Costa Maya & Southern Caribbean Coast
Come here for the best eats in town. The house specialty is grilled venado (deer) steaks prepared a la yucateca (Yucatán-style). If you're here in the…
Must-see restaurants in Yucatán Peninsula
Cancún
Enjoy this Japanese-run restaurant serving sushi and many other Japanese favorites in an intimate setting. There’s even a kids' menu and playroom for…
Campeche
Marganzo is a popular with tourists and locals alike for good reason – the food is great, the portions large and the complimentary appetizers numerous. An…
Mérida
A stylish, intimate Italian spot outside the center. The signature dish of chef Fabrizio Di Stazio is the riccioli eureka, freshly made pasta in white…
Chichén Itzá
One of the town's better restaurants, Las Mestizas serves up decent Yucatecan fare. There's indoor and outdoor seating – depending on the time of day, an…
Campeche
This breezy and cool place in an old colonial building overlooking the prettiest section of pedestrian Calle 59 serves Mexican breakfast and and brunch…
Chetumal
A Chetumal favorite for more than three decades. Try the house specialty, camaron empanizado (breaded shrimp), or the fish taco a la mantequila (sautéed…
Isla Mujeres
There's nothing fancy about this little diner, but homemade Mexican food and great service are guaranteed. Regulars usually go for the daily set menu,…
Playa del Carmen
Babe’s serves some excellent Asian food, including a yummy home-style tom kha gai (chicken and coconut-milk soup) brimming with veggies. Vietnamese shrimp…
Izamal
Situated right on the plaza, under the arches (arcos), this is the go-to place for locals who say it's the only place open 'late' (yes, things close early…
Cancún
Tucked away in the rear of La Isla Shopping Village, this place serves Thai food under your own private, stilted palapa, either with a garden or lagoon…
Campeche
Campeche's most upscale restaurant can be found just outside the old city walls and is an elegant space with white linen tablecloths. Service is attentive…
Yucatán State & the Maya Heartland
Situated under a large veranda, this spot provides pleasant relief from the sun. Dishes include the usual Yucatecan specialties, as well as a few options …
Cancún
Colorful decoration, a large outdoor bull, and the sounds of a mariachi band invite you in to La Parrilla. Open since 1975, it fills with locals and…
Isla Holbox
You really shouldn't leave the island without trying the mixed seafood platter here (order for two or ask for a single portion if traveling solo, M$540)…
Valladolid
Dine in a tranquil colonial courtyard with a bubbling fountain, or the air-con salon looking on to it. The restaurant specializes in Yucatecan fare, such…
Mérida
A bistro (one of two locations around town) that's consistently OK and best known for its gourmet pizzas and handmade pastas. You can enjoy happy hour at…
Playa del Carmen
The specialty at this Venezuelan restaurant on the park is arepas (delicious corn flatbread stuffed with your choice of shredded beef, chicken or beans…
Cancún
A main go-to cafe for locals in search of a place to write, work or hang out, this trendy coffee shop has a central location in downtown Cancún, close to…
Progreso
A longtime local favorite on the boardwalk, Flamingo's fries up a tasty pescado en mojo de ajo (fish in garlic sauce, M$121). Tasty chips, salsas and…
Cobá
At the end of the town's main drag, by the lake, this restaurant is pretty touristy but does decent Yucatecan fare like cochinita or pollo pibil (achiote…
Cancún
With plastic tables set under little palapa huts on a sandy floor, this is one of the Zona Hotelera's less expensive places. Good-value seafood, tasty…
Valladolid
The menu changes daily here, but you'll always find a welcome tamal to snack on. Sweetcorn and pork was on the menu recently, as was excellent pozole (a…
Campeche
Carved, painted tables and folksy decor lend a creative atmosphere to this popular restaurant. The menu choices are reasonable – try the shrimp salad,…
Isla Cozumel
Mexican and gringo-friendly breakfasts such as eggs Benedict are served in a peaceful rear garden at this affordable restaurant. The menu also includes a…
Yucatán State & the Maya Heartland
Locals highly recommend this casual eatery with plastic chairs and bright tablecloths, located just off the square and near the pier. The camarones al…
Tulum
This unassuming Sinaloa-style seafood joint gets praise for its torres (seafood tostada 'towers' piled high with tuna, shrimp or fish) and house…
Progreso
At the current posh spot on the strip, with its blond-wood chairs, pink velvet trim and designer lighting, you could be in an international hotel, not…
Isla Mujeres
This unassuming shack does several varieties of pita sandwiches and does them extremely well. The chicken, beef and vegetarian pitas are the creation of a…
Restaurant Hacienda Xaybe'h d'Camara
Chichén Itzá
Set a block back from the highway opposite Hotel Chichén Itzá, this is a large place with attractive grounds. It’s popular with tours and the food is a…
Mérida
Out-of-towners staying in the nearby business-class hotels have been known to buy kilos of these tacos to take home with them. It's a bit of a trek to get…
Punta Allen
Service here can be as slow as the frigates circling overhead, but it's hard not to use this as a chance to relax and enjoy. Overlooking a dock where…
Campeche
Despite its relentlessly cliché decor that takes in as many national tropes as possible, this is actually one of the best of the restaurants spread out…
Mérida
There’s a '70s feel to this little orange-and-cream cafeteria-style restaurant, which has cheap breakfast combinations and a good variety of Mexican…
Chetumal
Fun and festive, with a goofy dolphin statue outside, La Viagra Jarocha is a hit with locals and tourists alike, most notably for its namesake 'sopa…
Isla Mujeres
Here you get something different in music from the neighboring restaurants, Cuban son (a type of dance) selections as opposed to bad disco remixes. Apart…
Cancún
Always a crowd-pleaser on the strip, where cheap eats come few and far between, this small joint prepares beef, shrimp, fish and vegetarian burritos with…
Campeche
Nice, clean and quirky, with interesting art and curios around the multicolored walls, this cafe-gallery has tasty espresso drinks, plus a variety of…
Laguna Bacalar
Go straight for the taco de cochinita surtida (slow-cooked pork), which comes prepared on a handmade tortilla and with a little extra fat for good measure…
Celestún
A cut above the other seaside joints, La Palapa has an expansive dining area looking down to the sea, as well as a number of tables right on the beach…
