SeptTraveler

If you could pick one restaurant for an evening in Playa del Carmen, which one would it be? We'll be staying at the Shangri-La Caribe, which has a meal plan for dinner, but might venture out one night because we've heard great things about the restaurants in PDC.

TioGringo

Conde Nast raves about John Gray's Place, for what it's worth...

5th Ave. between Calle 12 & 14.

Have fun!
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

Diana

For atmosphere and food - Casa del Agua or Yaxche

For food - Babe's

For atmosphere - Alux (it's in a cave)

zootsi

For a fun evening, Ajua is quite something. The waiters are all a bunch of comedians - dancing with passers by, carrying beer bottles on their heads, singing, etc. The food is also quite good!

Diana

I did also have fun at Ajua and got to dance with our waiter.
Whew! He wore me out.
The food was good too.
I was afraid it was going to be really hokey, and it was, but in a fun way.

pepper131

I'm with Diana - Babe's. It's just awesome with great mojitos.

TioGringo

Just wanted to point out to the lurkers how many *GOOD* suggestions are popping up here....that should give y'all a clue as to why a lot of folks (me included) constantly recommend to *AVOID BOOKING ALL-INCLUSIVE* at places like Playa del Carmen --- there is just TOO big a selection of excellent restaurants with better food at lower costs than the often institutional buffet quality you get at AI resorts.

Same holds in spades for places like Puerto Vallarta. In Aruba, the quality of food rocks, but the prices *MIGHT* sometimes warrant trying to put a lid on the meal costs.

When it comes to AI..."just say NO"...you'll eat better, have more fun, and your wallet will thank you.

Have fun!
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

Little_Man

great point, Mark!

SeptTraveler

AI vs. non-AI really depends on what you want from a vacation. From what I've seen and heard, Shangri-La is worth it, even if you don't do dinner there every night. That said, it will be nice to hang in for a couple of nights (since we are on vacation). My husband and I are doing another couple of nights in Cozumel not in an AI and I've got a long list of the places we will try there. It will be a balance for us.

travelenthusiast

TTT

Elizabeth27

SeptTraveler - You are right to pick Shangri La Caribe for your Playa stay. I just got back a few weeks ago, and loved every minute there. The beach is perfect, the resort peaceful, and the service is very friendly.

We ate breakfast at the resort every day, and went into PDC every night for dinner. I didn't really consider Shangri La all inclusive - sort of semi-inclusive ,if you will, so did not hesitate blowing off dinner to try some of what PDC has to offer. Maybe give dinner a try one night at the resort, and see if you like it. I have heard many people say that breakfast is fabulous, but they don't like the dinner they provide. I guess maybe I should have tried it once, but I was so tempted by all the awesome restaurants on Fifth and slightly off of Fifth, that we never did.

My personal faves were Babe's, Karen's, Mandarina's, Don Diego, El Oasis, and Sur. Don't worry, even if you skip dinner every night at Shangri La, your money will be well spent with the beach, the view, and the people! Have fun..I am envious!

Ryberg

As you can see there are too many places to limit yourself to just one. We also recommend Yaxche, an easier choice because it's not only consistently so good and is always popping up on posts like these but also because, unlike the others mentioned, it focuses on Mayan/Yucatecan cuisine specifically. So you don't just get good food, service and atmosphere, you also get something you are not likely to get elsewhere. (Some places do have a bit of Yucatecan mixed into their main menu but it's not their focus, and other places do focus on Yucatecan food but more for locals and are not located in the tourist zone.)

But yes, Casa del Agua and John Gray's often show up on these lists. So does The Glass Bar (which I don't think anyone here has mentioned yet). Alux does have the interesting cave atmosphere to offer, and Ajua the campy sort of entertainment. I personally have been disappointed in Babe's but it's also often mentioned. A new one, Zocalo, has just opened across from Yaxche, as well, and is rumored to be quite good, though I haven't been there.

Again, too many places to just go into town for 1 night! You can't even hit all the places you should hit if you go into town every night for a week!

Steve