22 Best Restaurants in Isla Mujeres, Mexico

This quietly sophisticated hotel restaurant has an open-air dining room connected to a deck overlooking the water. A northern Italian menu includes wonderful carpaccio di tonno alla Giorgio (thin slices of tuna with extra-virgin olive oil and lime juice), along with excellent pastas. Even the simplest dishes, such as angel-hair pasta in tomato sauce, are delicious. For something different, try the seafood risotto or costolette d'agnello al forno (lamb chops with a thyme infusion). The sunset views, of course, are spectacular. Tables are set with beautiful linens, china, and cutlery, making Casa Rolandi the most upscale and romantic restaurant on the island.

Inspired by “mom’s recipes,” chef Sergio makes freshness a top priority—nothing here is ever frozen. The Mexican-fusion menu features dishes like slightly sweet hibiscus-filled tacos, impressive tomato towers with mozzarella cheese, and shrimp with a four-chile sauce. Fish and steaks are grilled on the garden patio just steps from your table, as is the pineapple flambé with vanilla ice cream.

Chef Lori Dumm provides a unique take on Caribbean-fusion cuisine here, creating all of her own recipes and making every menu item from scratch. Starters like hibiscus flower empanadas served with avocado-xnipec dipping sauce make way for fried fish of the day served with jasmine rice and passion-fruit sauce or coconut shrimp with grilled pineapple. Breakfasts of French toast with skillet potatoes and eggs Benedict are equally divine. Those with dietary constraints will appreciate the variety of vegetarian and gluten-free options, including a vegan chocolate cake.

Join the dinner party at Lolo's, where the multicourse, prix-fixe menu varies each night but might include lobster carpaccio or gnocchi with truffle sauce, served in an outdoor courtyard. There are a few catches, though—you must bring your own wine (there’s no corking fee), dining is at communal tables, and you must make reservations. Lolo does an occasional brunch, too, served with the same flair and format. French transplant Lorena—everyone knows her as Lolo—offers one of the island’s most distinctive dining experiences most evenings. (The operative word here is "most," and thank your lucky stars if your schedule matches hers.)

Warm and inviting, with wooden tables and colorful chalkboards announcing the day's aguas frescas, this 10-table hot spot is a must if you're looking for an unbeatable breakfast or lunch. Standouts include traditional chiles rellenos, fish tacos, and delicious French toast. Portions are massive, so be sure to come hungry. A self-serve coffee bar guarantees you always have a full cup of joe. Once you move on to cold beers and mango mimosas, it's difficult to leave.

The delightful dishes at this Mediterranean restaurant are combinations of Moroccan, Greek, and Turkish flavors based on owners Lior and Yaron Zelzer's family recipes. Start with the Greek or Moroccan tapas and move on to house favorites like the shawarma pita wrap filled with grilled chicken, hummus, tahini, and fried eggplant or the moussaka, a Balkan casserole with layers of ground beef and eggplant baked in a Parmesan béchamel sauce. Everything from the freshly baked spanakopita to the flaky baklava is made in the open-air kitchen. The setting is casual yet romantic, with tiki torches lighting the way to a tropical garden where rustic tables sit beneath a palapa roof. No visit is complete without a bowl of homemade cherry ice cream.

This easy-to-miss eatery offers a little bit of everything from fish and meat to pastas and vegetarian dishes, but it's best known for its superb pizza. Breakfasts, featuring delicious omelets and strong coffee, are also served. Big portions, drink specials, and a convivial vibe make the place a local favorite; once you settle in at one of the street-side tables, the staff treat you like an old friend.

Named for its Italian chef Angelo Sanna, this charming bistro on Hidalgo's busy main strip is done up with soft lighting and a wood-fired oven. Come for the pizza, which has a thin crispy crust and is quite delicious. A large selection of Italian classics round out the menu. Try the famous wood-oven lasagna or mussels steamed in white wine. Angelo, who has lived and worked in Isla Mujeres for more than 20 years, is a hospitable host and a great source of local information. Angelo's stays open late and will deliver pizza if you're hungry at the end of a long night.

Cheery, seashell-decorated Cito was one of Isla's first cafés, and it's still among the best breakfast spots on the island. The menu includes pancakes, waffles, fruit-filled crepes, and egg dishes, as well as great cappuccino and espresso. Every breakfast comes with complimentary coffee or tea, and the fresh-squeezed OJ is a great way to start the day. Don't miss the pineapple-coconut marmalade. Lunch specials are also available daily.

Whether you come for breakfast or lunch, you'll enjoy the relaxed vibe at this open-air café. Its menu ranges from Mexican classics like chilaquiles and huevos divorciados (eggs with chile sauce), to pizza, grilled meats, and fish later in the day. If you feel like lingering, have a glass of wine with a friend, or spend quality time with your laptop (Wi-Fi is free) while enjoying a cup of organic coffee from the highland state of Chiapas.

