables are set in a simple stone-walled room and just outside on the street.
Av. Javier Rojo Gomez, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, 77580, Mexico
Known For
- Good steaks
- Creative empanadas
- Friendly staff
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No breakfast
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$$$ | |
Playa's most dramatically sited restaurant sits atop a small cenote in a vast jungly garden full of strangler vines and Mayan ruins—right in the middle of Avenida 5. Designed in accordance with Maya building practices, it's a feast for the eyes, with living "green walls" covered with plants, a bar built on a stone wall, and a park in back that makes for a romantic setting at night (bring bug spray). The menu, full of dressed-up Playa standards—fresh fish, pork shank, guacamole—isn't as memorable (though the jicama tacos are worth a try), but it's a worthwhile meal nonetheless.
Av. 5 between Calles 14 and 16, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, 77710, Mexico
Known For
- Exotic jungle setting
- Bottled water filtered from the cenote
- Jicama tacos
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$$$$ | |
Although this restaurant is a 10-minute drive from downtown, its location in an underground cavern makes it extremely popular. A candlelit rock stairway leads to a setting that's part Carlsbad Caverns, part The Flintstones. Some of the "cavernous" rooms are for lounging, some for drinking, some for eating, some for dancing. Creative lighting casts the stalactites and stalagmites in pale shades of violet, blue, and pink. Although the setting is the highlight, the food—including the cenote duck, chile Mexico lindo, lobster, and steak—is also quite good. With a packed house, this place can get rather musty and humid.
Av. Juárez between Calles 65 and 70, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, 77710, Mexico
Known For
- A unique location inside a cave
- Chile Mexico lindo
- Cenote duck
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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$$$ | |
In the back of the Amansala Resort & Retreat, this shady beachfront restaurant is the place to be for sweeping ocean views and light, healthy lunches. Smoothies are served fruity and not overly sweet, guacamole is fresh and flavorful, and the salsa selection is excellent. Don't miss the amply portioned spicy-sweet Thai curry Buddha Bowl. And if you're craving some beach time after your meal, ask about Amansala's beach club, where MX$374 will get you a spot on one of their sun beds for the day.
Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila, Km 5.5, Tulum, Quintana Roo, 77766, Mexico
Known For
- Meals with a view
- Health-conscious cuisine
- Vegan and vegetarian options
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$$ | |
Photos and paintings of old Hollywood pinup models share decor space with a large stone Buddha at this Swedish-owned restaurant that serves up a surprising, tasty mix of Asian and European food. It's known for local, interesting fare cooked to order and made with only the freshest ingredients (including sauces handmade every day by the owners). If you're here for Asian cuisine, try the tom kha gai coconut soup, pad Thai with handmade noodles, or one of the popular curries, then wash it all down with a refreshing lemonade, blended with ice and mint. For something European, you can't go wrong with the Swedish meatballs (after all, the owners are Swedish). For an unusual but tasty take on egg rolls, try the goat cheese rolls dipped in passion-fruit sauce. Vegetarians will find about 80% of the menu can be made meat-free. And if you're looking for the biggest—and possibly best—daiquiris in town, you'll find them at the bar here, piled high and always made with real fruit. Low-season travelers take note: this restaurant usually closes in October.
Calle 10 between Avs. 5 and 10
Known For
- Thai curries
- Pad Thai
- Swedish meatballs with lingonberries imported from Sweden
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch in low season
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$$$ | |
The laid-back hub of Puerto Aventuras is a terrace café with a varied menu, including coconut shrimp and chicken with a chimichurri sauce made from red wine, garlic, onion, and fine herbs. If you and local fisherman get lucky, the nightly specials might include fresh-caught fish in garlic sauce. There's live music on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday in high season.
Centro Comercial Marina, Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, 77580, Mexico
Known For
- All you can eat BBQ ribs
- Fresh-caught fish in garlic sauce
- Live music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon
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$$$ | |
The cheapest restaurant along Tankah's beachfront serves up fresh, simple, satisfying Mexican food from 8 am to 9 pm every day. Grab a table at the waterfront and order up beef fajitas or fish tacos, topped with a healthy helping of fresh-made salsa and fresh-squeezed lime juice. Margaritas are popular (and strong) here, and on Sunday you can join locals for a popular barbecue on the beachfront. Bring your own meat or order from the restaurant.
Interior Fracc. Tankah, Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Known For
- Beef and chicken fajitas
- Fish tacos
- Powerful margaritas
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$$$ | |
For the best food you'll find along the beach road (and one of only a few options open for dinner after 10 pm), make your way to Eden Tulum. The creative Uruguayan chef is a seafood lover, so make sure to ask about the catch of the day. If you aren't passionate about seafood, don't worry—dishes like the Nest (a soft-boiled egg on a nest of eggplant), Chicken Mourceaux (boneless chicken wings served on a flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth corn mash), and Chocolate Decadence (with mocha-jalapeño ice cream) are showstoppers in their own right. The open-air dining room has luxurious bed and couch seating around the central pool, where kids and adults can enjoy a predinner dip. Couples will love the candlelit ambience and cocktail aficionados won't want to miss the pre-Hispanic liquors crafted into thoughtful drinks. In high season, Fridays feature live jazz shows and Saturdays are DJ nights.
Carretera Boca Paila, Km 8.7, Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Known For
- Fresh seafood
- Mayan-inspired cocktails
- Plates decorated with edible flowers
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
