5 Best Restaurants in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, Mexico

Renowned for its breakfast, Carmelita's serves up a daily variety of guisados (stewed meats) like beef tongue in tomatillo salsa and pork ribs in red sauce. Don't miss the signature requesón (a ricotta-style cheese, seasoned with herbs), served with a stack of freshly pressed corn tortillas. You'll also find scrambles, omelets, and other usual suspects.

This institution is right on the malecón, just a few steps from the fish market. The atmosphere is not fancy, but the walls radiate bright orange, and a courtyard fountain splashes in a minor key. The staff is helpful yet unobtrusive, and the food habitually good. The fare consists of Mexican dishes and such simple seafood plates as fish steamed in foil and served with rice and french fries. Lobster is a specialty, though it and the well-loved seafood platter will push your tab into the $$$$ category.

The wooden bar, ocher walls, and handcrafted furnishings make this tiny restaurant seem like a true cantina, although it's in the middle of a shopping center. Patio tables are more elegant at night than during the day, with potted trees dressed in little white lights and lively tropical music at a level that doesn't drown out conversation. The chiles rellenos de camarón (egg-battered peppers stuffed with shrimp), fajitas, and tuna steak topped with three kinds of chilies are all filling and delicious, even if they cost slightly more than entrées at nearby restaurants. You can also come for a generous breakfast.

Come for the authentic Mexican dining experience. Stay for a televised soccer game or beauty pageant. Traditional dishes include barbecued ribs, goat stew, tripe, and—on Thursday, as Guerrero State tradition dictates—pozole. The long list of daily specials might include pork chops, tacos, and enchiladas; all come either rice or soup and a drink. On the extensive regular menu are seafood and breakfast items. But service stops at 6, so dinner (except a very early one) is not on the menu.

The equivalent of a "soul food" restaurant for los Guerrerense (the people of Guerrero State), this noisy, fun spot a few blocks from the beach, amid small shops and cafés, specializes in the traditional cuisine of the deep countryside. Tamales—12 different kinds—are the menu's most popular items. Ingredients ranging from pork and chicken to poblano peppers are wrapped in masa, drenched in rich sauces, and baked in corn husks or banana leaves. Pozole, a pork-and-hominy stew that is traditionally eaten on Thursday, is a specialty of the house. Breakfast is served daily.