Restaurants in Cozumel
The island offers a number of tasty restaurants in all price ranges. The restaurants on the waterfront are tourist oriented for the most part; you’ll find more Yucatecan and Mexican spots farther inland. Tiny taco restaurants and stands serve up cheap, tasty meals. Morning tacos of cochinita pibil are served at El Amigo Mario (tel. 987/872-0742), on Av. 5 Sur, between Francisco Mújica and Avenida 35. The doors close at 12 pm. El Foco (tel. 987/107-4108) on Av. 5 Sur between calles 5 and 7 Sur is the best spot for the late-night munchies—it’s open daily 5pm-2am. Zermatt (tel. 987/872-1384), a longstanding little bakery selling homemade breads and desserts, is on Avenida 5 at Calle 4 Norte. It’s open Monday to Saturday from 7am to 8:30pm. On the island’s windward side, Coconuts on Carretera Oriente (Km 43.5) serves decent Mexican and American dishes in a funky, rock ’n’ roll setting beneath a large palapa. Open daily10am–dusk. Two restaurants at Punta Bonita on the windward side serve fresh ceviche, whole fried fish, and other seafood to tables on the sand.
10 Results
- Italian
Guidos
Long-time Cozumel visitors return to sit at their favorite tables in the vine-draped courtyard at this venerable courtyard restaurant, which opened as Rolandi's in 1979. Today, Chef Yvonne Villiger, daughter of the original owner, continues to please customers old and new with the…$Downtown - Mexican
Kinta
Both nouvelle and regional Mexican cuisine are hard to find on Cozumel, but chef Kris Wallenta is determined to fill that niche. His creativity starts with a twist on all names—Kinta for Quinta, Quekas for quesadillas, and so on. Though the names seem a bit gimmicky, the food…$$Downtown - Mexican
La Choza
Before a disastrous fire in 2008, there was a distinct Mexican flair to the island's first fancy restaurant, which specialized in Yucatan and regional Mexican cuisine. It has changed drastically in its new location, which looks like a white corridor with rows of wooden tables. An…$$Downtown - Mediterranean
La Cocay
Twinkling white lights draped across the eaves reflect this cozy restaurant's name, which means "firefly" in Mayan, and which serves the most original cooking on the island. Early in the evening, locals gather for sangria and conversation while nibbling rich goat cheese empanaditas…$$Downtown - Mexican Seafood
La Perlita
Fans have been going the extra distance to reach this simple neighborhood gem for nearly two decades. The seafood comes straight from the pescaderia next door, where fishermen bring their catch each morning and vegetables and fruits are grown in the owner's garden. Everything's…$$Around town - Continental
Le Chef
Sipping a fine Cab while nibbling on a perfectly prepared Caprese salad at one of six sidewalk tables makes one want to linger at Le Chef for hours, and locals often do. The small bistro is best known for its legendary lobster and bacon sandwich, composed of chunks of lobster, crisp…$$$Downtown - Mexican
Pancho’s Backyard
At Pancho's Backyard, Marimba musicians play cheerful, melodic background tunes beneath palms and bushy banana plants, and fountains bubble as diners settle into woven leather chairs at tables set with painted Mexican tableware. Pancho and Panchito Morales have designed this lovely…$$Downtown Restaurant El Moro
You don’t often encounter waiters who call you "mi amor" (my love) and hug you as you enter and leave, but that's the norm at the Chacón family's neighborhood restaurant. The family's quirky humor comes through in the outrageously bright orange walls and stuffed toy lions, camels,…$Around town- Italian
Restaurante Alfredo di Roma
Named for Alfredo Di Lelio, dubbed "La Maestosissime Fettucini" for creating the sublimely rich Fettucini Alfredo in 1908, this intimate, candlelit dining room is the island's most elegant restaurant. A major change in 2013 improved the place immensely, when the formerly cavernous,…$$$South of town - American/Mexican
Rock ’n Java
Homesick gringos and local expats gather at this casual, friendly café with a water view and a wall of shelves filled with used books. Meals are meant to delight homesick American palates while adding pleasing twists to a traditional menu. Breakfasts include whole wheat pancakes,…$Downtown
