To get you started, here are a few we know about.
Pizza
& Italian
RISTORANTE AMBASCIATA D' ITALIA
located
on corner of Avenida 5 and Calle 24.
Good
Italian food, nice atmosphere and the street side tables are pleasant.
This restaurant is in the newly developed 'North' end of Playa
which is quickly becoming the place to be.
DA
BRUNO
located
on corner of Avenida 5 and Calle 12.
More good Italian in what has become the heart
of Avenida 5. The street
side tables are a good place to watch the crowds stroll by.
IDEA PASTA
located
on Avenida 5 between Calles 12 & 14.
Small unassuming
place that puts out very good Italian meals.
CASA MEDITERRANEA
located
on Avenida 5 between Calle 6 and 8.
located in a courtyard off the street down a narrow walk way.
Watch for sign for restaurant and 'Mayan Art Gallery'
A quiet restaurant in a small courtyard with excellent Italian
dishes and an intimate atmosphere. Check out the Mayan Art Gallery
while there. This guy lived with the Mayans for years and collected
an impressive representation of masks. Although the best pieces
are gone, (you will find a wonderful jaguar on the 'wall of masks' at
Brisa Caribe) there are still some wonderful paintings and other Mayan
pieces of art.
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Mexican
LA PARRILLA
located
on the corner of Avenida 5 & Calle 8.
A
Mariachi band is almost guaranteed to show up at this lively restaurant.
Not exactly traditional Mexican, but suits most gringos and the
place is fun.
PANCHO
VILLAS
located
Calle 10 between Avenida 5 & 3.
More
like the real thing should be. Try
the mole sauce.
Las
DELICIAS
located
Avenida 5 Calle 22. More traditional Mexican
fare in the quickly developing 'North' end of Playa where you can still
drive your car to.
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Mayan YAXCHE
located
on Calle 8 between Avenidas 5 & 10.
Try it, you won't be disappointed..
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Tacos
& More
LA FLORESTA
on
the west side of the highway between the traffic lights. Even
after the recent upgrade, this place looks like nothing more than a palalpa
roof and a few plastic tables. HOWEVER,
just ask anyone who lives here where to get the best shrimp tacos and
they will tell you "La Floresta."
They are only open for lunch and only serve shrimp tacos, fish
tacos, seafood cocktails, ceviche and cold drinks.
You have to try at least one shrimp and one fish but we recommend
it all.
El OASIS
MARISCOS
located
on Calle 12 between Avenida 5 & 10.
Seafood
& fish tacos, seafood cocktails, ceviche and seafood stew.
Easy location at a good, cheap, local fast food joint.
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American
McDONALDS
located
on Avenida 5 between Calle 4 & 6
Also located on the highway just south of Juarez in the Chedraui parking
lot. OK, we admit it,
we have been there
BURGER
KING
located
on Calle 2 between Avenida 5 and the beach. When you just have to
have an American burger
DOMINOS
PIZZA located on Avenida Juarez near the highway, across from the Pemex gas station
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Argentine
BUENOS AIRES
located
on Calle 6 between Avenidas 5 & 10.
Argentine
food means beef and the steaks here should not disappoint you.
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Brazilian
PICANHAS STEAK HOUSE
located
on Ave 5 between Calles 14 & 16. A
fairly good representation of a true Brazilian "Churascaria" with 12 types
of meat prepared brouchete style and served to your table.
A true carnivores delight.
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Sushi
CABALOVA SPORTS BAR
on
Avenida 5 between Calles 12 & 14
We don't often think of sushi
and a sports bar, but then this is Playa and you will see stranger things
than this.
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International
MEDIA
LUNA located
on Avenida 5 between Calles 12 & 14.
Numerous
interesting dishes which are typical of 'fusion' cuisine.
Very reasonable prices. This
is always a favorite with us.
THE GLASS BAR
located
corner of Avenida 5 with Calle 12
This wine bar and restaurant won't
go undiscovered for long. Simple but good wine selection and delicious
food. Great corner for people watching too.
SUR
located
on Avenida 5 between
Calles 12 & 14
Excellent selection of well prepared dishes in an open relaxed
atmosphere. This is currently one of Playas favorites with the locals
who appreciate good food.
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French
BYBLOS on
Calle 14 between Avenida 5 & 10.
Yea, we know the name has nothing
to do with French food, but this is Playa and things change.
New location, new menu, old name.
Excellent chef, mediocre and slow service.
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Asian
BABES NOODLES & BAR
located
on Calle 10 between Avenidas 5 & 10
Good and reasonably priced Asian-Fusion. Another local favorite.
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Vegetarian
100% NATURAL on
Avenida 5 between Calles 10 & 12
Juices,
vegetarian and not so vegetarian.
