10 Best Restaurants in Cancún, Mexico

Begin the evening at The Club Grill with a special cocktail at the champagne bar before ordering from a continental menu that includes starters like beef tartar and mains like roasted duck with tequila and agave honey sauce; a multicourse tasting menu, paired with boutique Mexican wines, is available, too. For dessert, try one of the signature soufflés—chocolate, coconut cream, or Grand Marnier. Enjoy live jazz music nightly.

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.

Arched bay windows, checkered marble floors, live jazz, and exquisite garden views create a stunning backdrop to your dining experience here. The menu changes every four months but always consists of fine French-Mediterranean cuisine served beneath silver domes by tuxedoed waiters. The 14 chestnut tables surround a sunken gazebo where orchids bloom. Doubling as a gallery, Le Basilic displays paintings by local artist Leon Alva, and classical ballet dancers perform nightly. As a keepsake, you’ll be presented with a box of French truffles and refined recipe cards recapping the bill of fare. Note that the dress code is resort elegant, reservations are recommended, and children are not allowed. Since this restaurant is rather intimate, expect quality service, meaning that you might feel uncomfortable being watched by the attentive waiters.

Although it has only six tables, Peter's has an impressive menu that gives international dishes a Mexican twist—think foie gras with apple and yam bean salad or smoked salmon with potato-chipotle mash. Portions are generous, flavors are outstanding, and prices aren’t too bad. For something lighter, try the Claudia salad, a mix of field greens with raspberry vinaigrette. The key lime pie with tequila sorbet provides a refreshing finish, but, for a local's secret, request the off-the-menu chocolate brownie and ice cream drizzled with habañero honey. Everyone seems to know each other here—Peter’s is popular with expats. You’ll feel welcome, too.

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. 

Mirrored columns, leather chairs, and orchid floral accents enhance this stylish dining room in the Paradisus Cancún, an offering from acclaimed Spanish chef Martin Berasategui. The adults-only culinary experience includes a seven-course tasting menu and wines from around the world, chosen by sommelier Carlos Duarte. Although the tasting menu changes regularly, it might contain dishes like fennel pearls in emulsified risotto, warm foie gras with potatoes, and suckling pig with papaya and citrus puree; à la carte options such as beef tenderloin with Swiss chard and Camembert bonbons or grilled white tuna with mango and capers are also available. Save room for the requisite finishing touch: delectable petit fours. Note that if you stay at Paradisus Cancún, this restaurant is not part of the all-inclusive rate.