25 Best Restaurants in Cancún, Mexico

It might look like a hole-in-the-wall, but this small Japanese restaurant has some of Cancún's best sushi. Expect sashimi, nigiri, and every type of roll imaginable; house specialties include the Copán roll (deep-fried shrimp wrapped in cucumber) and the Cancún roll (stuffed with eel and scallops). There is a sushi bar on the ground floor and an intimate dining area with a few tables upstairs. Granted, you may not hear crashing waves, but you'll have an authentic Japanese experience for a fraction of what you might pay down the road. Note that the sushi menu is in Spanish and Japanese, but not English.

The grande dame of Cancún restaurants delivers on the promise of its name, with candlelit tables and discreet waiters who will make you feel as if you've been transported to Italy. The fare includes homemade pizzas and pastas such as Bolognese-style lasagna; veal scaloppine and calamari steak in shrimp and lobster sauce are other options. The wine list is excellent, and the dessert truffle is a must for chocolate lovers. Be patient when waiting for your order, though, as good food takes time to prepare.

Yucatecan cuisine reaches new and exotic heights at this Mayan-themed restaurant, with fabulous dishes prepared by chef Elviro Pol. The papadzules (tortillas stuffed with eggs and covered with pumpkin-seed sauce) are a delicious starter; for an entrée, try the poc chuc (tender pork loin in a sour orange sauce) or longaniza de Valladolid (traditional sausage from the city of Valladolid). The Yucatán Tour sampler platter will give you a little taste of everything. Finish off your meal with some maja blanco (white pudding), and xtabentún-infused Mayan coffee.

Modeled after the dock warehouses that have been converted into modern eateries in Argentina's Puerto Madero, this steak-and-seafood restaurant gets rave reviews from locals. The grilled octopus seasoned with paprika is exceptional, as are the thin tuna rolls filled with Alaskan crab meat and Maine lobster. The sushi menu lists swanky appetizers. If the restaurant is too loud inside, ask for a table outside on the patio overlooking the lagoon. Reservations are recommended on weekends.

This sophisticated Mediterranean restaurant enjoys an enviable location at the heart of the Zona Hotelera and with breathtaking views of the Nichupté Lagoon. Start with the Alaskan king crabs marinated in lime or the Omega mussels with white wine and Sicilian lemon; continue with wood-fired Mediterranean shrimp or a New Zealand rack of lamb. For dessert, the Valrhona chocolate soufflé is handmade specially for you at the moment you order it. 

The secret to this restaurant's success is its creative handling of Italian and Swiss cuisine, which explains why both carpaccio de pulpo (thin slices of fresh octopus) and lettuce taco with sautéed duck breast appear on the menu. Appetizers are tempting, too—there's puff bread from a wood-burning oven plus a salad and antipasto bar. For something with more local flavor, try the black ravioli stuffed with lobster or Casa Rolandi's specialty linguine alle vongole (linguini with clams, garlic, white wine sauce, and parsley). Entrées are served under silver domes. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list.

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.

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.

Every detail here evokes the streets of Buenos Aires, right down to the cobblestone floors, the dramatic tango music, and the walls adorned with antique bandoneons (concertinas). Although the star offering is steak, the broad menu also features starters like smoked marlin and charcoal-grilled provolone cheese and mains that include pasta, fish, and chicken dishes. The sizzling rib eye is extremely tender (though health-conscious diners should request a leaner cut), and if you have room, order the brandy-soaked cake roll with caramel filling for dessert.   With 160 seats, this place can be a bit chaotic; reservations are recommended Thursday through Saturday.

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.

This Argentinean steak house is rustic yet elegant, with dark wooden tables and arched brick ceilings. Not surprisingly, steak is the most popular main. although the local fish and lamb skewers grilled over a brick fire are other good choices. The house cocktail, clericot, made from red wine, sparkling cider, and fresh fruit, is prepared at your table. For starters, try traditional empanadas. Be sure to leave room for alfajor, a crisp pastry layered with caramel and pecans. The tango music coupled with views of Coral Negro Market give this restaurant international flair (and help you forget you're inside a mall). With room for 350 people, the dining room tends to get rather loud at night. There's no outdoor seating.

