About our rating systemCancún boasts many fine Italian restaurants, but none reaches the heights found at the JW Marriott’s perpertual award-winner. The romantic dining room is a circular space surrounding a dramatic candle display, with views of the wine cellar and open kitchen; floor-to-ceiling windows look out on a man-made lagoon. It’s a memorable meal from the basket with a mix of fresh Italian bread and focaccia to the appetizers and antipasti (try the breaded mozzarella with sautéed spinach, sundried tomatoes and anchovies or king crab with red cabbage and Granny Smith apples) to the entrees. The risotto, which may incorporate rib-eye stew, mushrooms, or sea scallops, is excellent, as is the house-made tagliatelle in truffle sauce. Lobster cooked in saffron with herbed chickpea puree is one of numerous standouts among the masterful secondi piatti. The menu changes seasonally but always features homemade pasta and extraordinary steak and seafood. The service, not surprisingly, approaches perfection, and the dress code is formal.
