Restaurants in Cancún
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Restaurante Natura
Styled after the successful 100% Natural chain, this little bistro offers up a good mix of natural and vegetarian Mexican cuisine.
reviewed
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A
Irori
Enjoy the show as the chef slices and dices the night away at this Japanese-run restaurant serving sushi and many other Japanese favorites in an intimate and nicely decorated setting. There’s even a kids menu if you’ve got sushi-scoffing rugrats in tow.
reviewed
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K Sadillas del Jalisco
For a cheap lunch on this side of town, head over to the palapa-shaded K Sadillas, where the friendly owner, Javier, serves up super-cheap lunches and, you guessed it…quesadillas.
reviewed
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La Habichuela
An elegant restaurant with a lovely courtyard dining area, just off Parque Las Palapas. The specialty is shrimp and lobster in curry sauce served inside a coconut with tropical fruit, but almost anything on the menu is delicious. The seafood ceviche and tapa al ajillo (potatoes in garlic) are mouthwatering. The gorgeous aquarium in the lobby makes for a very attractive wait (reservations are advised). Finish with lime sorbet splashed with xtabentún, a Yucatecan anise-flavored liqueur.
reviewed
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Señor Frog's
The Zona Hotelera is a vast swath of mainly Tex Mex-style places catering to the just-flew-in crowd. Prices are higher and quality is generally lower than what you'll find in Ciudad Cancún. A number of places cater to a young crowd, with conga lines where waiters cheer and pour watery tequila down dancers' throats as they weave by. So you'll either want to head for or away from Señor Frog's and Carlos 'n Charlie's for that kind of dining experience.
reviewed
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Carlos 'n Charlie's
The Zona Hotelera is a vast swath of mainly Tex Mex-style places catering to the just-flew-in crowd. Prices are higher and quality is generally lower than what you'll find in Ciudad Cancún. A number of places cater to a young crowd, with conga lines where waiters cheer and pour watery tequila down dancers' throats as they weave by. So you'll either want to head for or away from Señor Frog's and Carlos 'n Charlie's for that kind of dining experience.
reviewed
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D
Checándole
If you can only eat at one restaurant in Cancún, then you should eat here. It’s a bit away from the city center but well worth the extra effort. Dressed up with a palapa roof, Checándole specializes in Chilango (Mexico City) cuisine. The menú del día (fixed three-course meal) is just M$45 – great value. If it’s offering pollo en mole poblano (chicken smothered in a handmade chocolate and chili sauce), you should definitely go for it.
reviewed
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E
Restaurant 100% Natural
Vegetarians and health-food nuts delight at this health-food chain near Avenida Yaxchilán, which serves juice blends (try the ‘Crazy Yog’ or the ‘Vampiro’), a wide selection of yogurt-fruit-vegetable combinations, and brown rice, pasta, fish and chicken dishes. The onsite bakery turns out whole-wheat products, and the entire place is very nicely decorated and landscaped. Service is excellent – at times even too attentive.
reviewed
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Mexican Food Stalls
Inexpensive Mexican food can be found at the food stalls in the northeast corner of Parque Las Palapas, and at two good taco carts operating in the evening - one at the north edge of the Comercial Mexicana parking lot (across Avenida Tulum from the bus terminal) and the other at the southeast edge of the Plaza de Toros (Bullring) parking lot, at Avenidas Sayil and Bonampak.
reviewed
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Restaurant Río Nizuc
About as close to sea level as a restaurant can be, this breezy hole in the wall, er, wharf is at the end of a short, nameless road at the edge of a mangrove-flanked channel. Octopus, conch and fish are served in various ways - fried with garlic or ceviche (raw)- and the beer is cheap. Get there early; it closes when the fish is gone.
reviewed
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La Dolce Vita
One of Cancún’s fanciest Italian restaurants, it offers white wicker chairs and soft, romantic lighting, plus great lagoon views and attentive staff. Try the chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and finish with crêpes suzette (for two). With a bottle of red, white or rosé this could be the start or the finish of a wonderful day.
reviewed
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El Rincón Yucateco
A reasonably priced Yucatecan place that's across from Hotel Cotty, serving a nice variety of favorites along with very weak 'American'-style coffee. Sopa de lima ('lime soup'; chicken soup with lime) is light: a good option for anyone nursing a stomach problem (or a hangover).
reviewed
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Carrillo’s Lobster House
Try Carrillo’s Plato Cozumel if you’re looking for something a bit special. This somewhat formal restaurant has air-con indoors and is fan-cooled outdoors, and entertainment is provided by mariachis. Follow the good smells leading to the blue building and you’ll be in the right place.
reviewed
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La Parrilla
Any Cancún eatery founded before the 1980s gets to call itself venerable. And La Parrilla (founded in 1975) should get a capital ‘V.’ The restaurant serves up healthy portions of Mexican fare, with a few Yucatecan favorites thrown in for good measure.
reviewed
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Lorenzillo’s
Reputed by locals to be Cancún’s best seafood restaurant, Lorenzillo’s gives you 19 separate choices for your lobster presentation, including a taste-bud-popping chipotle, plum and tamarind sauce. Facing the lagoon, it’s a good sunset joint.
reviewed
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J
Tatis La Casa del Pan
Friendly and fun, with art on the walls and a great selection of wholesome fare. Come here for coffee and espresso that might be your last good cup of coffee before heading off into the rest of Yucatán. The crêpes are delicioso.
reviewed
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K
Restaurant El Pescador
Many locals insist this place offers the best seafood in town. It's definitely popular, and you will most likely have to wait for a table. Traditional Mexican dishes are also served, and are considerably less expensive than the seafood fare.
reviewed
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Ty-Coz
This bakery-café has granite tabletops and a pleasing ambience, and serves good coffee, baguettes and croissants, as well as sandwiches made with a variety of meats and cheeses. There’s also a spot near Km 7.5 on Blvd Kukulcán.
reviewed
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Matachi Seaside Grill
The Matachi is a stylish, intimate place inside the Hilton, right on the beach. It offers a variety of Mexican and Asian-inspired cuisine, seafood, sushi and other creative dishes. It also has one of the best views in town.
reviewed
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Las Fajitas
It offers a complete breakfast for just M$30, and you can get fresh mahimahi (a type of fish) fillets for M$75 (they worked out a deal with a local diver to get fresh fish) – not a bad deal for the Zona Hotelera.
reviewed
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Rolandi’s Restaurant-Bar
A Swiss Italian eatery with a wood-fired pizza oven, between Avenidas Tulum and Náder just off the southern roundabout, Rolandi’s serves elaborate pizzas, spaghetti plates and a range of northern Italian dishes.
reviewed
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Los de Pescado
It’s easy to order at this restaurant, as there are only two choices: ceviche or tacos. Knock either back with a beer or two, and you’ll see why this is one of the best budget spots in Ciudad Cancún.
reviewed
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O
Santa Clara
There's a pleasant patio at this little café specializing in ice cream. It also serves coffee and various sweet dishes. There's milk and cheese as well, all locally produced.
reviewed
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Crab House
Offers a lovely view of the lagoon that complements the seafood. The long menu includes many shrimp and fillet-of-fish dishes. Crab and lobster are priced by the pound.
reviewed
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Mocambo
Definitely one of the best spots in the Zona Hotelera, the palapa-thatched Mocambo sits right on the ocean, and serves up excellent seafood dishes.
reviewed
