The Riviera Maya of Mexico is a very popular tourist destination. With hundreds of thousands of people traveling year round and being a well established resort district there is no question of shortage of food options. There are plenty of restaurants serving authentic mexican and international cuisines without having to go looking too far. We personally did not look for the best places to eat or check any apps for the top rated restaurants. Because we were hungry and tired most of the time, so we often entered the first restaurant we came across. Well, happens when you skip proper breakfast to get to an attraction early before it got too crowded.
Pollo Pibil - Yucatan regional dish at La Vagabunda
Anyway, we love Mexican food and we were glad we got to try some of the authentic regional dishes of the country, at least that’s what we believe. And they tasted delicious so no complaints if they are not authentic. Take a look at what we relished during our 3 day vacation.
La Vagabunda - is located on the busy commercial 5th Avenue in Playa Del Carmen. The vibrant setting and colorful decor was what invited us into this restaurant. We looked up the reviews for this place after we got back home, don’t know why the reviews aren’t so good, but we totally enjoyed it. I mean look at the pictures, how delicious do they look..
Semi-open kitchen / Enchiladas drenched with 3 salsas
Senses Riviera Maya by Artisan - is the hotel we stayed in during our trip. We can’t say enough about the hotel and the incredible view, but that’s for another time. The restaurant served some delicious menu items in a variety of cuisines. The service was a bit slow, but we were in no rush as there was a gorgeous view to enjoy. In addition to the ones in the pictures, we loved their Peruvian ceviche and breakfast items. Ceviche was our favorite among all, wish we had a picture.
Guacamole and chips, Crispy chicken wings with spicy dip
Riviera maya and Cancun maya - fruity cocktails / Mango ice cream served in a frozen mango shell
Oxtun - is located right at the entrance of Chichen Itza. The menu has regional, Mexican and international dishes to choose from. Panuchos (fried tortillas with refried beans and chicken), Salbutes (fried tortillas with chicken), Sopa de Lime (Chicken and lime soup) were the delicacies we enjoyed.
Panuchos, Salbutes and Sopa de Lima
Pancho Villa Bar & Grill - is a relaxing spot on Playa Paraiso beach in Tulum. We went there right after visiting the ruins of Tulum for some shade under the palapas and some good beach tacos. In the selection of sauces they offered, one particular spicy green sauce was our favorite. And refreshing coconut water to wash it all in.
Shrimp Tacos
Pancho Villa bar and grill / Posing while waiting for coconut pulp