Ok gang, I'm heading to Cancun. Any restaurant suggestions outside of the normal Planet Hollywood/Hard Rock places? I would really appreciate "authentic" Mexican recommendations.
Thanks !

Rule 1: There's nothing "authentically Mexican" about Cancun.

There's this place called "Captain's Cove" (at least it was there about 4 years ago) -- nice setting on the water, and food was good.

If you go to the downtown Cancun area, you'll be able to find more "real" Mexican restaurants.

Go to http://www.cancun.info/index.php?opt...sk=view&id=289. This is the official Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau site.

Unlike United957, I find Cancun full of great restaurants. Captain's Cove is seafood overlooking the Lagoon. It is being rebuilt and expanded and is due to open this fall. It has a great Mexican breakfast buffet when open. It's dinners are good and moderately priced. It often has great specials at dinner time. Get a seat outdoors on the lagoon but don't get caught feeding the crocodiles.

Best place for unbiased information is the Cancun Forum on Tripadvisor.

Now where to go depends on your pocketbook and favorite food type. Cancun has some super restaurants. A fun, tourist trap downtown is Pericos. Also downtown but very upscale is La Habichuela. For an unforgetable experience (not cheap) in the hotel zone on the Lagoon try Laguna Grill.

Somewhat like Pericos, try La Parilla for downtown ambiance, food and margaritas. Strolling mariachis, a lively neighbourhood and a menu with a wide variety of foods, both grill and Mexican dishes.

Puerto Madera is an Argentinian steakhouse with reasonable (not low) prices and a great setting. We thought the food and service were excellent. It and Laguna Grill are very romantic settings.

Mr. Papas - located in La Isla shopping center has from Mexican to seafood to burgers, and well-very large baked potatoes at good prices.

Another downtown restaurant with excellent Mexican food and great service is La Parilla - downtown.

My all time favorite Mexican Restaurant was Marie Bonita . It has been renamed Paloma Bonita and is to the left/north west of the Dreams Resort at Punta Cancun. Have not been there since the name change, but have heard good things about it.

Pacal - Unbelievable Mayan style cuisine at La Mansion just to the west of Plaza Caracol and very close to where El Mexicano used to be.

La Casa De Las Margaritas - Great margaritas, food and entertainment at this Plaza La Isla shopping mall restaurant.

La Destileria - One of the better lagoon side restaurants with a fantastic tequila selection and cuisine to match. Located between Plaza La Isla and Kukulcan Plaza shopping malls on the lagoon side. Can be very noisy.

On the lesser expensive side consider:

La Placita - Just south of the Royal Sands. Live mariachis, margaritas with a kick and very authentic Centro (Downtown) Cancun MX food, they also have a location in Centro. We really enjoyed it. It not only was fairly priced, the food was good.

Cancun is filled with graet restaurants. Don't believe otherwise. And in the Hotel Zone and even in downtown Cancun, you can drink the water but the beer is better!!!

I'll second mshaikun's recommendation for Puerto Madera. Very good steaks! Try the grilled provolone. It is located on the main strip almost across the street from the Ritz. I don't know where you are staying, but if you are the Ritz or Le Meridien it is an easy walk.

MB at the Grand Aqua was also very good, but we were there 2 days before the hurricane last year and while Cancun was still very crowded, MB was empty. There were only 2 tables filled.

Nothing else that I recall was very memorable. The Club level at the Ritz rocks though and a few nights their heavy hors d'oeuvres and drinks became dinner.

I also recommend the Canc�n branch of Los Almendros ("losse uhl-MEN-drosse") restaurant near the bullring. Los Almendros was started in 1959 by a hunter, Rub�n Gonz�lez, in Ticul, Yucatan, near the center of what was Mayan classic culture, and was expanded to M�rida in 1973, where there are at least two Almendros, and to Canc�n more recently.

I recommend Los Almendros to savor authentic Yucatecan food like sopa de lima (lime soup with chicken,) poc chuc (pork marinated in salt water and bitter orange,) fish tikin xic (fish prepared in achiote, or in English annatto, and bitter orange, served with xnipek sauce,) cochinita pibil (pork mariniated in annatto and oven-roasted,) salbutes (fried tortilla with shredded pickled turkey or pork pibil with pickled purple onion,) papadzules (tacos with hardboiled egg, tomato sauce and squash seed sauce.)

If you like beer, forget the Corona, friends; order a Yucatecan Montejo beer, or a Negra Le�n dark beer. For a digestif, have a Xtabent�n ("shtuh-ben-TOOM"), a Maya-influenced drink made with native honey, rum, xtabent�n flower and anise. (If you like it, you can buy Xtabent�n made by D'Aristi, a reliable brand, to bring home. Drink enough of it, you won't be able to pronounce it anyway.)

Cafe Salsa at the JW Marriott was wonderful, check it out.

ALSO!! DON'T forget to check out ALL YOU CAN EAT LOBSTER BUFFET IN JW MARRIOTT!!! IT's GREAT... LOTS OF LOBSTER.... tasty!!

There are other Lobster buffets in Cancun, but the Marriott's the best that I have tried. Good suggestion hotcutiepie.

Such a timely thread since me and my wife will be in Cancun next week.

mshaikun, thanks for all the info you gave, it will be useful to us.

My wife will love the lobster buffet! I am allergic, is there options other than water at this buffet or should I plan on just drinking wine and eating later?

Lots of other choices. The Prime rib and Lobster buffet at Cafe Salsa was $46 US for adults and 50% off for kids. Check around for discounts. Ask the bellman.

On its web site is the following note:
I am not sure whether the buffet is still available or on which nights or at which price.

I am heading to Cancun on FRIDAY!!! I can't wait...hope you all have fun...
I saw some after wilma pictures... I hope it is not like that... I love cancun... I will be sososoos sad.. if cancun didn't rebuild as it used to..

Enjoy the LOBSTER buffet.... oh.. Make sure you ask your waiter for the lobsters before you head to the common buffet..sometimes.. it takes a while for them to cook it.. and you don't want to be full when the lobsters come!! Tell your waiter in advance, how many you are going to eat.. and want to eat... and ask them to serve continueously... or else..

GO EARLY too!!! The Margarita are really good.. and the cup they serve them in ... ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!

Give us a report when you return.

Headed to Cancun in two days, would love to get an update on this thread regarding restaurants, the lobster buffet and other recent experiences. Thanks in advance.

La Madonna at the Isla shopping district is great, (expensive), three stories, and focal point a huge portrait of the Mona Lisa, food is great, service is excellent and overall a very nice restaurant.

There is a restaurant a block or two away from Isla shopping district name La Distilleria (Excuse spelling), its a restaurant but has some very interesting museum quality artifacts of tequilla making through the ages!
Kasop

We really liked Laguna Grill. Great food great service.