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La Parrilla

La Parrilla (Av. Yaxchilán 51, Sm 22, El Centro, Cancún) — With its flamboyant live mariachi music and energetic waiters, this place is a Cancún classic. The menu isn’t fancy, but it offers good, basic Mexican food. Two reliably tasty choices are the mixed grill (chicken, steak, shrimp) and the grilled Tampiqueña-style steak. Combining entertainment and cuisine, waiters flame broil lobster, salmon, shrimp, and filet mignon directly at your table. Offered are 30 different taco dishes as well as sizzling fajitas and thick burritos. Choose from a wide selection of tequilas to accompany your meal. Reservations are recommended.

La Madonna

La Madonna (La Isla Shopping Village, Bulevar Kukulcán Km 12.5, Cancun) – named after the famed Leonardo da Vinci painting, this classy wine-centric restaurant is meant for a dressier mature crowd who want to steer away from the Spring Break partying nearby. The bossa nova and lounge music set the tone for this restaurant.

La Madonna offers exquisite Italian and Swiss dishes which are prepared with the finest regional and imported ingredients. The unrivaled menu includes salads, soups, rissoti, pizza, and pasta. Seafood and steaks are also delicious. However, chef specialties suggest the original recipe of Swiss cheese fondue, “Taglionni ai tartufi bianchi e nero”, and Parmigiana Veil of imported quality. La Madonna’s has an array of fine wines selected by the sommelier. At the upper level, La Madonna features a Martini Bar where more than 150 different martinis are prepared. Guests might drink quality cognac while enjoying a fine Cuban cigar.

La Habichuela

La Habichuela (Av. Margaritas 25, Sm 22, El Centro, Cancún) –– Elegant yet cozy, the much-loved “Green Bean” has an indoor dining room, as well as an outdoor area full of Mayan sculptures and local trees and flowers. Open since 1977, the spot is named after the famous crema de habichuela (a rich, cream-based vegetable soup) or the cocobichuela (lobster and shrimp in a light curry sauce served inside a coconut). Seafood lovers will get their fix with Caribbean lobster tail or giant shrimp prepared ten different ways. The menu also features chicken, pasta, and grilled shish kabobs. Finish off your meal with Xtabentun, a Mayan liqueur made with honey and anise. If you prefer to stay in the Hotel Zone, La Habichuela Sunset recently opened to much tourist fanfare, but the food’s much better at this Centro location, and prices are slighty less.

duMexique

duMexique (Av. Bonampak 109, Sm 3, El Centro, Cancún) — Discreetly located on the bustling Avenida Bonampak, this hidden gem bears no resemblance to an ordinary restaurant. Chef Alain Grimond and his wife Sonya have converted their home into an intimate dinner-party setting to create a dining experience unlike any other. Doubling as a gallery, the dining room features modern art, a grand piano, and a crystal chandelier that casts spectrums of light onto the pristine ceiling. Accommodating only 20 guests per evening, the restaurant begins the ritual with martinis in the tropical garden, decorated with tiki torches, dark rattan furniture, glass lanterns, and microsuede cushions. The French menu (featuring five appetizers, five entrées, and four desserts) changes daily and is seldom repeated. Selections might include duckling with risotto or entrecôte with wine sauce. By calling ahead, you can request soufflé de huitlacoche, a delicacy made from mushrooms that grow on cornstalks. A fusion for the eye and palate, each course is a masterpiece of presentation. Be sure to visit the kitchen, where the awards of master chef Grimond are on display.

Cenacolo

Cenacolo (Kukulcán Plaza, Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 13, Zona Hotelera, Cancún) — Brick oven pizza and pasta, handmade in full view, have made this fine Italian restaurant a favorite. Appetizers include beef or octopus carpaccio that practically melt in your mouth and a light calamari. There are more than 15 pasta dishes to choose from, including a delicious lobster ravioli filled with ricotta cheese and served in a white-wine sauce. The restaurant also has a small wine cave with a romantic table for two (reserve this section in advance). Although it’s inside a mall, the restaurant’s main dining room is elegant, with stained-glass panels on the ceiling and live piano music.

