Cancún's restaurants outnumber hotels many times over, and competition is fierce. The bulk of the tourist restaurants line Av Tulum and its side streets: eat here and you can enjoy "fun" disco sounds with your meal. Though seafood and steak form the mainstay of many menus, you can also eat Arabic, Yucatecan, Italian, Chinese, French, Cajun and Polynesian, not to mention international fast food plus some local chains. All the hotels in the zona have at least one formal restaurant, some of which are very elegant indeed, surrounded by tropical foliage with fountains and music. Many also feature a more relaxed and relaxing beach or poolside dining room.

For budget food , follow the locals and make for the markets. The biggest in Cancún is Mercado 28 , close to the city's main post office at the western end of Av Sunyaxchen. There are plenty of food stalls and tiny cheap restaurants here. The other market in Cancún, Mercado 23 , is much smaller but makes a relatively peaceful venue for a decent Mexican lunch. From the bus station, walk a few blocks north along Tulum and then turn down Flamboyan or Cerdo. Further along, at the junction of Tulum and López Portillo, is a small plaza, complete with fountain, at the edge of another market. The little cafés here are packed with Mexican families and it's the nearest Cancún comes to having a zócalo.

Note that almost all of the restaurants in the zona hotelera are geared towards one thing only - parting tourists from large amounts of cash - and none can be particularly recommended. If you are staying on the beach, you're much better off taking a cab or the convenient "Hoteles" bus into downtown Cancún, where you'll find good food at reasonable prices, and more importantly, lots of genuine atmosphere.

D'Pa , Gladiolas, Parque las Palapas. Chic little French creperie with pretty outdoor tables and decent wine by the glass. Recommended.

El Marisquero , Av Nader and C Mojarra. Friendly seafood restaurant behind the popular souvenir market (known inexplicably as the fleamarket) on Av Tulum. Good ceviche and fresh fish.

El Meson de Novotel , Av Tulum 75. Pavement café in front of the Novotel Hotel , with good breakfasts and special lunchtime offers. Great people-watching spot.

El Pabila , inside the Hotel Xbalamque , Yaxchilan 31. Classy coffee shop with very good cappuccino, espresso and the like in a peaceful and sophisticated environment.

La Habichuela , Margaritas 25, in front of the Parque Las Palapas. Long-established and fairly expensive restaurant set in a walled garden. The menu is excellent, featuring such dishes as cocobichuela : half a coconut filled with lobster and shrimp in a curry sauce, accompanied by tropical fruits. Live jazz adds to the atmosphere.

La Parilla , Yaxchilán 51. Decent and popular Mexican restaurant specializing in flame-grilled meat. It's a bit of a tourist trap but the food's very tasty, plus there's live music every night and a buzzing atmosphere.

Los Almendros , Bonampak 60, opposite the Plaza de Toros. This is the Cancún branch of the famous restaurant that originated in Ticul, and is justly renowned for its good-value Yucatecan specialities.

100 Percent Natural , Av Sunyaxchen 26, at the junction with Yaxchilán. Not entirely vegetarian, but it serves fruit drinks, salads, yogurt and granola, as well as Mexican dishes, seafood and burgers. A pleasant enough place, if a little overpriced. There are also branches in Plazas Terramar and Kukulcan in the zona hotelera.

Pericos , Yaxchilan 71. Famous Mexican restaurant with live entertainment including strolling magicians, stilt-walkers and juggling barmen. Although it's almost exclusively patronized by groups of tourists (and very popular - arrive early to avoid the queues), it might well be the most unforgettable evening of your holiday and definitely worth paying a bit extra for. Not to be missed.

Cancún travel guide

Cancún

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