Top 15 Places to Eat in Playa del Carmen
From birria and al pastor to Pugliese pizza and Peruvian ceviche — the restaurants locals actually eat at, not just where tourists end up.
My Top 15 places to eat in Playa del Carmen have something for every palate. One of the best traits of Playa del Carmen is the inbound of vacationers from around the world into a small beach town that you can cover from end to end in under 30 minutes on a bicycle. This influx of diversity is reflected in the incredible food options available here.
This list originally started at 5. Then it became my personal Top 10 Places to Eat in Playa del Carmen. Now it is 15. So just for you, here are my Top 15 Places to Eat in PDC. Maybe next week it will be 20.
1. Birria De La 30 · Mexican
📍 30 Avenida Nte. 4, Tohoku, Centro, 77710 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
Birria is a Mexican dish from the state of Jalisco — a traditional ancestral soup or stew made from a combination of chili pepper-based goat meat adobo, garlic, cumin, bay leaves, and thyme, cooked at a low heat. Birria De La 30 is Mexican soul food at its finest.
Pull the meat from the stew and build your bowl at the counter with a diverse mix of toppings, salsas, and spices. There was a time when I frequented this lovely establishment almost weekly. It tastes as good as it looks.
Don't skip dunking a tortilla into the consomé. The broth alone is worth the trip.
2. Cockteleria Susana · Mexican Seafood
📍 Luis Donaldo Colosio, 77728 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
Just a couple of minutes' walk from Tranquilo is perhaps the best-kept secret among the locals in Playa. Don't judge a book by its cover — although this may be a little hole in a wall (literally), Cockteleria Susana serves arguably the freshest and most authentic Mariscos (seafood dishes) that the locals love.
Not only is it fresh, but also tasty and easy on the wallet. Walk over after a day at Punta Esmeralda and you will not regret it. The menu rotates around what came in fresh that day — ceviches, aguachiles, shrimp cocktails, and mariscos plates that would cost three times as much closer to 5th Avenue.
Tranquilo guest perk: Our guests receive a 10% discount on their bill at Cockteleria Susana. Please refer to your Welcome Guide to claim your discount during your stay.
3. Gran Cafe · French-Mexican Bistro
📍 5ta Avenida y Calle 54, 77710 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
Gran Cafe is a quaint and lovely café located on the quieter, northern side of 5th Avenue. It is a fusion of a French bistro with some local delights. The open and relaxed atmosphere is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Everything on the menu is fresh and made with care.
One of the few spots in Playa where the vibe is genuinely unhurried. The coffee is excellent, the pastries are real, and the staff make you feel like a regular from the first visit.
Tranquilo guest perk: Our guests receive a 10% discount on their bill at Gran Cafe. Please refer to your Welcome Guide to claim your discount during your stay. Provecho mon ami!
4. Salento · Italian Pizza & Pasta
📍 Av. CTM 20, Zazil-Ha, 77720 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
Salento is a town in the culturally and historically rich region of Puglia in southern Italy. The owners of Salento have been serving the rich, rustic foods of their hometown at the end of Avenida CTM for years now.
If their pasta is good, then their pizza is the Mona Lisa. I have travelled through Italy from Venice in the north to Sicilia in the south, and I can emphatically confirm that Salento's pizza is that good. Order the margherita first — simplicity is always the test of a truly great pizzeria.
5. Chiltepin Marisquillos · Mexican Seafood
📍 Calle 34 esq Av 20 Norte, Tohoku, Centro, 77710 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
A very good Mexican seafood restaurant with a beautiful ambience and a pool right on the patio. While everything on the menu is great, my personal favourites are the salads and the paella — served with a whole crab on top. Great for groups. Lively, colourful, and very Playa.
6. Cheester · Italian
📍 40 Avenida Nte. entre Calle 4 y Calle 6, Centro, 77710 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
The owner's mother from Rome passed down the recipes at Cheester — and it shows in every single dish. The pasta and pizza taste so good you would believe Ratatouille himself prepared it. Even the smoothies are excellent.
The ambience and attention to detail is what makes Cheester one of my personal favourites. Bonus: almost everything on the menu is portioned to serve two people — perfect for sharing.
7. Traditional Wood-Fired Chicken & Ribs · Mexican Grill
📍 Calle 88 Nte, Luis Donaldo Colosio, 77728 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
If you like grilled chicken and ribs, this hidden gem in Colosio is amazing. The ribs and chicken are cooked over a wood fire and come out smoky, juicy, and deeply flavoured. Muy rico.
For less than 200 MXN (~$11 USD), you can get a rack of ribs with sides to go. Come see the friendly José and Diego and let them know you are a guest of Rudy at Tranquilo Vacation Rentals — they will take good care of you.
Takeout only. But it is so worth it.
8. El Arabe Tacos · Lebanese-Mexican Fusion
📍 Av. CTM 50, Luis Donaldo Colosio, 77728 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
El Arabe is where two culinary traditions meet beautifully. Lebanese immigrants brought the shawarma technique to Mexico — spiced meat stacked on a vertical spit — and Mexican cooks added chili marinades and pineapple to create tacos al pastor: one of the greatest culinary inventions in food history. El Arabe honours that heritage with every taco off the trompo. Simple, delicious, and distinctly Playa.