Very relaxing courtyard or we like the upstairs terrace facing
the street.
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Mexican
Seafood
RESTAURANT
y COCTELERIA La BAMBA JAROCHA II
located on Avenida
30. Take the Constituentes
exit off of the Highway, turn left on Avenida 30, follow past first Glorieta
(traffic circle/round-a-bout), watch for it on your left.
Seafood
dishes from Veracruz.
Popular with the local business
men at lunch. 3 years ago you would never find a 'gringo' here but
word of the great food and reasonable prices have spread.
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El GUSTO JAROCHO
located on Avenida 30.
between Juarez and Calle 2 Notrh,
According to Kelle (see review at bottom of page) "They have the
best shrimp cocktail, order the large. The shrimp are sooo fresh.
And the locals were all ordering the sopa de mariscos"
Seafood
CAPTAIN BOB
located
on Avenida 5 between Calles 12 & 14
We
haven't been in here since the new management but it used to be good if
not a little expensive.
They
now have a sign out front telling you that they are so sure you will enjoy
the meal that they are prepared to give you your money back if you don't
agree. Guess it's only going
to cost you some time on the toilet if they are wrong.
BLUE
LOBSTER
located
on Calle 12 between Avenida 5 & 10. We haven't eaten here but it is
always full so something must be working.
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Coffee,
Dessert
CAFÉ SASTA
located
on Ave 5 between Calles 8 & 10
&
Breakfast
'HOT'
BAKING COMPANY
located
on Calle 10 between Avenidas 5 & 10 Excellent
fresh baked breads, cakes, etc and nice breakfast.
La
CUEVA de CHANGA located on Calle 33 between
Avenida 3 & 5
Open from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM and only serving breakfast. This
funky restaurant is in the midst of a jungle like setting and provides
a tranquil, unique atmosphere. Natural
juices, crepes, vegetarian specialties, omelets and more, using the freshest
of ingredients, help make this one of the places we like to take visiting
friends. The arrival always
makes them skeptical, but they always leave with a good memory.
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Live
Music & Food
This is a sore spot with many locals.
Noise restrictions have shut down some of the best live music venues.
Some bar owners got tired of fighting and have given up trying
to have bands, others have been able to build screens to keep the noise
to the street down.
BLUE
PARROT
located
on the beach at the end of Calle 12
The crowd gets younger as the
evening carries on. This place often rocks into the early morning.
PALAPA
HEMINGWAY located
on Avenida 5 between Calles 12 & 14. This
place used to rock into the early morning but is getting quieter all the
time.
APACIANADO located
on corner of Avenida 5 & Calle 14.
Upstairs, nice atmosphere and
cool jazz. Food can be good
or bad.
BOURBON STREET
located
on Avenida 5 between Calles 6 and 8.
Nice bar that often has live music.
KAREN's GRILL & PIZZA
located
on Avenida 5 between Calle 2 and 4.
On the south end of Quinta,
this place has been a regular watering hole for a long time.
Good food & good music.
Nice Andean flute music during happy hour, then the tempo gets
more up beat in the evening.
PEZ VELA
located
on the corner of Avenida 5 and Calle 2.
This is a long standing Playa favorite.
Loosing some popularity with all of the newer places further north,
but still a good place for a cold drink, snack, a little music and some
fun times.
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Bars
& Clubs
There is no end to the number of little bars in Playa. Wander around and you will have no trouble finding one that
looks inviting for your mood. Here
are a few that we either know or have heard are good.
KEGS
on
Avenida 5 between Calles 10 & 12. Hard
to find from the street because it is small and upstairs.
A favorite with the locals
CABALOVA
SPORTS BAR
on
Avenida 5 between Calles 12 & 14.
Besides baseball, American
football and hockey, you can find the Euros here watching their own brand
of football and Formula 1.
TEQUILLA
BARREL on
Avenida 5 between Calles 10 & 12
AJUA
SALSA CLUB & TEQUILA BAR
on
Calle 4 between Avenidas 5 & 10
Tequila, Mayan Dining,
Salsa Dancing, wild waiters. Hey
this place is fun.
DESEO
located
upstairs on Avenida 5 near the corner with Calle 12
This place is 'the' trendy place in Playa right now.
FLY
located
on the corner of Avenida 5 with Calle 12
The food is not great but this is a very popular place to have
a drink and hang out .
CASA
TEQUILA located
on Avenida 5 between Calle 4 and 6
Tequila has been savored for many years in Mexico like fine whiskey.
Stop by and find out why you want to sip a Chinaco Anejo, bury
a Jose Cuervo Gold in a margarita and leave slamming shots to the kids
in Cancun. Live Mexican music from time to time.
SENIOR FROGS
on
the water at ferry landing
Loud and crazy place to go wild.
Quieter during the day.
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