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Cozumel Restaurants, Part 3
Moderately Priced ($7-$15/person for a main dish, drinks and appetizer or dessert)
Le Chef |
| Eduardo's cute little place conveniently located on the corner of Avenida 5 and Calle 5 one block south of the downtown plaza and one block in from the waterfront is a recent and welcome addition to the local restaurant scene here. He used to have a gourmet food and wine shop way back in town but after Wilma he decided to try his luck with a restaurant downtown. Raves are coming back already from the first visitors to try it and word is already getting around with the locals. Very fresh fish, delicious spinach stuffed ravioli. Outstanding lasagna. And all at very fair prices. Open from 10:30 AM until late in the evening. |
Johnny Bravo's An unassuming little street front restaurant that serves up some of the best arrancheros in town. Tasty but tough beef pounded thin to tenderize and then grilled briefly over hot charcoal. Comes with freshly made tortillas and wonderful grilled baby onions. Bowls of thinly sliced radishes, finely chopped onions with fresh cilantro and 3 kinds of sauce are set out on every table.
We like our arrancheros (are-raunch-CHAIR-ohs) with melted cheese and avocado slices as well. A $10 platter is enough to fill up someone who is very hungry. And average to modest eater will be happy with the $6 half order which comes with a bowl of bean soup.
Slice the meat thinly with the sharp knife they give you and pile some on a tortilla.Top with minced onions and cilantro, radishes and your choice of sauces. Fold it over and eat like a hotdog.
They serve beer here and it's a bargain at $1.50/bottle. Some English spoken here. Dinner Only 6-11 Closed Sundays. On the west side of Avenida 15 between Salas and Calle 3.
Especias This intimate and well-located little open air restaurant has a lot of charm. The menu changes often, the prices are quite reasonable and service is excellent. Adrian, the owner/manager, is a charming host. The new location is on Calle 3 close to the corner with Avenida 5 almost across from the cute boutique known as Le Chic featured in our Shopping Guide Section. |
Because Especias (which means Spices) is so small -- only holding about 40 diners at a time, it's pretty much of a sure thing you'll meet the owner, a charming and personable cabellero named Adrian Angullo. Adrian comes from a family of local restauranteurs. (His aunt and uncle own and run the famous downtown restaurant Casa Denis -- See below.) And he's always around his place during business hours (6-11 all days but Sunday) making sure everything is running smoothly and his guests happy. Good wine, good food, good company in an intimate very Cozumeleño atmosphere and at quite affordable prices. |
Camillos A great little open air seafood restaurant with very fresh fish and shellfish and prices that are very reasonable -- especially considering the location -- 20 ft from the north wing of the downtown pedestrian-only plaza. |
This restaurant is fairly new and word is just beginning to get around. As with all our listings, it's very clean. Very popular with middle class Mexicans. No English spoken but you can order from the menu easily enough. If you're there between noon and 5, try the fried shrimp tacos -- tacos de camarones. They're just scrumptious and only 15 pesos (a bit less than $1.50) each. Order 4 with a beer or soft drink and you've got a great lunch. Their seafood soup and ceviche is also excellent. Open Mon through Sat noon to 11 PM. No credit cards. 3 doors north of the intersection of Avenida 5 and Calle 2. Across from The Sports Bar. UPDATE: They have opened a new branch also very conveniently located, bigger and open air. Mid block on Avenida 10 between Rosada Salas and Juarez.
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Casa Denis This is the oldest restaurant on the island and another long-time and justifiable favorite of tourists and locals alike. Casa Denis features large portions of traditional Yucatecan dishes like: conchita pibil, poc chuc and sopa de lima. |
Prices are reasonable -- particularly considering the location. It's about 30 ft north of the clock tower in San Miguel's downtown plaza. Stand at the clock tower with your back to the ocean. Look to your right and you'll see a street-wide walkway heading back into town and away from the ocean. Casa Denis is the second sidewalk cafe you'll come to on the right. Great people watching as you're right on the pedestrian-only plaza. This is another favorite with local Mexicans and ex-pats and definitely worth a stop in. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. All days but Sunday |
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Conchita del Caribe Unless you're staying back in town, you'll want to take a cab to this seafood restaurant which is one of the best on the island. (Don't worry about getting a cab home. This restaurant is on one of San Miguel's liveliest streets and you won't wait long. It's also a very safe neighbrhood.) |
We think this place makes great ceviche at very reasonable prices for quite large portions. We like the caracol (couch) ceviche but the shrimp is great too. Catch of the day fish fried, pan sauteed or broiled will always be fresh and delicious. Good seafood soup (sopa de mariscosas). Full bar with reasonably priced drinks. Clean but unpretentious atmosphere. Excellent service. A little English spoken here but not much. Worth the effort to learn a few food terms in advance, however. Open noon to 7:30 PM every day of the week. . 65th Ave. between 13 and 15 South. As of this writing they had just recently moved to the address listed above. It's a very pretty, open air facility with a nice clean bathroom. Go to Page 4, Inexpensive Restaurants
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