Are you looking where to eat in Playa Del Carmen? There are many good restaurants in Playa Del Carmen. In this article we tell you where to eat. These are all places we would eat at and restaurants that offer good value and consistent quality without being a tourist trap.
Many tourist come to Playa Del Carmen and blindly walk 5th Avenue to choose a restaurant because a person in front of it shoved a menu in their faces. We cringe at the fact that there are so many good places restaurants to eat in Playa Del Carmen but so many tourist fall for the traps of restaurants that serve up ordinary or subpar food. We want you to have the best meal possible when here and that is why we are making this guide. These are all the restaurants we would eat at if we came here (knowing all we know about restaurants here).
We work constantly tasting new restaurants here in Playa Del Carmen for our Restaurant Guide. We have been to over 300 restaurants here (not all make it on the site) and like to give independent reviews and help others discover the best places to eat, especially for those that appreciate good food.
Note: If this guide was helpful or you enjoyed these restaurants or have others you want to mention, let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.
Our picks for where to eat in Playa Del Carmen
We tried to think about if we had one week where would we eat at. This guide is for all three meals a day and you can apply it for whatever you are looking for. We will list 7 places in each category so you can have a great selection during your stay here. Also we do mention what days are best to visit because many restaurants in Playa Del Carmen are closed one day a week and this can be different days. We would hate to send you to a great restaurant only to find it closed. Let’s start with breakfast. Provecho!
Where we would eat breakfast in Playa Del Carmen
It is always good to start the day off right and with these seven different options you will be! Most of the places on this list will run you about 100-140 pesos for breakfast. A few will be a little cheaper and two are more expensive.
Day 1 Monday
Aldea Corazon is right on 5th Avenue and is easy to get to especially if you are just starting out your vacation in Playa Del Carmen. This restaurant has a nice Mexican feel complete with the waiters in white, more traditional outfits. Here they serve traditional breakfast plates but also Mexican specialties. You can eat in front overlooking 5th Avenue, inside or in the secret garden in the back. For more about Aldea Corazon see our article here.
Day 2 Tuesday
Want to have breakfast at the beach? Well Mamita’s Beach Club offers a great view of the beach and ocean air. To see what this gourmet breakfast is like see our article about Mamita’s Restaurant.
Day 3 Wednesday
When you are on vacation you will want to know where to eat in Playa Del Carmen for some beach time and we don’t mean just soaking up the sun in a bathing suit. There are a few good places to eat on the beachfront and Mamitas is one and that is why we would come here for breakfast. You will get a healthy breakfast overlooking the ocean. You no doubt will be impressed with the renovated restaurant and new gourmet menu. For more about breakfast at Mamitas see our article here with video.
Day 4 Thursday
La Ceiba Restaurant will give you a more local feel and a chance to get a little sample of Mexican breakfast food and tropical smoothies and juices. This restaurant is attached to a small fruit and vegetable market on 30th Avenue. There is always a nice little buzz of energy here and the good coffee will give you a little pick-me-up as well since it is good quality. Definitely get a mixed juice here and enjoy your meal. For more about La Ceiba Restaurant see our article here.
Day 5 Friday
Today is it time for Chez Celine. This is a French style café and bakery right on 5th Avenue. We recommend going here during the week because on the weekend there is often a line for waiting because it is so popular. The reason we like going here is because:
- Nice setting. There are a few tables inside in the air conditioning but outside it is like a casual French café.
- They have good coffee.
- There are breakfast specials for around 100 pesos. Included in the breakfast, is their good baguettes with jam.
- If you do care to indulge a little and get a pastry, they have amazing croissants, muffins, tarts, and other French style pastries.
For more about Chez Celine see our article here.
Day 6 Saturday
Any day is a good day to eat breakfast at Ojo de Agua. This restaurant offers a great menu of a wide range of taste. They have fresh juices and combinations that are sure to hit the spot. Besides good food, you get a nice atmosphere for having breakfast.
Ojo de Agua is located on CTM Avenue between 5th and the beach. Open daily from 8:00am-10:00pm.
