Axiote Cocina de México was an incredible, beautiful restaurant, and one of the highlights of our trip--a perfect reminder to get out of the hotel and experience the local fare. The space is warm and completely unpretentious--wood, simple tables, an open kitchen and a palapa-style roof. Nothing about it screams "fine dining," and that's part of the charm. The perfectly prepared food does all the work. We chose the tasting experience, and bite for bite it was outstanding. The fried mushrooms were perfect, the fish ceviche was awesome, and the beef tongue was cooked beautifully. And don't be afraid of the grasshoppers--seriously. Yummy. Even ingredients I normally don't gravitate toward, like black beans, were used so thoughtfully that I enjoyed them. The drink pairings were equally impressive--tequila, beer, wine and espresso--and each one genuinely complemented the course it accompanied. We were basically the only guests that evening, and our waiter turned that into a wonderfully personal experience. He patiently answered every one of our many "American questions" about the ingredients, preparation and pairings, never making us feel rushed or out of place. A sincere thank-you to him, the cooks--who my partner and I gave a standing ovation to--and the entire team for making the evening so memorable. My one tiny suggestion? Cloth napkins. With that many courses, sauces and textures, the paper ones felt a little out of step with the quality of the food. But when the napkin is your biggest criticism, they're doing something right. And then there's the value. For an experience of this quality, the price was remarkable. Our total was about $320 including tip for the full tasting experience and pairings for two. We have spent more than twice that on comparable special-occasion dinners at home, so Axiote felt not just exceptional, but genuinely budget-friendly for what you receive. Axiote is relaxed, confident, welcoming and absolutely worth leaving the resort for. Go hungry, ask questions, trust the kitchen--and yes, eat the grasshoppers. read more

See all

Great experience last Friday night at this Michinlin Bib restaurant. So glad I stopped by this place is bomb and super not pretentious! Wish I got the tasting menu but I opted for 3 of the specialties instead and they were delicious... Tasting menu is best value tho! I got the raw trout sashimi thing and it was by far the best plate of the meal (first dish/appetizer) , then got the shrimp flautas (good not amazing) then I got the trout loin for the entree (good not amazing) Skinny marg was perfect and so was the waitress! Would recommend and go back but like I said I would for sure do with the 6 or 8 course tasting menu! read more

See all

Okay, where do I start. I made a reservation about a month before our trip, they were already pretty booked so I made a 4:45pm. I somehow missed that the coursed meal doesn't start until 6...and we didn't realize until same day. They couldn't rebook us until 9PM but told us to swing by early to see if they could get us in AND THEY DID. It was a Christmas miracle. And I'm glad they did because the whole experience was about 2.5 hours from start to finish. The place isn't very big, but is beautiful inside. They have an awesome bar and and open kitchen so you can see everything. It's a really neat place. We were seated pretty quick once they got the table cleaned, and then were greeted by our waitress. When we told her we were there for the 8 course meal, they switched waiters on us, and then the upselling started. Right off the bat they tried to talk us into a cocktail...when we were doing a pairing with our meal. It took them a little time to get the meal going, and then between courses was a little hit or miss. Sometimes it was free flowing and sometimes it took 10-15 minutes to get our next dish. The food. We were a little nervous we would leave still a little hungry but I assure you, you will not. For ~$100USD each, you get so much food, and a drink with every course. It was fantastic and so worth it. Here were the courses and pairings (that I can remember lol): 1. We started with the dips - a bean dip with cheese sauce and guacamole with crickets. Very classic, very well done. The crickets added a nice, nutty flavor. I was a huge fan of the beans with their blue corn tostadas, so much flavor. They also had a third dip that was pumpkin seed based, it was good but not as memorable. Their hot sauces came out with this course. It was paired with a house mezcal (with salts, cucumber, and orange) that was incredible and smooth. 2. Shrimp ceviche which was super refreshing and flavorful. They paired this with sparkling wine. 3. Sea bass with a cream sauce and grapefruit. I'm not a huge fishy flavor person - my first bite had all three compnents and I thought it was delicious. My husband just had fish as his first bite and thought it a little fishy, but once we added everything else he agreed it was great. Three small pieces, so it was a nice course. Paired with a sauv blanc. 4. Roasted tomatoes in a mole sauce. A nice veggie course. I thought they were cooked well, nothing super fancy. Paired with a Chardonnay. 5. Cooked shrimp with potatoes. My husband called this a "filler" course - there wasn't much to it. The sauce had some greens in it but it was just something light and easy to serve. Can't remember the pairing here. 6. THE CARROTS. MY FAV THING. OMG. Literally so fresh, the perfect texture, and the sauces. I could have eated a whole bowl with this one. Paired it with a red blend. 7. Cow tongue. I forgot a photo. I was starting to get drunk, I'm sorry. Paired with a red wine. This was tender, the sauce was delicious. If you're not used to beef tongue, please don't let it scare you. It was amazing. 8. Dessert. Also amazing. I think it was paired with a sweet red but....a little drunk here...we got a cheesecake which was more on the savory side, super unique, and so delicious. I was a huge fan. We also got a passion fruit custard and I'm a SUCKER for passion fruit. This was phenomenal. The food was INCREDIBLE. And such an amazing experience. And now the loss of a star. I hit on the service a little, but there was also some upselling which we don't love, especially at what is supposed to be michelin recognized. We often try Michelin recognized when we travel and the upselling was unexpected, I undertsand the culture down here, but still. ALSO we LOVED the house mezcal so much we asked for another shot ($280 pesos/shot). When we got the bill, the waiter upcharged to one of the most expensive mezcals on their menu ($520 pesos/shot) and refused to change it. We spent $60 on two shots after paying for our 8-course meal. It honestly was SUCH a dissapointing end to our meal and felt so icky. Be very careful with the service here. read more

