In general, restaurants on Cozumel are quite
good and very reasonably priced so don't miss the
"flavor" of Cozumel Island.
Cozumel Dining Reviews and
Recommendations
Cozumel Favorite Restaurants (February
2008) GoCozumel will accept advertising from
restaurants, but these favorites listed below
are not ads, but personal recommendations.
La Cocay
One of my
favorites! La Cocay is now on Calle 8, between Ave. 10 and Ave. 15.
Wonderful food and a great atmosphere. They are now open for lunch
(beginning at 1pm) as well as dinner. I thought that the lunch menu
was very reasonable. Prices for dinner are a bit higher, but
if you want a really great dinner and one that is beautifully presented, I recommend them.
Dine in air conditioning or outside. Call for a reservation
872-5533.
Chi
Another that's
at the top of my list is Chi Chinese Restaurant and Bar. It's upstairs at
the corner of Melgar (the oceanfront street) and Calle 3. The entrance and
stairs are on Calle 3, just before you get to Pizza Hut. Dine inside in
air conditioning or you can choose to dine outside. You'll have a
wonderful ocean view and superb food. It's a great success! They
open for their Sunday buffet at 12 noon. $12 US per person and
worth it.
Kinta
Asked a friend
we had dinner with to tell me what they thought.
"WOW! Fantastic food. Very small place with limited number of tables but very nice setting and the food was exquisite. Very nice use of colors and textures. I had pescado Kinta - a nice portion of Wahoo with corn salsa on a bed of cilantro rice. It was wonderful as was the crab appetizer. Then the desserts - tres leches bread pudding with banana and chocolate and a scoop of ice cream on top.
WOW!"
On Ave 5 between calle 2 and 4 and there is a parking lot directly across the street. Open
Tues.-Sun. 6pm to 11pm.
Especias
A very nice
small restaurant, and the owner Adrian is charming, fun and entertaining. An interesting menu with a good assortment. I've enjoyed every meal
I've had there. This is one restaurant that friends and family always want
to go to when they visit Cozumel. The food is quite
good and I think the prices are reasonable. Their new location is
upstairs, on Calle 3 between Ave. 5 and Ave. 10.
Wynston
On the on the
top floor of the north building at El Cantil condos and air conditioned of
course. It’s on Ave
Melgar (the main waterfront street) between Calle 13 and Calle 15 (Calle
15 has signs that now say Ave. Xel Ha). The view is marvelous, the
food is quite good and this is a good choice for a very nice evening
meal.
La Morena
My favorites are
coconut breaded shrimp and coconut breaded fish. The menu
has a good variety and I've always felt very welcome. I often sit
out back in the small outdoor area. I top off dinner with Mexican
coffee. There is coffee, tequila, and I believe Kahlúa plus a
dash of cinnamon and then a scoop of coconut ice cream. Prepared at
your table. Dessert and
coffee at the same time!
El Moro
Authentic Mexican
food but prices are not as low as they used to be. I like the grilled pork, and the grilled grouper in garlic and lime is one of
my favorites. The Mexican platter for 2 is quite good. Off the beaten path, so take a taxi if you don't know the island. Otherwise,
it's on 75th Ave. Norte Bis kind of behind the new Pemex gas station. Closed
Thursdays.
Coffeelia
A little restaurant and very casual, but the food is delicious
and the prices are most reasonable. I do love the iced cappuccino and special
coffee drinks they make, but I've also had the quiche and several other dishes,
plus some wonderful desserts. Open Mon-Sat. from 7:30am to 11pm. They are less
than a block off Melgar, on Calle 5, near the corner of Ave. 5.
Rock N Java Cafe
Quite good and very
reasonable prices. My favorites are the croissant sandwiches and they make
wonderful desserts you just won't believe. (German chocolate cake, pecan pie, fudge
brownies, banana muffins, cherry cheesecake, etc.) Great iced cappuccino
too. On Melgar, the main waterfront street, south of the
new Punta Langosta Plaza.
Sam's Wok
It may seem
strange to list
a Chinese restaurant as a favorite in Mexico, but this is
one of my favorites. It's south of the hotel zone on the main
oceanfront road, across from Puerta Maya, the Carnival Cruise ship line. My
favorite here is the General Tso chicken, and I'll order it "to
go" and take it home.
Casa Denis
Downtown on
the main square. The food is good and their prices very reasonable. Took a
group of 8 and everyone was
pleased with their selections. We included a wide range of tastes, from
a 3 year old to those of us that love highly seasoned foods. We dined at the tables outside to enjoy the breeze.
Located on the right side of the main plaza square, in the
second block back.
Guido's
Great Italian food, and excellent pizza. (formerly called Pizza
Rolandi) On the main waterfront street (Ave. Rafael Melgar) north of
the main plaza. Eat out on the patio. I recommend this for an evening meal.