Kick off your shoes, and settle back with a beer at this charming beachside restaurant near the ferry docks, where you can watch the fishing boats come and go while you wait for some of the island's freshest seafood. The grilled fish and lobster with garlic butter are both excellent, as are the shrimp fajitas—but the real showstopper is the ceviche, which might include conch, shrimp, abalone, fish, or octopus. For a traditional Yucatán dish, try pescado tikin-xic seasoned with achiote, orange, and garlic, then topped with pickled red onions.

Open daily from 7:30 am to 10 pm, this restaurant by the beach is a great spot to enjoy any meal of the day while making the most of the Caribbean lifestyle. The breakfast buffet, served Friday through Sunday, is very popular, but in the evening, the catch of the day is your best bet. After eating, ask for a lounge bed with umbrella and spend the whole day relaxing by the beach.

This low-key open-air oasis in the heart of El Pueblo has chit palms and ocean grape trees wrapped in fairy lights and adorned with seashell lanterns. House specialties like chicken mole and grilled octopus are served with a choice of two side dishes. Head to the rooftop lounge for live music and frozen mojitos.

Located off the beaten path, in a weathered, palapa-topped fisherman's cottage, this local favorite is known for its fresh mojitos, but its reasonably priced, family-style plates of grilled or fried fish are an even bigger draw. The day's catch might include anything from grouper to lobster (order them with creole sauce if it's being served). Cuban specialities such as tostones and sandwiches round out the menu. If you come here for dinner, make it an early one. The place closes at 7:30 pm.

This family-run restaurant specializes in simple seafood and Mexican dishes like fajitas and oven-baked shrimp. There isn't much here in the way of decor, but the staff is friendly, the food is fresh, the beer is cold, and the value is good. The tasty daily specials are a bargain and attract both locals and visitors.

Run by an Italian couple who have lived on the island since 2005, Gelateria Montebianco serves a wide variety of gelatos, as well as tasty desserts like tiramisu. It's the place to take a break and enjoy what many consider the best ice cream on the island.

There’s nothing fancy about one of Isla’s most popular restaurants—think plastic tables and chairs with bright tablecloths and furnishings—but Javi’s captures that island informality perfectly. Seafood is the specialty here, with cilantro-chile-lime shrimp, grilled octopus, or Alfredo lobster among the don't-miss dishes. Top it all off with a brownie or flan from the dessert menu. The place looks tiny, but dining spills over into the back courtyard on warm nights.

One of the island's coolest and liveliest spots has an eclectic Caribbean, Mexican, seafood menu that includes gems such as jerk chicken skewers and buffalo shrimp, as well as delicious pizzas at the adjacent Pizza Joint. The main attraction, though, is the live music—particularly reggae and other Caribbean styles—which plays almost nonstop.

This hole-in-the-wall, with its red plastic tables and chairs, is a perennial local favorite. Expect enormous portions of the beloved sopa de frijoles (black bean soup made with onions, tomatoes, lime, and fresh cheese) and chiles rellenos (stuffed chiles lightly battered, fried, and served with a side of pickled cabbage and rice). Fish fillets are moist, and the chicken mole is the best on the island.

The difference between a memorable evening here and an unforgettable one is reserving a table for two at the water’s edge—otherwise, you’ll be sitting beneath a palapa roof overlooking an infinity pool and the crystal bay, which is, of course, a spectacular runner-up. The minimal menu presents the best local seafood in dishes like red snapper with herb sauce; shrimp skewers with lime; and grouper with tomatoes, olives, and basil. For something meaty, try the rib eye or grilled lobster. Cap your meal by ordering caramel lava cake with homemade mango sorbet. Note that this little haven is reached via a dark, steep driveway.

This delightful restaurant is known for its delicious Cuban food. The grilled tostones sandwiches, which use fried plantains instead of bread, are topped with a finger-licking onion-and-orange sauce, and the juicy hamburgers are stuffed with goat cheese and served with yucca fries. Several vegetarian dishes are also available, and lunch salads are topped with fresh ingredients like garbanzo beans, avocado, and jicama.  By night, Qubano morphs into a tapas bar, with a lively atmosphere and a long list of delicious Caribbean cocktails.

With an enormous menu (as well as a kids' menu) to satisfy every appetite, this elegant palapa restaurant is the perfect place to savor the sunset. The wide range of dinner dishes includes grilled tuna, coconut shrimp, paella, and grouper in a creamy dill-and-wine sauce. Homemade key lime pie provides a sweet finish. A wall-less dining terrace overlooks the sea, while soft music and candlelight add to the romantic ambience. Grab a table in the sand, and you can take a dip in the ocean between courses.