3 Best Restaurants in Cozumel, Mexico

Background Illustration for Restaurants

Dining options on Cozumel reflect the island’s laid-back attitude: breezy and relaxed, with casual dress and no reservations the rule at most places. Generally, restaurants emphasize fresh ingredients, simple presentation, and amiable service. As befits an island, there’s lots of just-caught seafood on the menu. Yucatecan cuisine is harder to come by; you’re more likely to find standard Mexican fare like tacos, enchiladas, and huevos rancheros. For budget meals, head into the untouristed part of downtown, because they’re few and far between elsewhere. Although some restaurants are turning out creative cuisine to suit the most demanding of palates, most visitors say their best dining experiences are in little family-owned spots that seem to have been here forever. While many restaurants accept credit cards, café-type places generally don’t. Cab drivers are often paid to shill for restaurants, so take their dining suggestions with a grain (or two) of salt.

La Cocay

$$$$ | San Miguel Fodor's Choice

This casually sophisticated dining room and garden is a local favorite. Although the menu changes frequently, you can expect to find salads with fruits, pasta dishes, steaks, and seafood entrées like seared sashimi-grade tuna or the sweet-mango-topped mahimahi. Consider sharing several small plates from the tapas menu (the blue-cheese phyllo rolls with black-cherry sauce, salmon meatballs, and octopus with garlic are top picks). Also on offer are reasonably priced wines by the glass from Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. As everything is made fresh, popular menu items tend to run out, but everyone seems to leave happy.

Casa Denis

$$$ | San Miguel

This restaurant in a little yellow house near the plaza has been satisfying cravings for Yucatecan favorites like cochinita pibil (spiced pork baked in banana leaves) since 1945. Locals tend to stop in between 8:30 and 1 for cheap breakfast and lunch menus that highlight tacos and empanadas, and the tortas (sandwiches) are also a real bargain. In the evening, Casa Denis is a place to see and be seen—if you're seeking more privacy, opt for a seat in the quiet garden courtyard to the rear.

Coconuts Bar & Grill

$$

The T-shirts and bras hanging from the palapa of this hilly, windward-side hangout at the island's highest point are good indicators of its party-time atmosphere. Classic rock and reggae tunes play in the background while crowds down cervezas, fish, fajitas, and garlic shrimp. The meals may not be good enough to write home about, but they are good enough to keep the crowds coming. Be sure to stroll out to the quieter, outer edges of the dining area and admire the stunning view. Playing with the lazy house dogs and cats (all rescues) is always fun. The party closes at sunset, and the carved coral steps going downhill can be tricky: use caution.

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