See all

We went there to have a drink. We also had tacos de cabeza de cerdo. It was average; i was not impressed. Food takes a little longer. For drinks we had Rio de Cafe you can really taste the coffee not a sweet drink) and Tomate (not a sweet drink either, it has a spicy kick but enjoyable. Both were ok. Service was ok, servers are welcoming but a bit slow. The ambiance is no, has a romantic vibe. read more

See all

One of my coworkers found this spot on the Michelin guide and we decided to go as a group for dinner, since it was within walking distance of our hotel. Nice ambiance. Cool decor, well-lit. You can see a bit into the kitchen, and you don't feel cramped and crowded against other tables. Classy yet unpretentious vibes. Firstly, do NOT sleep on the mezcal cocktails. I got one and it was so smoky, complex, and just delicious. They have several different mezcal mixed drinks or straight mezcal tastings as I think it's part of what they're known for. The menu is wide and had a lot of great sounding dishes, with options for people with dietary needs as well. As a table we shared guacamole (some of the people in our group got the version with the grasshoppers but I didn't try that. The regular guac was great.) We also split chips with a variety of different salsas, which the waitress was kind enough to explain. For mains, I got a cauliflower dish with a peanut sauce as well as fish tacos. Everything was fresh and flavorful and completely satisfying. Desserts sounded wonderful too but we were too full to partake. Service was great and our food didn't take to long, considering we were a bit of a larger group of 8-9. Definitely worth spending your money here vs one of the more touristy places on the main drag. A cool spot and worth checking out if you're in the area. read more

The 6 course tasting with the drink pairing was an amazing deal! The service was good, and the owner gave us an extra drink at the end. If you don't drink the tasting menu even without the pairing was an even better deal! The courses were unique and we tried many new local dishes and wine, in which we probably would not have thought to order ourselves. If we could eat more we would have done the 9 course but 6 course was perfect for us this time. read more

