7 Best Restaurants in Cancún, Mexico

Start the day at this open-air restaurant with a signature omelet and a bebida inteligente ("intelligent drink"), which combines fruit juice with ginseng. Sandwiches, soy burgers, and stuffed pitas are prepared with fresh-baked breads. Crave meat? Try the grilled chicken done fajita-style. Mexican and Italian specialties are also available. The neighboring 100% Integral shop sells whole-wheat breads and other goodies.

This adorable downtown café with an outdoor garden is a local favorite for breakfast. It serves an extensive selection of coffees alongside yummy pancakes, crepes, bagels, waffles, and paninis. Sweet tooths will love the frappés and homemade desserts.

The clientele is lively, and the seafood is fresh at this open-air eatery in the bustling Mercado Veintiocho. The kitchen serves crab (stuffed, steamed, or fried) and whole fried fish that's crispy outside and moist inside. If you've had a wild night, try the vuelva a la vida, or "return to life" (conch, oysters, shrimp, octopus, calamari, and fish with a hot tomato sauce). The ceviche and spicy shrimp soup are also good, though the quality can be inconsistent.

One of the few vegan restaurants in Cancún is popular with locals thanks to its wide variety of juices, smoothies, and fruit bowls. Its menu also features excellent vegan versions of traditional Mexican breakfasts such as enchiladas, chilaquiles, and burritos. For lunch, you can enjoy a portobello burger or a No Meat Lover's pizza.

This cheery café and bakery has comfortable equipales (rustic Mexican chairs) to plop into as you sample terrific soups, salads, and fish dishes. The eggs Benedict and crepes keep the locals coming back in the morning and the turkey breast crepes make a perfect lunch. If you have a sweet tooth, a variety of delectable desserts is baked on-site. Somewhat difficult to find, this downtown gem is on bustling Avenida Cobá near Walmart.

A truly local joint that seems out of place in the Zona Hotelera draws crowds in the morning for its smoothie bowls and later on for its tacos and burritos. Forget your own private booth at this 24-hour place—you’ll eat at long tables and really get to know your fellow diners. This hangout sits a short distance from Cancún’s party central, but it’s a world away in style. Partiers converge here for a quick after-hours bite.

The inexpensive croissants and freshly brewed coffee make a delicious breakfast combo at this place tucked behind the Soriana grocery store on Avenida Tulum. At lunchtime, stop in for a huge sandwich stuffed with all the deli classics, but be prepared to wait awhile since lines are long. You’ll also find a few vegetarian items on the menu. The "Ty-Coz Express" signs you see around town are mini-branches of this restaurant, usually connected to local gas stations or convenience stores.