Hanaichi

Hanaichi (Blvd Kukulcan, Km 9, Cancún) — It might look like a hole-in-the-wall, but this small Japanese restaurant has some of the best sushi in Cancún, and is frequented by Mexico’s best chefs. Across from bustling Plaza Caracol you’ll find skilled Japanese chefs preparing sashimi, nigiri, and every type of sushi roll imaginable. House specialties include the Copan Roll (deep fried shrimp wrapped in cucumber) and the Cancún Roll (stuffed with eel and scallops). There is a sushi bar on the ground floor and an intimate dining area with a few tables upstairs. Granted, you might not hear crashing waves or feel the sand under your toes, but you’ll have an authentic Japanese experience for a fraction of what you might pay down the road. It’s best to know your sushi if you dine here though, since the menu is written in Spanish and Japanese.

Fantino Restaurante

Fantino (Ritz-Carlton Cancún, Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 13.5, Zona Hotelera, Cancún) — Reflecting Mexico’s rich Spanish heritage, this Mediterranean restaurant lives up to its reputation as one of the country’s finest. Grandeur hits a peak in this ballroom setting, with long-stemmed roses and hand-painted ceiling frescoes that subtly match the fine English china. Each guest, referred to by name, is treated to the sounds of live piano music, and the velvet walls mounted with candelabras are only overshadowed by the red satin curtains and ocean views. Each course is paired with its own wine. Designed to play with the senses, appetizers moisten the palate in preparation for the seven-course tasting menu. Divine dishes include watermelon salad with buffalo mozzarella, sautéed foie gras with berries, and vanilla braised veal cheek with squash gnocchi. All ingredients are hand selected from local farms or air-freighted to the hotel. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the waiter wheels over the candy cart, featuring 10 glass towers of handmade sweets. Reservations are recommended.

Downtown (Av. Xpuhil, Sm 19, Mza 2, Lote 24, El Centro, Cancún) — This urban bistro brings a touch of New York into the heart of El Centro. Warehouse meets Zen in the informal yet sophisticated dining room, which has cement floors, exposed air ducts, dim light from dangling light bulbs, red velvet cushions, and a chicle tree enclosed in glass. Lack of detail on the chalkboard menu might deliver a pleasant surprise: the nondescript mac-and-cheese or steak-frites are both rather gourmet. The goat-cheese pizza and duck pâté with red onion marmalade are excellent starters—follow with a lamb burger topped with tzatziki. This is a great place to grab a hearty breakfast since all the sausages, breads and marmalades are made in-house. You can watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen; there’s also a lounge area with relaxing music and powerful martinis.

The Club Grill

Club Grill, The (Ritz-Carlton Cancún, Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 13.5, Retorno del Rey 36, Zona Hotelera, Cancún) –– The Club Grill has re-created the upscale ambience of the swank 1960s with such details as a martini lounge, tuxedoed waiters, and live jazz complete with a double bass. A five-course tasting menu, paired with boutique Mexican wines, changes monthly. The dining room here is romantic and quietly elegant, with rich wood, fresh flowers, crisp linens, and courtyard views. The contemporary menu changes every three months, but might include starters like caramelized scallops and truffle corn soup, or main courses like tequila duck. For dessert, try the soufflé trio served with cups of liquid chocolate, coconut cream and Grand Marnier sauce. Like a waiters’ ballet, the delivery of domed silver platters is synchronized among the servers, making the entire dining experience an unforgettable one. To cap the evening, women are given a red rose and a box of truffles. Reservations are recommended.

Casa Rolani Restaurante

Casa Rolani (In front of Royal Sands, Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 13.5, Zona Hotelera, Cancún) — The secret to this restaurant’s success is its creative handling of Swiss and Italian cuisine. Be sure to try the carpaccio de pulpo (thin slices of fresh octopus), the cheese fondue, or the mesquite-grilled rib eye. Appetizers are also tempting: there’s puff bread from a wood-burning oven and a salad and antipasto bar. For something with a bit more local flavor, try the black ravioli stuffed with lobster or the restaurant’s specialty Gamberoni dei Re Maya: jumbo shrimp baked in banana leaves and topped with a special Mayan sauce. Entrees are served under silver domes, including the chef’s specials that change monthly. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list and a wine bar. The beautiful dining room and attentive service might make you want to stay for hours, and there are pleasant lagoon views from the spacious patio.