I have not been in years. Any recommendations would be appreciated
bumping this as we’ll be there in a couple of weeks. Certainly not my first destination choice in Mexico but ease of access from the DC area is hard to pass up. We’re at the El Presidente (Inter Continental) and will probably take a day trip to Isla Mujeres but nothing else planned except general lounging and margarita sampling.
seafood and no English @ Los Aguachiles
We loved fantino at The Ritz Carlton,
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Cancun/Dining/Fantino/Default.htm
Full disclosure: I do not like the hotel zone in Cancun at all. The very best food we had there was when we hopped on a bus and went into town to the market (Mercado 28). We asked someone at the market where to eat and they walked us to a restaurant that was fantastic and that I could not possibly locate again. But if you are looking for Fine Dining I will be of no help.
Fantino at the Ritz is good. I usually go down to Playa or Cozumel though. Brian is right. Down there, you are usually much better off finding a local spot that isn’t fine dining but is local and interesting. Generally, if you go to the high end of the market, you will be very disappointed compared to what you get anywhere in the US. I always leave disappointed in the food and even more disappointed in the wine. Eat local and drink tequila.
It’s been 25 years since I stayed in Cancun. I usually went some where for the experience, rather that fine dining. Is Perico’s still running their stick? I seem to recall that they would take a line out the back door, through an alley, and then required you to do a shot of Tequila to get back in through the front door.
There was some guy in the mariachi band that looked like Tattoo from the 1980’s series Fantasy Island.
Thanks for the suggestions. Local and interesting is my speed for the week.
Jay - where are you staying? I have been looking into a trip to playa del carmen and trying to distinguish between the various resorts. (apologies for the thread drift)
El Presidente (Inter-Continental)
We got back last night to 15 degrees and 5 inches of snow today…oh well at least we had a break. Our hotel was excellent and I’m not sure I would stay anywhere else in Cancun. While our room was small and somewhat sparsely furnished, the grounds, food and truly wonderful, friendly service were top notch. I agree that this is not a foodie destination though we avoided the top end places. I was surprised at all the “excellent” reviews in TA I read about the places we dined. 3 stars overall in my book. As I generally do in Mexico, stuck to margaritas and beer as the lists were either mundane, overpriced or both. I thought our SWA package deal a good value and we were in and out of the airport very quickly. Unfortunately, Montezuma got his revenge at the end of the trip so a bit of a downer. Again, ease of access makes Cancun a good destination as it doesn’t take long to reach the beach.
La Habichuela Downtown Cancun where the mexican people live.