As you might expect in a town full of upscale resorts, all kinds of international foods are available—haute cuisine as well as Chicago-style pizza and ribs. And wherever there are tourists, expect the usual U.S. franchises. Although restaurants are good in Cancun, few if any could fairly be described as gourmet.
A late dinner is often the high point of the day (usually starting around 9-10 pm). Be sure to taste some Yucatecan specialties such as pollo pibil or cochinita pibil—outstanding dishes of chicken or suckling pig in a rich achiote (annatto seed) sauce, wrapped in banana leaves and baked in a clay oven. Vegetarians will enjoy papadzules, tacos stuffed with boiled eggs and covered in pumpkin-seed mole. Fresh seafood, such as shrimp, fish and especially Caribbean lobster, is always an outstanding choice. Seviche—fish marinated in lime juice—is a local specialty.
The neighborhood around the convention center has the greatest concentration of restaurants on the island. Youth-oriented cafes and well-known chains are found in the many malls along Boulevard Kukulcan, especially at Forum by the Sea. Some hotels have exceptional specialty restaurants and often vie with other resorts to lure their guests away. Those who want to dine "where the locals go" find many choices in Ciudad Cancun or on the beach under thatched palapas. This is where you'll often find the best dining deals.
Expect to pay within these general guidelines, based on dinner for one, not including tax, tip or drinks: $ = less than US$9; $$ = US$9-$18; $$$ = US$19-$44; $$$$ = more than US$44.
