The food of the Yucatan Peninsula has Mayan, Caribbean, and Spanish influences. You’ll find grilled and fried meats, tucked into tamales, tortillas, and bolillos. You’ll find turkey, pork, and fresh seafood, accompanied by squash, beans, chaya, or pickled onions, and seasoned with habaneros & achiote. Fresh tropical fruits are in abundance, served whole or blended up in juices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  This is a sampling of what we ate on our journey. 

Merida

  • Manjar Blanco – Near Paseo Montejo, they offer delicious twists on regional specialties. It is family owned and managed, quaint, and comfortable. We shared the Plato Manjarblanco – a sampler dish that included poc chuc, media longaniza, panuchos, & empanadas.
  • Nectar – A nice break from the high-tourist areas. Highlights are a frequently changing menu and an open kitchen. We sampled the Cebollas Negras appetizer – onions breaded in recado negro, deep-fried, and filled with chile aioli. So creative (they resemble charcoal briquettes) and so good (they taste nothing like how they look)! Our entrees, langostino with risotto, and short ribs with mushrooms and polenta, were generously portioned and rich with flavor.
  • El Chaya Maya – Popular spot, centrally located, mastering local dishes like papadzules, pavo, sopa de lima, and tortas!
  • Restaurante Amaro – Near the town center, it has a lovely courtyard garden. Featuring a great variety of creative vegetarian dishes and great live guitar accompaniment.
  • Dulceria y Sobeteria Colon – With two locations, one in the city center, and another on Paseo Montejo, there is no excuse to skip this 100+ year old tradition when you need to cool off – and you WILL need to cool off. The banana ice cream satisfied my insatiable ice cream appetite.

Playa del Carmen

  • Canibal Royal – A go-to spot for beach-side eats & cocktails. Every seat in the house is good, including the tables in the sand and the lounge chairs on the top floor.
  • Axiote – The chef puts a unique spin on regional specialties and changes things up seasonally. The shrimp ceviche and cochinita pibil tacos were delicious!
  • Almirante Pech – A sister restaurant to Canibal Royal, both boast really beautiful and cool design elements. The food was excellent, and the who’s-who people watching on 5th Avenue was fun.
  • Cueva del Chango – If you can’t make it for breakfast, dinner is an excellent alternative – especially for the “Xcatic” chili appetizer, stuffed with shrimp cooked in an orange juice and soya sauce.
  • La Ceiba de la 30 – A safe distance and a nice break from 5th Avenue, it is attached to a market, offering clean-eating options, like Popeye (spinach) pancakes and an endless list of juices, smoothies and shakes!
  • El Fogon – Famous for their carne asada & arrachera tacos, it’s popular with locals and tourists and is a hybrid of a quick and casual taco stand and full service restaurant.

Isla Mujeres

  • Lola Valentina – We ate here twice in one day, it was that good! Coconut Tres Leches French toast for breakfast, and then back again for a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
  • Zazil Ha – Oceanfront, it has a beautiful view, with good service, and great food.
  • Qubano – Legit Cuban food! We shared the Cuban sandwich and the platanos maduros.

Pack your appetite and prepare to eat well!