9. Sakura Ramen · Japanese
📍 Calle 8 entre Av 20 y Av 25, Local 1, Centro, 77710 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
When the heat of Playa paradoxically makes you crave a steaming bowl of ramen, Sakura delivers. Genuine Japanese ramen — rich broth built over hours, springy noodles, and a properly soft-boiled egg — made by people who clearly know what they are doing. A beloved spot among expats and discerning travellers who know their ramen.
10. El Pirata · Mexican Seafood
📍 Calle 40 5, Zazil-Ha, 77720 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
A casual, no-frills seafood spot in the Zazil-Ha neighbourhood. El Pirata is where you go for a cold beer and a plate of ceviche after the beach — honest cooking, generous portions, and friendly service. The aguachile and fresh fish tacos are standouts. Everything arrives fresh, fast, and at prices that make you want to come back the next day.
11. El Fogon · Mexican Tacos
📍 Centro, 77710 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
El Fogon is a Playa institution. Widely considered one of the best tacos al pastor in the entire city, it routinely has a line snaking out the door — and that line is always moving, always worth it. The pastor comes off the vertical trompo into a freshly pressed tortilla with pineapple and onion. Get there early or be prepared to wait. It is always worth it.
12. Doña Paula · Authentic Mexican
📍 30 Avenida Nte. 354, Gonzalo Guerrero, 77720 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
Doña Paula is a hidden gem — by far the best authentic Mexican food in Playa that is not mariscos. This is where the locals eat. If it were not on this list, chances are you would never hear of it or find it.
Come for friendly faces and a bowl of pozole — a rich, deeply comforting hominy and pork soup that has been a staple of Mexican cooking for centuries. The flavour here is the real thing: slow-built, complex, and served with all the traditional toppings. I am almost certain you will not regret it.
13. Peace & Bowl · Vegan
📍 Calle 30 Nte entre Av 25 y Av, Gonzalo Guerrero, 77720 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
A bright, plant-forward spot that proves eating well in Playa does not require compromise. Peace & Bowl serves nourishing bowls built from fresh, locally sourced ingredients — colourful, genuinely satisfying, and full of flavour. A great option for health-conscious travellers, anyone craving a lighter meal between beach days, or anyone who simply wants to eat something that makes them feel as good after as it tastes going down.
14. Machu Picchu · Peruvian
📍 15 Avenida Nte, Centro, 77710 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
The energy, ambience, and food here are wonderful. If you have never tried Peruvian food before, give Machu Picchu a chance. Be sure to order the grilled fish and ceviche with fresh juice, and take time to enjoy the stunning wall murals and lively atmosphere while you eat. One of the most underrated cuisines in the world, served beautifully right here on 5th Avenue.
15. Roco's Cafe · Neighbourhood Café
📍 Calle 98 Nte, Luis Donaldo Colosio, 77728 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
A beloved neighbourhood café tucked into the heart of Colosio. Roco's is the kind of place where regulars have their usual table and the staff know your order before you sit down. Great for a slow morning coffee, a light breakfast, or an afternoon break. Unpretentious, warm, and very local. If you are staying in Colosio, you will find yourself here more than once.
Honourable Mentions
Cholao Arepas · Colombian Dessert
📍 Av 20 Calle 8, Plaza Cívica, Centro · Also at the Artisan Market weekends · Google Maps →
In Hawaii, there is shaved ice. In Singapore, there is ice kachang. In Colombia, there is cholao — a fruity layered dessert that is perfect for beating the heat in Playa del Carmen. Come visit Luz at the weekend market at the Municipal Palace and try this delicious dessert with all its exotic toppings: milk, cocoa, soursop, pineapple, banana, passion fruit, and berries. You will not find it on many menus in Mexico — this is the real thing.
La 88 · Mexican
📍 Calle 88 Norte, 5 Av Nte esq, Luis Donaldo Colosio, 77728 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
A solid local spot in the Colosio neighbourhood with good Mexican food, a relaxed atmosphere, and a loyal regular clientele. La 88 is the kind of place that becomes your go-to once you start feeling at home in Playa — honest, affordable, and consistently good.
Sunrise Cafe · Café
📍 Av Luis Donaldo Colosio entre 20 y 15, Luis Donaldo Colosio, 77728 Playa del Carmen · Google Maps →
A reliable neighbourhood café for morning coffee and light breakfasts in Colosio. Warm staff, good coffee, and simple food done right. If you are staying in Colosio, you will find yourself here on your first morning and most mornings after.
Staying in Playa del Carmen? Browse our properties — from beachside suites in Zazil-Ha to tropical casitas in Colosio, just steps from most restaurants on this list.
Written by
Rudy Lim
Founder of Tranquilo Vacation Rentals. Living in Playa del Carmen for over 5 years, exploring the Yucatán Peninsula from Holbox to Bacalar — and sharing what he finds along the way.
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