Last Updated on August 9, 2023 by Jerardo Gomez
Are you looking to find the best restaurants in Cancun? This is my honest review of Top Restaurants in Cancun with pictures so that you know which ones are good options and which ones to avoid.
Travelers to Cancun are looking to find where to eat in Cancun, have a romantic dinner on a honeymoon, find the best bars, and dietary restrictions, and find places to avoid. Here you will find honest reviews and recommendations to restaurants in Cancun. The reviews online are not always accurate.
*Pro Tip* I have found Asian dishes in Mexico to always be bad and inauthentic so I would stay away from that type of food in Mexico.
Places to avoid
Lemonchello
Lemonchello’s was recommended by Google as the first recommendation in its search with high reviews of 4.5 stars. However, after coming here I was disappointed. This restaurant has a good ambiance; its right by the water (if you ask to sit near a good view), and romantic, and looked promising. I chose to get If you want bland food then come here.
I ordered the gnocchi with the choice of gorgonzola sauce, and I was presented with overly big gnocchi with a weird texture and a flavorless sauce. They do give you complementary flatbread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar but it did not keep me from wishing I went somewhere else.
Top Recommended Restaurants in Cancun
Not necessarily my top recommendation, but I would encourage you to try the restaurants in your particular hotel as they can be outstanding! Usually, there is a buffet but also restaurants you can make reservations which are included in your stay, so take advantage of it see if those available are good.
Grand Royal Park was the last place I stayed at and everything I ate was amazing and flavorful except for the Asian restaurant. Here are some pictures of the food at my resort, and why you should try resort food.
Best Budget Options
Restaurante Mextreme – The best cheap Mexican
Restaurante Mextreme is popular with tourists and has an excellent Mexican Menu. There is live music, a bar, and Mexican dishes you have never seen before. Here you can pick from a large menu and drink menu. This is a good place for lunch or daytime dinner and its located in the central hub.
The Surfin Burrito – Most Popular Borritos
I was walking down the street to the central hub when I saw this small shop open FILLED with tourists, and after walking back there were still a lot of people. After going and seeing what it was about, I found a lot of young adults looking for comforting burritos… Their menu has MANY different options, appetizers, smoothies, breakfast, cocktails, tacos, they have it all. Then I found out they were 24/7 open. I think this was a cool and hip place to be and definitely a place to eat for budget travel or just to go if you are hungry and want a variety of small bites.
Elefanta – Best Indian and Thai Food
You might be going for something other than Mexican or seafood at this point so I got your back and have this option for you. Elephanta is an upscale eatery at an affordable price. You can pick from either Indian or Thai as the restaurant has two chefs in this specialty along with heir curated drink menu. I recommend this to be a spot for a nice dinner.
Best Luxury restaurants
Harry’s Steakhouse & Raw Bar | Cancun
The assortment of options is huge so make sure to come here hungry. This is definitely a spot to come and reserve a table for a romantic dinner or if you just want to have the highest quality food. There is so so many options but just to name a FEW there are healthy options, salads, soups, steaks, seafood, pasta, appetizers, raw bar and more.
What impressed me was the Kobe beef option from Japan as it is incredibly difficult for anyone to get their hands on it. If you don’t know what Kobe Beef is then look it up because it is rare. They also have dry-aged options for USDA steaks and rare crab. Highly recommend trying this place out.
Taboo – Best Mediterranean
The restaurant feels open and relaxed with good service. They have wide windows so everyone can see the ocean from their table. Additionally, they have live music, private rooms, outdoor seating, and a lounge experience.
This is a fine dining that does not feel too posh to be comfortable, and the food options are luxurious. This Mediterranean restaurant has the highest quality ingredients and is important from all over the world to make their dishes.
RosaNegra – Best Latin Restaurant
RosaNegra is a latin themed restaurant with ingredients and dishes from Mexico to Peru. Their ingredients come from all over the world, and as a sister restaurant to Taboo, this also has a Kobe beef option. Eating here will cost a pretty penny but you are getting the best ingredients. I like this restaurant because it has a variety of menu options that is not found in the other restaurants on this list.
This concludes the article, of dining recommendations while you are traveling to Cancun Mexico. These restaurants were picked in the Hotel Zone (Zona Hotelera) which is in the strip of almost all resorts for your convenience. There are more good restaurants in town but its best to stay in the Hotel Zone as its further away.
Do check out my other articles on this site.