Their garlic bread is different from what you might expect, but very good, the
Sangria is wonderful and
I do love their lasagna. They take only cash and American Express.
Las Palmeras
Right across the
street from the ocean in the middle of town, this restaurant is almost
directly across from the ferry to the mainland. Good food, and it's
presented quite well. Good margaritas, good guacamole and
salsa. The hamburgers here have a charcoal grilled taste...really
like that.
Carlos 'N Charlies
The famous Carlos
'N
Charlies moved here in December, 2001! It is no longer upstairs a few blocks north
of the main square downtown, but now it is about 4 blocks south of the
main square in the new cruise ship plaza called Punta Langosta. It's
always party time at Carlos 'N Charlies and it's always loud. Not really
my choice for a restaurant, but it's popular with the party crowd.
El Museo
On the main waterfront street (Ave. Rafael
Melgar) north of the main plaza, on the second floor covered terrace of the museum. You'll
enjoy a beautiful view of the water and the breeze is lovely. It's one of our favorite
places to go for breakfast and the prices are wonderful. Although they do serve
sandwiches, etc. for lunch they serve breakfast all day. Open from 7am to
2pm.
French Quarter
If you're hungry for a taste of Louisiana cooking, then try French
Quarter. You'll find crawfish, sausage, hushpuppies, ribs, barbeque
chicken, onion rings, and burgers too. It's on Ave. 5,
between 3rd and Salas. Dining is upstairs under the big palapa. Really
like the blackened fish here.
La Canela
I've been
to La Canela for both breakfast and lunch and I've really enjoyed it, plus
the prices are very resonable. Scrambled eggs and bacon were
just 30 pesos and
the last time I had hotcakes and bacon...also 30 pesos. There is no printed menu, but just ask the
waiters and they can tell you what they have.
Zermatt Bakery
Not a restaurant, but I had to include
this...it's my favorite bakery, and you really should try Mexican pastries. If you're on
the square downtown, walk to the back of the main square (where the clock is),
then go to the
left about 2 blocks. Zermatt is at the corner of 5 Ave. North and Calle 4 North.
American Fast
Food
Restaurants
Just in case you get a craving (or your kids do) for a
Big Mac, Whopper or Subway sandwich when you're visiting Cozumel, we do
now have a McDonalds, 2 Burger Kings and a Subway Sandwich. Other American franchises
now on Cozumel include
a Baskin Robbins, Starbucks and Hard Rock Cafe.
Local
Local
restaurants with low prices & grocery stores
These are personal recommendations based on experience
Rotiseria Triunfo
(Pollo a la Lena)
On the corner of 30th Ave. and Calle 4
Norte, this rotisserie chicken is wonderful. Cooked by a natural wood fire
it has a wonderful flavor and is very tender and juicy. Only available
"to go", and a whole chicken was 60 pesos (about $6U.S.) the last
time I stopped. They will
cut up the chicken and it comes with tortillas, spaghetti noodles and sliced
cabbage.
Sabores
On Ave. 5 downtown, between Calle 3 and
Calle 5. Open for lunch only from 12 noon to 4pm Mon-Fri. The menu changes
daily and is written on a white board. Eat inside, or walk through the
kitchen and out to their garden in back. Prices are very, very
reasonable and include soup, your main course and daily drink (usually
jamaica - pronounced ha MIKE ah). The food is just delicious.
Photo coming soon
Otates
Great for tacos! I really like the tacos al
pastor and the chicken tacos. Prices are very reasonable. They are on
Ave. 15, between Salas and Calle 3. Many times you can find parking on
the street but there is a parking lot there too. Open only in the
evenings.
La Palapa
Just across from Rotiseria Truinfo, (above)
this is my favorite place for ribs. It is also on the corner of Ave. 30 and
Calle 4. You can take out or sit down and eat. I normally order a half
kilo (about a pound) of ribs and it comes with black bean soup, rice,
tortillas, soup and hot sauce.
Asadero el Pollo
Small, grilled chicken place on 30th Ave. south across the
street from Ace Hardware, between Calle Morelos and Calle 5 Sur. They close when they run out of chicken it can be as early as
3pm or as late as 7pm. Prices are low, this grilled chicken is DELICIOUS, and it comes
with bags of rice, salsa, onions, and lots of corn tortillas.
Nino's Pizza
Great to have pizza
delivered! I'm particularly fond of their pepperoni pizza. Their
English is not fantastic, but I've always gotten what I ordered
delivered in 15-30 minutes. They are on 10th Ave. between Ave. Salas and Calle 3, and
their phone number is 872-4166.
Chedraui (grocery)
The
biggest grocery store on Cozumel! They have an ATM machine, groceries,
a pharmacy, deli, bakery, cosmetics, liquor, clothing, appliances, etc.! On
the main waterfront street, at the corner of Calle 15. They do
have an area with prepared food that you can either take home, or you can
sit down and eat there. See the online
mapfor the location.