Must-see restaurants in Cancún

  • Tempo

    Cancún

    Dazzling contemporary elegance and impeccable service characterize Tempo, but it’s the nine-course tasting menu of elaborate gourmet Basque cuisine with a…

  • Benazuza

    Cancún

    Up to 30 courses of surprising molecular cuisine. The dining experience at contemporary restaurant Benazuza incorporates traditional Mexican-inspired…

  • Peter's Restaurante

    Cancún

    Peter’s Restaurante has a homey charm and some of the best cooking in the city. Dutch chef Peter Houben has blended European, Mexican and international…

  • Crab House

    Cancún

    Offering a lovely view of the lagoon that complements the seafood, the long menu here includes many shrimp and fish-fillet dishes. Stone crab is the…

  • Lonchería El Pocito

    Cancún

    For authentic Yucatecan home-cooking, locals often recommend this fan-cooled palapa restaurant and it's easy to take an instant liking to the place. The…

  • Harry's Steakhouse & Raw Bar

    Cancún

    Stunning, renowned Harry’s serves house-aged steaks, plus superfresh fish and a famous cotton-candy treat. The architecture’s impressive too, with outdoor…

  • Fred's House

    Cancún

    One of Cancún’s most beautiful restaurants, Fred’s House features warm contemporary style and tropical gardens by Nichupté Lagoon. At this seafood eatery,…

  • La Fonda del Zancudo

    Cancún

    Softly illuminated by strings of lights, lanterns and moonlight, this alluring little restaurant sits within an enchanting walled patio on downtown Cancún…

  • Puerto Santo

    Cancún

    In a gated residential community about 500m south of the Puerto Juárez ferry terminal, this hidden oceanfront restaurant wins over locals with dishes like…

  • Mocambo

    Cancún

    Definitely one of the best seafood spots in the Zona Hotelera, the palapa-covered Mocambo sits right on Playa Caracol and serves up excellent seafood…

  • The Bears Den

    Cancún

    In this casual open-air restaurant on the second floor of a shopping center, Québec native Christopher Vallieres prepares exquisitely refined dishes…

  • La Habichuela

    Cancún

    This elegant restaurant has a lovely courtyard dining area, just off Parque de las Palapas. The specialty is the cocobichuela (shrimp and lobster in curry…

  • Kiosco Verde

    Cancún

    The Green Kiosk just might be the most underrated seafood restaurant in all of Cancún. It began in 1974 as a small grocery store and now it excels in well…

  • El Tigre y El Toro

    Cancún

    Gourmet thin-crust pizza and homemade pastas are served in a candlelit gravel garden at El Tigre y El Toro ('Tiger' and 'Bull' are the owners' nicknames)…

  • El Galeón del Caribe

    Cancún

    Famed for its pescadillas (fried tortillas stuffed with fish), this low-key seafood palapa has an outdoor kitchen and lagoonside setting. It’s near the…

  • La Palapa Belga

    Cancún

    One of Cancún’s tastiest and most peaceful fine-dining restaurants – if you can find it. Tucked away within the Hotel Imperial Laguna's garden, this…

  • La Playita

    Cancún

    The covered terrace at this bar and restaurant affords views of the nearby bullring and towering residential buildings. Multi-flavored mojitos are great…

  • Chuchito Perez

    Cancún

    The palapa-covered terrace of this trendy restaurant is wrapped in panoramic views, overlooking the nightclub strip, Nichupté Lagoon and the Caribbean Sea…

  • Patravali

    Cancún

    The beautifully lit Patravali restaurant is owned by Indian expats living in Cancún. With a central location, it serves authentic Indian cuisine along…

  • I Famosi

    Cancún

    Owned by an Italian expat and located in one of downtown Cancún’s nicer and older neighborhoods, this local restaurant specializes in authentic Italian…

  • Los de Pescado

    Cancún

    It’s easy to order at a place where you have just a handful of choices: ceviche (seafood marinated in lemon or lime juice, garlic and seasonings), tacos,…

  • La Destilería

    Cancún

    This place gets the thumbs-up from locals and visitors alike. It’s all good, but the chicken dishes – with goat cheese sauce and mole poblano (a sauce of…

  • Kotaro

    Cancún

    Tucked away on an alley off the trendy Avenida Náder, this tiny Japanese restaurant is beloved for its delicious noodles and baos (dumplings). Start with…

  • Irori

    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…

  • Thai Lounge

    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…

  • La Parrilla

    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…

  • Rooster Café Sunyaxchen

    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…

  • El Fish Fritanga

    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…

  • Surfin' Burrito

    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…

  • Los Huaraches de Alcatraces

    Cancún

    A casual cafeteria-style place that's packed with locals and sometimes even has live music to boot. Grab a tray, point at a few items that look tasty, and…

  • Picaña & Grill

    Cancún

    The house specialty here is the picaña (top sirloin cap), which can be ordered as a tender steak or sliced off a spit for tacos. They also do loaded baked…

  • El Paisano del 23

    Cancún

    A local favorite for more than 40 years, the paisano ('fellow countryman' – it's the owner's nickname) marinates pierna (pork leg) in red wine and then…

  • Restaurante Natura

    Cancún

    This little bistro offers up a good mix of natural and vegetarian Mexican cuisine – think giant natural juices, and quesadillas with Chihuahua cheese,…

  • Pescaditos

    Cancún

    The namesake pescaditos (fried fish sticks served with a mayo-chipotle sauce) are the star attraction here, but the menu features plenty of other fresh…

  • Tacos Rigo

    Cancún

    There’s a taco joint on nearly every block in Cancún, but this one has been a local favorite for more than 30 years. One bite of the al pastor (spit…

  • Lorenzillo’s

    Cancún

    Lorenzillo’s gives you 20 separate choices for your lobster presentation, including a taste bud–popping chipotle, plum and tamarind sauce. Facing the…

  • Rolandi’s Restaurant & Pizzeria

    Cancún

    A longtime Cancún favorite, Italian eatery Rolandi's serves wood-fired pizzas, calzones, homemade pasta plates, and a range of meat and seafood dishes.

  • Taco Factory

    Cancún

    This casual open-air restaurant boasts the best authentic Mexican tacos in the Cancún Hotel Zone, and its convenient location in the central alley right…

  • Ty-Coz

    Cancún

    This busy air-conditioned deli serves sandwiches on croissants and baguettes with a variety of meats and cheeses, and there's a vegetarian option as well…

  • Va q' Va

    Cancún

    The seafood is pretty good here but the real draw is the festive atmosphere, plus you get to enjoy a meal in a working-class neighborhood far removed from…

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