Day 7 Sunday
On Sundays it is nice to have a laid-back breakfast. La Cueva de Chango on 38th is a great local place to go.
More Breakfast restaurant options
For more options you can see our Guide to Breakfast Restaurants here. If you do not want a full breakfast, then you might consider just a coffee and a pastry. See our Coffee Shops Guide and Bakery Guide here.
Where to eat in Playa Del Carmen for lunch
This is where you can get some excellent value because some restaurants have lunch specials to entice people to come in during the day. You can sometimes find food that is normally twice as expensive on special for lunch! Most places on this list offer a lunch special around 100-130 pesos and some are just good to eat at with regular menu prices. We hope you are hungry! Here is the list.
Day 1 Monday
Here is a good option right on 5th Avenue! Los Hijos de la Tostada is one 5th Avenue near 38th Street. Here they have seafood tostadas mainly. The vibe is young and food fresh. The combinations are good, and the food is pretty consistent. This restaurant will give you a feel of Playa Del Carmen and also not break your budget.
Day 2 Tuesday
Chez Celine is a French style bakery and cafe restaurant on 5th Avenue and 34th Street. They mainly have outdoor seating. This place gets packed for breakfast, so maybe miss the crowd and come for lunch when everyone else is at the beach. Be sure to take advantage of the display case inside with lots of delicious options of baked goods.
Day 3 Wednesday
On 38th Street going down to the beach you will find Cueva Del Chango. It is a very Playa feeling place with organic structure and healthy and delicious Mexican food. This is also a good place for breakfast, but you can get many of the same things at lunch if you like. Enjoy the funky design and charming garden in the back and front of this restaurant.
Day 4 Thursday
Time for some homemade Italian? We like this hidden find of a restaurant. Primer Plato is a small Italian restaurant with only about 15 stools for sitting. Dishes are very affordable! All of the pasta is handmade to order. We recommend going for the upper end priced menu items because they are so worth it! They are only about 20 or 30 pesos more. Don’t be in a rush here because you can wait 15-20 minutes for your dishes. Just take in the small restaurant and enjoy your food when it comes. This restaurant is a little hard to find so be sure to see the link to the article for more details.
Day 5 Friday
Enjoy a little taste of Asia at the Yum Yum Restaurant. Here you get great taste in a modern designed restaurant and good cocktails if you want to try them. Yum Yum Restaurant is on the south end of Playa at 6th Street and the corner of 10th Avenue.
Day 6 Saturday
Do you like roast chicken? Well, here are two options close to each other. One is more local and Mexican, and one is more gourmet and French style. Both are very affordable and similar in price. Either one you choose will be a good option!
Restaurant option 1
La Brocherie Restaurant is a French style roast chicken place. The concept is simple, the taste is complex, the owner a true foodie and the deserts are to die for. Even though this restaurant is on a simple street the owner and chef, Fabian, loves to cook up a good meal with good value. You really should order the chicken here and make sure you see the deserts. There are two chefs that make the deserts and supply this restaurant. If you get a chance, talk to Fabian. He loves food and talking to people. You can eat here for under or close to 100 pesos. You can see a map of there this restaurant is in our Roast Chicken Guide to Playa here.
Restaurant option 2
For an authentic Mexican roast chicken place, you can go to Asadero de Pollo. This is a very basic place but always roast up good chicken. You can get meal packages here and eat like a local. For photos and a video of this restaurant you can see more in our Roast Chicken Guide here.
Day 7 Sunday
Looking where to eat in Playa Del Carmen on a Sunday? Many people head to the beach on Sunday in Playa Del Carmen. Mamitas Beach is very popular with the 20–30-year-old crowd. So, this lunch restaurant option is perfect.
Purobeach Restaurant
What is better than a rooftop with a view? How about a swim as well? The Purobeach rooftop is on top of the Fives Downtown Hotel. Here you can either sit in the restaurant or lounge by the pool and have lunch served to you.
