The Riviera Maya Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Riviera Maya - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Riviera Maya - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
Basic Foodie is that cool bakery we all wish we had in our neighborhood, with unsurpassed baked goods and a menu that caters to organic-minded, vegan, and gluten-free customers. A modern design and laid-back atmosphere (plus reliable Wi-Fi) have made it a magnet for digital nomads.
Céline's fresh-baked breads and pastries honor France, especially exquisite desserts like the classic dark chocolate cake and bold vanilla crème brûlée. Classic bistro fare—including quiche Lorraine and flavorful croques madames—make for a light lunch comme il faut. For a light, sweet breakfast or snack, don't miss the parfait with chia and red fruit coulis. Street-side tables on 5th Avenue are great for people-watching. Chez Céline stays open until 11 pm daily, and there's free Wi-Fi for patrons.
This Playa institution, in a funky jungle garden with fountains, palmettos, and a rambling koi pond, is a favorite breakfast spot. The well-prepared, authentic Mexican selections include multiple styles of chilaquiles, a tart mix of meat, sauce, and egg on a bed of tortillas that will have you skipping lunch. It's popular for lunch and dinner as well.
People come from up and down the Riviera for the zingy flavors of this southern Thai restaurant. Popular dishes include pad Thai, drunken noodles, and money bags (crispy fried wonton wrappers filled with a Thai shrimp mix). Overseeing the menu is Thai chef Dim Geefay, a well-known teacher and TV cooking personality. Recipes start with basil, chile, mint, and lemongrass, which are homegrown from seeds brought over from Thailand. The spiciness of the soups and curries (created with house-made coconut milk) are rated as "Tourist," "Expatriate," and "Truly Thai." Health-conscious diners will also appreciate a range of salads and the mildly sweet flavor of the Chaya green juice.
This jungle-chic restaurant serves up creative fine-dining fare unlike anything else you'll find in the region. Standout dishes include al pib--style lamb (with roasted mushrooms and birria sauce reduction), a la talla--style catch of the day (with adobe sauce and Mexican grasshoppers), and mole verde with curry and breaded avocado. It's difficult with dishes this good, but leave room for dessert. The lime sherbet with tapioca and coconut, is the perfect, decadent end to a perfect, decadent meal. This creative fare is served in a romantic jungle setting, with distressed wood floors, exposed stone walls, and ceiling lights that mimic birds' nests. In the background, Mexican music and the sound of water falling complete the atmosphere. Even the most discriminating foodies won't be disappointed by this hidden gem tucked away on the beach road just before the Sian Ka'an nature reserve.
Enjoy fresh seafood on the shaded patio of this family-owned restaurant in the heart of town. Try fish prepared al ajo (in a garlicky butter sauce), breaded, grilled, or tikin–xic style (marinated with adobo de achiote and sour oranges). Pelicanos also offers a variety of four-hour excursions that include fishing, snorkeling, then cooking the daily catch at the restaurant.
Playa's most dramatically sited restaurant sits atop a small cenote in a vast jungly garden full of strangler vines and Mayan ruins—right in the middle of Avenida 5. Designed in accordance with Maya building practices, it's a feast for the eyes, with living "green walls" covered with plants, a bar built on a stone wall, and a park in back that makes for a romantic setting at night (bring bug spray). The menu, full of dressed-up Playa standards—fresh fish, pork shank, guacamole—isn't as memorable (though the jicama tacos are worth a try), but it's a worthwhile meal nonetheless.
For sweeping ocean views and light meals, head to this shady beachfront resort restaurant, where the smoothies are fruity but not overly sweet, the guacamole is fresh and flavorful, and the salsa selection is excellent. Don't miss the amply portioned spicy-sweet Thai curry Buddha Bowl. And if you're craving some beach time after your meal, ask about Amansala resort's beach club, where $45 will get you a sun bed for the day.
This colorful hangout on the corner of the main plaza is the best place in town to watch the world go by (or take advantage of free Wi-Fi) while lingering over coffee and a pastry. Most items are organic, and the fruit smoothies are delicious. Come prepared to practice your Spanish; the staff doesn't speak much English.
The cheapest restaurant along Tankah's beachfront serves up fresh, simple, satisfying Mexican food from 8 am to 9 pm every day. Grab a table at the waterfront, and order up beef fajitas or fish tacos, topped with a healthy helping of fresh-made salsa and fresh-squeezed lime juice. Margaritas are popular (and strong) here, and on Sunday you can join locals for a popular barbecue on the beachfront and live music from 1 pm to 4 pm. Bring your own meat or order from the restaurant.
