5 Best Restaurants in Mexico

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.

"The Pier" resembles a Caribbean fish market with its wooden plank floors, whitewashed tables, and pilings strung with rope. A chalkboard features the catch of the day; it's delivered from local fishermen every morning and simply yet flavorfully prepared one of five ways or sold by the gram to go. El Muelle opens at 4 pm, so come before dinner for a strawberry-lemon spritzer and mixed ceviche made Peruvian style with leche de tigre. From that point on, you're hooked, and you'll soon find there isn't a mediocre dish on the menu.

This darling, ocean-to-table restaurant is not to be confused with Muelle 3 right around the corner.

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.

Near the malecón's north end, this world-famous franchise restaurant with a fun-loving atmosphere has a bit of a sea view from its second-floor dining room and a Caribbean flavor. Like its Havana namesake, La Bodeguita sells Cuban rum and cigars, and the music (canned during the day, live at night)—like the cuisine—is pure cubano. Try the mojito, a signature Havana drink of lime juice, sugar, white rum, and muddled fresh mint leaves.

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.