Playa del Carmen is an ideal destination for foodies, with options to satisfy every taste and every budget. There are great places I visited along 5ta Avenida (5th Avenue) -the most popular and touristy street in Playa-, but I’ll also tell you about several spots I found venturing further west or north.
Here are some eateries I tried, including restaurants for a full meal and cafés for a bite to eat or to have desserts.
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La Cueva del Chango
Not only is the food good, but also the place is gorgeous, set in a lush garden with a floor fountain under the shade of tall trees. They serve Mexican dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Vegan options available.
The enchiladas with beans and pico de gallo, stuffed with chaya, mushrooms and nopal cactus, covered in mole sauce were great.
I also tried the tortilla stuffed with spinach, chopped garlic and tomato, fried chickpeas with turmeric, coriander, cumin, chives, and avocado. Savoury, to say the least.
Calle 38 Norte, east of 5ta Avenida; Open Mon. to Sat: 8AM-10:30PM, Sun: 8AM-2PM
Somos Crisol
Great café for breakfast (or lunch) or for a pick-me-up in the afternoon. I had a delicious French Toast filled with cream cheese and topped with berries and maple syrup paired with the Power Mix: a smoothie with pineapple, apple, beet, carrot, and orange juice.
My husband was happy with the Enchiladas Poblanas, which are tortillas filled with shredded chicken breast and topped with poblano sauce, sour cream, melted cheese, and roasted corn.
They also have a good selection of tacos, pastries, sandwiches, cookies, and scrumptious desserts. And of course, coffee. But I can’t tell you about that because I don’t drink coffee.
5ta Avenida and Calle 58; Open daily: 7:30AM-7:30PM. They have a take-out location on 5ta Avenida and Calle 72.
Chez Céline
This popular French artisanal bakery and café on Quinta Avenida is famous for its fresh bread, croissants, and pastries.
Their menu offers soups, quiches, savoury and sweet crepes, salads and sandwiches. I tried the iconic Croque-Monsieur in a version that only has cheese, served with a small salad.
It’s gratinated so you have to wait 15-20 minutes, but it’s worth the wait.
5ta Avenida with Calle 34. Open daily: 7:30AM-11:30PM
PLAYA DEL CARMEN WALKING FOOD TOUR: fantastic option when you don’t have time to try every place but you want an overview of local flavours while learning about local culture, including stops at cool murals.
Book your food tour, with a rating of 4.9/5 based on more than 1,190 reviews.
Bovinos Steakhouse
Even though I don’t eat meat, going to Bovino’s was still great as they have a large selection of salads, cheese, and sides in their all-you-can-eat salad bar. If your travel companions are carnivores, they’ll be delighted with all the meat cuts served at the table, churrascaria-style.
10 Avenida Norte with Calle 12 Norte. Open daily: 12PM-12AM
El Che y El Gϋey
Best Argentinian empanadas! The dough is thin, the filling is savoury and generous, never dry, and they can be baked or fried. From the wide variety of flavours here are some of my favourites: Roquefort, celery and walnut; spinach with bechamel sauce; Caprese (tomato, basil and mozarella); onion and cheese; and eggplant with mozzarella. They have other fillings like tuna, chicken, and plum with bacon and cheese. Their alfajores are also good.
10 Avenida Norte with Calle 34 Norte. Open Mon. to Fri.: 1PM-10PM; Sat: 12PM-6PM
Falafel Nessya
Come to this place for tasty falafel in different presentations: as a platter with delicious hummus, salad, chips and pita bread (I was very happy with this option), as a burger, or stuffed inside a pita bread. They also have fruit popsicles. This small Mediterranean eatery is a great choice for vegans.
Calle 6 Norte between Avenida 10 and Avenida 15; Open daily: 12PM-11PM
Food stalls at Plaza 28 de Julio (City Hall Square)
This is a good spot to try all sorts of street food. One I never miss are the Marquesitas: a thin, rolled wafer-like dough with a savoury or sweet (or combined) filling. The classic one has grated Queso de Bola (Edam cheese) and can me combined with dulce de leche, nutella, jam, cream cheese, and fruit. You’ll have many combinations to choose from.
They set shop on the square Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Not sure if you can find them on the square every single night.
Vika Café
This cute café serves burgers, sandwiches, and breakfast staples like eggs, croissants, and toast.They also serve amazing cakes. I loved their Ricotta cake, but not the Cabsha cake.
I have a sweet tooth, but Cabsha was too sweet for me as it’s basically a load of thick dulce de leche inside a crust. According to the waitress, that’s how they eat it in Argentina, they’re obsessed with dulce de leche. I would come back for the Ricotta cake.
10 Avenida Norte and Calle 14 Norte; Open daily: 8AM-11PM
Nativo
Thick and made with fresh fruits, the smoothies at Nativo are the best in Playa del Carmen.
Nativo is also a restaurant, with a window for ordering drinks only. I can’t tell you about the food since we didn’t eat there, but I can tell you we had killer smoothies.
30 Avenida Norte and Calle 20 Norte; Open daily: 7:30AM-12AM
Bonus tip: right across Nativo you’ll find DAC Quality Foods, a small market with fresh fruits and veggies and specialty items (spices, grains, etc.) that may be hard to find in the regular supermarkets.
Francesca
This trendy Italian café/bakery has pizzas, salads, pastas, and sandwiches, and a breakfast menu that’s served until 3PM. Good selection of desserts, including delicious cannoli.
10 Avenida Norte and Calle 42 Norte; Open Mon-Sat: 7:30AM-10:30PM; Sun: 7:30AM-3PM
Zenzi Beach
This casual beach bar is good for having drinks and finger food while you see the waves crashing on the sand. I had a nice tamarind mezcalita and the calamari, which were well cooked, not rubbery, and with the right amount of batter.
Craving sea and sand? Read my guide to the best beaches in Playa.
East end of Calle 10 Norte; Open Fri-Wed: 8AM-2AM; Thu: 8AM-12AM
Amorino
The worldwide famous franchise that adds no artificial colours or flavours to their gelato is in Playa del Carmen. They have other desserts, but I always end up ordering the gelato. I can’t resist the Hazelnut Chocolate, the Stracciatella, or the Dulce de Leche.
Amorino has two locations along Quinta Avenida. Open daily: 10AM-1AM
Zo’Zen
If you’re more into the frozen yogurt realm rather than ice cream, Zo’Zen is a fantastic choice. You can crown the tasty yogurt (they have a couple of flavours that include dairy-free and gluten-free options) with your favourite treats from the toppings bar. We had the carbon-activated and lychee flavour topped with coconut and cacao nibs. Soooo good!
Calle 38 between 5ta Avenida and Calle Flamingos, with another location on 10 Avenida Norte. Open daily: 12PM-11PM
Ah Cacao
This café chain specializes in (of course) chocolate, but they also have a few savoury small bites like spinach egg roll or spinach tamales. I loved their hot chocolate, but they also have a frappé version if you like that type of thing (I don’t).
They have brownies, chocolate cake and mousse, cookies, and a chocolate tamal. They make a good Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) for the Day of the Dead celebrations.
5ta Avenida (several locations). Open daily: 7:15AM-11:15PM
Did any of the places listed above catch your eye? These are a handful of eateries in Playa del Carmen, but there are many, many more to discover. While you do your culinary research, keep yourself busy with what to do in Playa del Carmen.
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