How about we all post the restaurants we like, their locations and why we like them? I'll go first...obviously... Iki Located in Parque de las Palapas (center of SM22) - near the south-west corner. Serves Asian and Thai fusion cuisine. Have loved all the dishes I've tried there, also love the decor. Owned by Cunspin and hubby. Los de Pescado Several locations including one near Telmex at the corner of Yaxchilan and Labna (in SM20), another on Tulum near the corner of Liebre (also in SM20) and one in the HZ near TyCoz (around KM 8, I think). Serves batter-dipped fish tacos, batter-dipped shrimp tacos, ceviche and ceviche tostadas. Menu is small, food is cheap and always good. La Troje Located on Avenida Acanceh in SM15A, near Sports City. Serves pastas, baguettes, crepes, salads. Service is often slow and bad, one of their pasta dishes is my all time favorite in Cancun. A "chick" place, girls like it better than boys from what I've seen. Mr. Lau's Located on Avenida Nichupte across from the Parque Kabah (in SM51). Serves Asian food. Take out is a better deal than eating there. Food is always great. Place is always empty. Cheester Located on Calle Mazatlan facing the park in SM31. Serves pasta. Reportedly owned by a former chef of the Ritz Carleton. Tiny, yummy, cheap. Weird hours, not always open when I want to go. Sushi Itto Located in Plaza Las Palmas on the Coba side in SM36. Serves Japanese food and sushi. We have always enjoyed our meals there. Food is great quality. The a/c is often too cold in there. Cheaper than Irori. Irori Located just of Tulum Ave. in SM4 on Calle Viento. Serves Japanese food and sushi. Expensive if you are a sushi hog like husbandito. Food is always great. Oasis Located across from Costco on Yaxchilan in SM17. It has a palapa roof. Serves seafood. There's one in Playa del Carmen also. Have always had good food there. Wish they would dust better. Honorable Mention: El Pocito Located in SM63 on Calle 35 (a couple of blocks off Uxmal on the right). Has a white wall and a palapa roof. Serves authentic Yucatecan food. My husband loves this place. If I ate this food very often I would die of a heart attack.
I agree with Kimberly's picks but will add a few of my own; Italian Lucky Lucianos, Dolce Vita(Downtown) Cheester is good but it is rather rustic I would recommend going there in the cooler months. Japanese Hanaichi, HZ love this place but it is tiny . it is located facin g the parking lot and Plaza Caracol behindor next to the Convention Center. Yamamoto, Cancuns first Japanese Restaurant and has always been very good SM3 on Uxmal. Comida corrida El Atajo, excellent homestyle Mexican food, we eat there at least once a week. Located in Donceles. French DePa Next to Iki I love the Fondue and the Beef Bourgunion. Breakfast El Cafe Nader, I have been eating breakfast there since they opened 20 years ago or maybe 19 can't remember. Tacos Les Bons, Mercado23, great Tacos. La Cabañita, these are my favorite it is a cart located in the parking lot of Hobbies across from Chrysler. I ask for the Campechanos annd never ask whats in them, they are sooo good and also have pretty good burgers. We used to eat at Tizoncito in Plaza Las Avenidas alot but I noticed that they have changed the name I am sure they just stopped paying for the Franchise rights and probably still serve the same thing. Los Primos are pretty good too, they are located on Labna just past the Apple Store. Fine Dining/Steak Seafood Laguna Grill our other Restaurant Cambalache The Club Grill, Ritz Carlton. Downtown I like Bandoneon and John Grays although IMO JohnGray needs to change his menu more often and IMPROVE several of the recipes right now after trying pretty much the entire menu the best thing on it is the Chicken and the Pate. I like the Restaurant though.
Ok, I'm working on mine and have seen some of my favorites already on the lists. Since I have been living in the Hotel Zone for a couple of years, many are there but also have some in downtown where I lived before but my big question right now is What are suggestions and favorites for breakfast??? It is the weekend and I am a big breakfast person. Other than El Cafe on Nader (which it seems is opening a "branch" close to me) and the cut-from-the-same-mold Tok's, El Portón, Sanborn's and VIP's, what other good ideas are there? Anyone been to El Ocho in front of Costco? Applebee's? Sunday Brunch suggestions also requested! TIA
We went to DePa last month. Party of four. The place reeked of smoke, it was quite humid and warm and the staff would not turn on the air-conditioning. Two of us, my wife and the her friend, had the Beef Bourgunion. Both stated that it was fatty and gristly and tasted, to use a Britishism, "off". The waitress did not respond in an appropriate manner, but the manager/owner did offer apologies and an exchange of orders after we became a bit more forceful. My friend and I ordered something else and were quite satisfied with the food, if not with the service. Later that night both my wife and her friend were seized by horribly upset stomaches and the symptoms lasted the better part of two days, despite clinical overdoses of Immodium. Since we all had the same salads and side dishes and shared the same wine, and since the ladies' replacement orders were for different items, the logical conclusion was it was the beef, even though they both only had a couple of forkfulls before stopping. Needless to say, we won't be going back there. In the crystal clear vision of hindsight, we should have walked out as soon as they said they don't turn the air on until later in the evening. There were too many good places places, like Iki, within walking distance to put up with attitudinal BS like that.
I like El Ocho too. But I didn't include it because it's often really smoky. I like the food. But mostly I like the feel of the place, ambiance, it's a place to hang online or have a nice business lunch. Just wish there wasn't smoking in there.
I like El Ocho as well, it's always been quiet when I've been. I went yesterday and switched a box of books that Needful Things wouldn't accept - finally that box is out of the boot of my car! They have a great chicken soup and you can add all the stuff to it - panella cheese, onion, avacado and peppers. Super Salads is really good too - I still have a problem with the transparent bathroom doors though. There's an Italian restaurant on Avenida Del Sol located next to the laundry. I can't remember the name, but it's really good. Huge portions, they have their own real pizza oven and good prices too.
Hey Rivergirl - Great list. I'm a man and I love La Troje - (probably because it's full of 'sport city' chicks) I also like Flamingo's in Punta Sam - for a sea view and great Tikin Xic. La Casa del Bagel - tequila salmon bagel Fish Fritanga - cheap and cheerful! Pescaditos on Yaxchilan - shrimp caldo and a michelada for the cruda! La Dolcemente Pompey - HZ, homemade pasta, and fun, local atmosphere The little french place in a house behind the Yaxichilan - good wine and delicious french cuisine. and most of the aforementioned as well!
Sport City Cafe has great food, I love the coffee and the breakfasts are really good. I just returned from breakfast at La Troje and it was good as usual Anna has been a freind of ours for over 20 years and we have always had great food whereever She has been.
food The little French place matkirk is speaking of is L'Escargot. It's fabulous! I also like Iki, La Habichuela, Pescadito's, Los Arcos, tacos (and burgers) at the same taco stand that Cunspin mentioned (La Cabanita??), Ty-Coz, L'Escargot, 100% Natural, Super Salads, and the gringas at El Asador are my favorite!!!
If I had to choose one, and only one of the many great Cancun restaurants, it would have to be La Palapa Belga. It is located on the grounds of the Imperial Laguna Hotel on Calle Quetzal in the HZ. We have never had a bad meal there and find the prices to be quite reasonable, the atmosphere peaceful and the view of the HZ beautiful. It is closed on Sundays and although I have not had breakfast (opens at 8AM) there, I have been told that it too is delicious! A menu sampling courtesy of Dos Gringos: http://www.cancunmenus.com/menu_gifs/menu_lapalapabelga.html