Brick-oven pizza and excellent pasta dishes, handmade in full view, have made this fine Italian restaurant a Cancún favorite. Best bets include the melt-in-your-mouth-tender beef or octopus carpaccio appetizers and such stellar pasta dishes as the "green hats"—little pieces of handmade pasta filled with ricotta cheese, butter, and fresh sage. Cenacolo also has a small wine cave with a romantic table for two (reserve this section in advance). Although it's inside a mall, the restaurant's main dining room is elegant, with stained-glass panels on the ceiling and live piano music.

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.

This aptly named eatery is a welcome respite from El Centro's busy streets. House specials include grilled seafood with rice, fish fillet with coconut cream, and smaller dishes like ceviche or aguachiles (spicy lime shrimp). Many of the dishes can be prepared with your choice of mango, tamarind, or guava salsa. A small wooden bridge leads into a palapa (thatched roof), which is colorfully decorated with turquoise chairs, mosaic flooring, seashell lamps, and a bamboo bar. Relax to the sounds of a cascading waterfall, skirted by palm trees and tropical plants. Note that menus are in Spanish, and the staff doesn't speak much English.

High-profile locals and visitors alike are drawn to this contemporary steak house’s Vegas–meets–Beverly Hills style. The spectacular menu features glazed duck, Maine lobster, and Kobe beef served with aged Vermont cheddar cheese. When you get past the glass meat cooler in the lobby, you’ll encounter the dimly lit interior dominated by white stone, with cedar beams adding a touch of warmth. (All that stone creates echoes; ask about patio seating.) The concept here is impressive—steaks are aged in-house for 21–28 days, then grilled and broiled to perfection. Save room for dessert. Waiters deliver a tower of cotton candy with the check. (Try not to faint when you see the total.)

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.

Don't be put off by the shopping mall location or shared entrance with the Macao casino, because this modern Japanese restaurant serves truly fresh sashimi and sushi with unique toppings such as miso foie grass, black truffles, or lemon caviar. The excellently trained servers guide you through the extensive menu and offer cocktail suggestions to complement the myriad of main courses and roll choices—from uramaki to futomaki. Make a reservation for the speakeasy, Shinkai, which is hidden behind the sushi bar and only open on Friday and Saturday nights.

This much-loved restaurant, "The Bean," has an elegant yet cozy indoor dining room plus an outdoor area full of Mayan sculptures and local flora. Although the menu includes chicken, pasta, and grilled kabobs, this is a good place to satisfy your seafood cravings with Caribbean lobster tail or giant shrimp prepared 10 different ways. Finish off your meal with xtabentún, a Mayan liqueur distilled with honey and anise. 

With its flamboyant live mariachi music and energetic waiters, this place is a Cancún classic. The menu isn't fancy, but it offers good, basic Mexican food—including sizzling fajitas, thick burritos, and 30 different taco dishes. Two reliably tasty choices are the mixed grill (with chicken, beef, and shrimp) and the Tampiqueña-style steak. Combining entertainment and cuisine, waiters flame broil lobster, salmon, shrimp, and filet mignon directly at your table. There’s also a wide selection of tequilas to accompany your meal. In the hotel zone, visit its La Isla Shopping Mall location.

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.

Flowers and artwork lend warmth to this sophisticated Italian restaurant, where the cuisine includes linguine with lobster, angel-hair pasta with seafood, specialty lasagnas, plus assorted meat and fish dishes. The waiters are laid-back and seem to know everyone who walks in the door. (Most patrons are locals who've been dining here for more than 20 years.) On any given night, many of chef Paolo Ceravolo's offerings are colorful and innovative specials that do not appear on the menu. If you're coming for lunch, plan on a late one—Locanda Paolo opens at 2 pm daily.

This Cancún landmark since almost the beginning draws crowds with its scrumptious wood-fired pizzas. The most popular, Pizza Del Padrone, is topped with tomatoes, prosciutto, arugula, and mascarpone cheese. The calzones are smothered with olive oil and packed with fresh ingredients like asparagus, mushrooms, and ham. You can’t go wrong with the homemade pasta dishes like the veal-stuffed ravioli or linguine with clams and white wine, either.

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.

The oldest Japanese restaurant in Cancún serves the best sushi and sashimi in El Centro with a menu of traditional Japanese dishes like chicken teriyaki and tempura for those who prefer their food cooked. Large groups can order combination platters of sushi, sashimi, kushikatsu, and gyoza. The dining room is tranquil, with Japanese art and bamboo accents, but you can also call to have food delivered to your hotel room.