Where we would eat for dinner in Playa Del Carmen
This is the hardest category to pick because there are so many restaurants in Playa Del Carmen. It was much easier to pick from the limited number of restaurants that serve breakfast and then there are the places that offer great lunch deals, now we have hundreds to choose from, so here it goes. If these restaurants don’t meet your taste, then be sure to check out our full Restaurant Guide here.
The reason we selected the restaurants below are for these criteria:
- They are relatively easy to get to and not out of the center of Playa Del Carmen
- They are not taco stands or basic places. For dinner most people want a little more elegant meal.
- We don’t just name the same restaurants all the concierges tell people to go to because they get commissions. We would eat at these because we know they are consistent, give good quality food, are delicious, will make your vacation unique, and the atmosphere is nice.
- We also thought about variety and to give you good suggestions that include seafood, Mexican food and all the other great international options that are here in Playa Del Carmen.
Day 1 Monday
Monday is a good night to go to Don Chendo Restaurant. This is an Italian restaurant with good pastas and pizza. The pizzas are a more Chicago deep dish and are somewhat gourmet. The restaurant is cute and has a nice vibe after dark. It is out of the tourist area but well worth the taxi ride here or walk. The Owner Russell is a foodie who loves making people happy and providing good food. We like it because it is very consistent, delicious plus it has good value. You can expect to pay around 100-150 pesos per person here. For more about Don Chendo Restaurant see our article here including a video. Closed Sundays.
Day 2 Tuesday
Want something a little relaxed in a nice setting? Do you want an authentic taste of Mexico? Trujillos Cantina De Selva on 38th Street between 5th Avenue and the beach. This place is great for an authentic taste of Mexico. You can get a lot of things grilled and a wide range of good quality beverages. Prices are mid to upper mid-range. It can get busy, so prepare to wait if you go at the popular hours.
Day 3 Wednesday
Tonight is a small gourmet fusion Mexican restaurant just off 5th Avenue. Enjoy the complex flavors from around Mexico skillfully fused together in unique combinations. Axiote is a small restaurant with a strong chef in the kitchen.
Although the food is first class this restaurant is casual feeling, and you can relax on vacation with a delicious meal.
This restaurant is on 34th Street between 5th Avenue and 10th Avenue.
Day 4 Thursday
Do you want to hear some live music and eat authentic Mexican food? Well, we have the place for you! La Perla Pixan and Mezcal Store is one of our top picks for a Mexican restaurant in Playa Del Carmen. La Perla (for short) is a true Mexican restaurant with taste from around Mexico. Here you can get authentic food from Oaxaca and other areas complete with Mexican liquors like pulque, mezcal, tequila and pox. This restaurant on 38th Street has a palapa roof (thatched roof) and bench and tree trunk chairs. This will be a nice night to explore the real taste of Mexico and have some fun cocktails. See link above for more info.
Day 5 Friday
Los Hijos de los Tostadas is the place to go for seafood tostadas. This restaurant is casual with a youthful vibe with great consistency and value. This restaurant is right on 5th Avenue, and we choose Friday night to go here because it has a little bit of energy for you to start your weekend off with. Tostadas are about 45-70 pesos each and two can fill you up. Our two favorites are the Camaron Roca which is a batter dripped shrimp with chipotle sauce and reduced red wine sauce drizzled on it and the Tuna Sellado which is a generous portion of fresh tuna drizzled in cilantro sauce. Learn why we tell people about this place when they ask us where to eat in Playa Del Carmen. Los Hijos de los Tostada see our article here.
Day 6 Saturday
Saturday nights are a nice night to go out to something a little special and if your vacation is coming to a close you want to have a nice night out.
Day 7 Sunday
Alux Restaurant
This restaurant is also good to go to as a tourist because of its unique setting. It is in a cave! Alux Restaurant is just outside of the center and a short taxi ride will get you there. Once you descend a staircase you will be in the Mayan underworld. Before or after dinner you can walk the loop through the cave and explore the small rooms and unique corners of this restaurant. For more about Alux Restaurant you can see our article here.