Just by the beach, the Coral Bar and Grill is the on-site restaurant of the Flying Cloud Hotel and part of the XTC Dive Center. The place is open all day, offering Mexican breakfasts, international food for lunch and dinner, and even some vegan dishes. It also works as a beach club and has theme nights every Tuesday and Friday.
This jungle-side hangout is laid-back, casual, and comfortable, with an open kitchen and airy layout in a large, traditional palapa. Standout dishes include organic-chicken-stuffed jalapeños and organic chicken in red sauce (so tender that it practically falls off the bone). Paying tribute to local blends is the wine list, on which 80% of the bottles are from Mexico. An international crowd of expats and in-the-know vacationers makes for a lively scene, especially at night. For large parties or special events, book ahead.
Fernando's friendly, homey restaurant—which serves as a sort of visitors bureau—seems to change locations often but remains a Mahahual institution. The affordable menu features Mexican and Yucatecan specialties with a generous splash of gringo. Should you be in the market for a margarita, don't be shy; as the name suggests, this is the place for expert guidance on all things agave. You can even buy a bottle of Fernando's homemade tequila to go. If the indoor party scene isn't lively enough for you, head to the outside tables, where cruise passengers are known to do shots.
The name means "unexpected," and—thanks to the international dishes created by executive chef Juan Diego Solombrino—this place is truly a surprise. At breakfast, you can order hangover-healing eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, or old-fashioned French toast; later, Imprevist pulls out all the stops with a hint of molecular gastronomy in the tuna tartare with lime and sake foam, and the chilled beetroot soup with goat cheese croquettes, truffle oil, and thyme cream. Risotto choices include a seafood number with squid ink and shaved fennel. The fish cooked in parchment is unbelievably moist, and the beef fillet with foie gras mousse practically melts in your mouth. Seating is available at sidewalk tables and in an intimate underground dining room.
Rub shoulders with cab drivers, local government officials, and expat regulars over coffee at Tulum's favorite family-owned and -run coffee shop, where espresso drinks are made with 100% Mexican-grown coffee from places like Oaxaca and Veracruz. Upstairs you'll find a small bakery, out back a quiet jungle garden, and up front a relaxed beachy bar space, all serving up coffee, baked goods, and Mexican dishes like molletes—spiced toast over black-bean puree with pico de gallo (pro tip: add a fried egg for something special). Eco-friendliness is important here, and the plumbing is a composting system.
You can't get any closer to the ruins than this two-story restaurant in a palapa setting with Mexican blankets draped over wooden tables. Some of the more traditional selections include fish prepared Yucatán style, chicken in banana leaves, and cochinita pibil.
With driftwood tables overlooking Half Moon Bay, swings at the lively bar, and salsa music keeping things moving, this might be the perfect beach restaurant. The usual Mexican fare—quesadillas, empanadas, burritos, and fish tacos with handmade tortillas—is perfectly fine, but the food isn't the point. It's all about the location. Directly on the beach, this place takes full advantage with two big upstairs terraces that provide sweeping views of the water. Lounge chairs are scattered on the sand for customers' use, and there's a small pool to keep the kids busy while you have another margarita. Climb the ladder to the two-seater tower table, 15 feet above the sand, where your drinks are delivered in a bucket on a rope.
If you want to try authentic Mexican and pre-Hispanic cuisine, La Perla Pixan is the place for you with its wide variety of traditional specialties such as pozole (and its vegetarian option), barbacoa, enchiladas, tlayudas, and more. Look for the weekend brunch buffet, and the extraordinary variety of mezcal cocktails. At night, live music and pre-Hispanic shows make La Perla one of the favorite spots of locals, expats, and visitors alike.
Authentic chilaquiles, excellent, colorful fruit and veggie smoothies, and eggs Benedict (with the only real hollandaise you'll find in town) are just a few of the staples you'll find on the menu at Paloma's—a hacienda-style garden restaurant that specializes in brunch. The clean, simple restaurant interior opens onto a spacious, relaxed terrace dotted with white metal tables and chairs overlooking a large pool and sprawling garden. Brunch is the specialty here, but light lunch and dinner fare—including ceviche and quesadillas—are also on the ever-evolving menu. And if you need a place to stay in town, the connected hotel is a colorful, charming, budget-friendly spot.
Abutting the plaza at the beach, Pangea has it all—breakfast, lunch, and dinner served on an umbrella-shaded terrace overlooking the sea, plus live music and entertainment until late. Daily menus—all prepared with organic ingredients and without preservatives—may include grilled fresh tuna, vegetarian lasagna, or shrimp kebabs, and there's fresh ginger-lemongrass tea and pancakes for breakfast. Evening menus are themed according to the show: expect Middle Eastern food for belly-dancing night and Spanish tapas for flamenco. The owners came from Mexico City in the early 1990s and are a great source for tourist tips and local gossip.
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