6 Best Restaurants in Cozumel, Mexico

You'll have to work hard to find El Moro, but your perseverance will be rewarded with one of the better meals—consisting of a wide range of seafood and beef dishes—in Cozumel. After dinner, try a taste of xtabentun, a traditional Yucatecan liqueur made of fermented honey and anise seeds. This family-owned, open-air restaurant has been feeding hungry locals and tourists for years. Brothers Ray, Efren, and Heiser strive to make you feel welcome, so the service is excellent—and the portions are large.

Chef Yvonne Villiger works wonders with fresh fish—if the wahoo with capers and black olives is on the menu, don't miss it. But Guido's is best known for pizzas that are baked in a wood-fired oven and served by an incredibly attentive staff. Enjoy a pitcher of delicious sangria in the pleasant, roomy courtyard.

Marimbas play beside a bubbling fountain in the charming courtyard behind one of Cozumel's best folk-art shops. The English menu is geared toward tourists and priced in pesos, but regional ingredients like smoky chipotle chile make even the standard steak stand out for a true Mexican-inspired meal. Other stars include the cilantro cream soup and shrimp flambéed with tequila. Although Pancho's can be busy, the waitstaff are patient and helpful. Cruise-ship passengers seeking a taste of Mexico pack the place at lunch; dinner is a bit more serene.

This restaurant in a little yellow house near the plaza has been satisfying cravings for Yucatecan favorites like cochinita pibil (spiced pork baked in banana leaves) since 1945. Locals tend to stop in between 8:30 and 1 for cheap breakfast and lunch menus that highlight tacos and empanadas, and the tortas (sandwiches) are also a real bargain. In the evening, Casa Denis is a place to see and be seen—if you're seeking more privacy, opt for a seat in the quiet garden courtyard to the rear.

Thanks to a hot-pink-and-turquoise exterior, you can't miss this restaurant, which features a palapa-covered bar that opens onto a dimly lit garden dining area. Kondesa puts a modern spin on classic dishes, and the menu emphasizes fresh fish, with favorites like the Kondesa kake (an interpretation of crab cakes made with lionfish) and seafood-filled enchiladas. A full cocktail list complements any meal, so if you can't make it for dinner, stop in for a drink. DJ's spin music on certain nights.

Locals and expats gather here for breakfasts of migas (scrambled eggs with bits of bacon and tortilla) and the daily lunchtime comida corrida (a set-priced meal with a choice of appetizers and entrées), which is a great deal. Favorite dishes include pollo con mole poblano (chicken in a smooth, earthy chile sauce), chile relleno de camarón (chile stuffed with shrimp), and pork with pumpkin-seed sauce. Taste the yellow salsa with your complimentary chips, and you will be buying a bottle of it to take home. You can sample an array of agua frescas in flavors like hibiscus, but remember to leave room for the chilled avocado pie.