We hope you have enjoyed our guide on where to eat in Playa Del Carmen. Do you have some favorites as well? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you and also if you found this guide helpful.
You might also like to read about our list of best restaurants in Playa Del Carmen. Some of them are not on this list because they are a little more out of the center but if you are looking for a good meal and experience you can visit them.
About The Author
Try Puerto Cucino Urbano! Super good and great craft beers!
We have to agree with you, Puerto is a great place to eat. We try to promote them and we hope more people find them. Right no the location is not helping them but those that go there find a good thing!
So many great restaurants to choose from. We are going to try some of these restaurants in Playa Del Carmen the next time we come. We will use it like a guide and see how it goes. We will get back to you and let you know what we thought. Thanks you guys.
Thanks Jason. We do hope you love some of these restaurants in our article. There are so many good restaurantsin Playa Del Carmen and some tourist crap ones we try to steer people away from. Let us know how it goes and give us your feedback. We love hearing from our readers.
Great post. I am planning out my trip to Playa del Carmen and having a list of restaurants is great! Thanks
Hi , I do consider this is an excellent resource. I like reading your food and restaurant reviews in Playa Del Carmen. This weekly plan is a great idea and makes it simple to find a restaurant.
Thanks for the excellent information, it really comes in handy. We are planning a two week trip and will not be staying at an all inclusive hotel so need to eat out at restaurants all the time. We will be following your recommendations.
thank you! We love eating our in Playa Del Carmen and seeing new restaurants. Your guides are really helpful!
Thanks for the outstanding information, it really is
useful.
This is an extremely helpful list of restaurants to eat at. We always end up walking around and no doubt once or twice we have found a tourist trap.
Nice feature having a weeks worth of restaurants to eat at. I love this list and have eaten at a lot of them. I will work on the rest.
Any recommendations on a spot for fresh fish?
Hello Anne
Pirata Restaurant on 40th Street between 5th and 10th Avenues is a local place that has good fish. It is hard to tell at many places where they actually get their fish. A lot of restaurants buy it from suppliers and these fish can come from anywhere around the pacific side of Mexico or even China. EL Muelle should have a good fresh fish dish since they have a cooler with them.
You left out Romeos
Yes we did. There are just a good amount of restaurants to choose from that some did not make the list. We have not been there in a while but if any restaurant has changed or wants to show us what they have further, we are always glad to go again.
Thanks for this list! We will be there in december and can’t wait to try many of your list! Any suggestions for a New Years Eve dinner/evening for a family of 8, ages 17-65?
We will have a list of places that have specials for New Years as we get closer. Grand Hyatt is one place you might look at. Thompson Hotel does a big party on the roof but is more adults only. Almost all restaurants on 5th Avenue do a dinner or two settings for New Years but often as we get closer there are more announced special dinners.
Madrez Cafe for breakfast is an absolute must. Great food and better people– Calle 8 between 5ta y la Playa.
What about Cueva del Chango? SO good!
I certainly agree with you because the small restaurants that are working so hard to put out good meals each time are so nice to visit. I am glad you are championing them. I hope more people check out local places.
Hi,
Are there any fun places you recommend for a bachlorette party? We’d like a fun atmosphere but still good food/cocktails as well.
How many people are you going to be and what is your budget? The Thompson Catch restaurant is always classy and fun and can hold a larger size group. A more Mexican restaurant that is also gourmet is Axiote. They have good cocktails and good food.
Lots of good options! Thanks for the recommendations.
I hit up La Cueva del Chango for breakfast its pretty yummy as well..
Have you heard any updates about new years? New years eve? A list of places to go and see fireworks and eat out on the town? Brunch?
Usually restaurants and hotels will start announcing who is playing and what events they have about December 10th. Fireworks are always off the beach and you can see them from Constituyentes pier, the beach by 10th or on 5th Ave and 12th. Of course rooftop parties will also have a good view. We will try to update this when we hear more of what is going on.
This is a great guide to restaurants in Playa. Many of my favorites are here!