See all

For this year, I chose to celebrate my birthday weekend at Playa del Carmen in Mexico, and for my birthday dinner, I selected Axiote Cocina de Mexico located at Quinta Avenida (a 5km pedestrian-only avenue). The restaurant offers a spacious dining hall with a mezzanine, and the roof was made of palapa, making dining pleasant even with the absence of air conditioning. Our server was very helpful with the menu and the chefs' specials of the day. He recommended ceviche and a bottle of wine from Baja California. We were impressed with the ceviche and the tacos with filling that goes with it. It was an elevated ceviche indeed. We then ordered beef steak with lentils, pork sausage stew with chimichurri sauce, and terrine local pork with seasoned mole and charred plantain purée. The dishes are simply epicurean. We enjoyed our dinner here. The dishes are elevated, and the service was on point. It's a bit pricey here than most restaurants in Quinta Avenida, but it was all worth it. A must-visit while in Playa del Carmen. read more

See all

Service definitely not Michelin nor is the food We ordered two seafood dishes and could not eat either one Wine listed on menu not available & they had no others comparable wine in style or price range We have enjoyed food from street vendors all over Mexico - better than this place read more

This place is incredible. Came for a date night and then brought the whole family back two nights later. Did the 8 course tasting menu and they ended up giving us 12 different dishes. Incredible food! read more

See all

Xavier did a mezcal tasting with us then we did the 6 courses. Not only did we learn about mezcal but the selection of mezcals was amazing! The food was ridiculously good. I think it's very hard to go wrong there but I suggest getting some mezcal and letting the chef decide for you with the 6 or 8 courses. Everything was so good we came back the next night to try more of the menu. We also had some very delicious cocktails. The server remembered us from the night before and helped us try new items from the menu! The service was very good as well! High class joint without being snooty! read more

Wow, wow, WOW!!! This place is amazing and hands down the best food I've had in PDC and Mexico. The birria was outstanding, as was the mole. However, the crickets surprised me. I've had them a number of times at other restaurants and never been blown away. But these were wonderful little treats, each a pop of fresh lime and perfectly balanced spice. Even basic guacamole was lick the plate good. Dessert was an orange chocolate surprise of puffy foam and a nutty tasty cake. Fun and interesting food done perfectly. Nothing crazy fancy but done so well. Even the kids were blown away. Worth every peso. read more

Axiote Cocina de México - Xavier welcomed us and we were served an exquisite meal. We started with guacamole and cauliflower both super delicious. The steak was tender and cooked to perfection. Dessert of fresh fruit with pudding so darned good. Pleasant ambience. PThis is a Michelin star restaurant and worth every pesos. (October 2025) read more

Great little place close to our hotel, very warm ambiance. Top notch service, our server (Filoberto) knew the menu like the back of his hand. Very unique take on Mexican cuisine, mostly locally sourced fresh offerings. Flavors were amazing, both my wife and I had something off the daily specials menu which I would highly recommend. Dessert was fabulous as well, I had a mango honey offering that was out of this world. read more

Stumbled onto this world class restaurant. What a find even though Michelin had already found it. Service and food were top notch with a unique palette presented impeccably. Wish I could have spent a few more evenings there. read more

Cute little gem when you want to get away from the resorts. Food is all so interesting, and I love that it uses try local fresh ingredients. We ended up getting several dishes but what stick out were the duck tacos and the guacamole. There's an option to add grasshoppers if you are feeling adventurous. Service is wonderful and the staff are truly welcoming and friendly. read more

Axiote - Duck tacos - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

See all

Mezcal, food, and service were excellent. Ambiance was nice - it wasn't noisy. I ordered the tongue and my daughter ordered lamb. Both were presented beautifully, and tasted excellent. read more

Came here to escape resort food and it was perfect. It's nice that the location is next to busy area but is off to the side a bit and doesn't have people outside hustling to get you to eat there. The inside of the restaurant is airy and nice, the server we had was so sweet and the food was so good. The grasshoppers in the guacamole was well-seasoned and perfect complement. I took my aunt and dad who are from Thailand and we love our grasshoppers too so they enjoyed a different version. All the other dishes were good too but the one my aunt and Dad devoured was the bone marrow, well-cooked (not hard or tough) and great adobo sauce, they were both licking the bone. If you're looking to escape the touristy stuff for a bit while still being near it, highly recommend checking this spot out. read more

See all

I visit downtown area of Playa del Carmen. This restaurant presents fusion cuisine of Mexican food . In this town with full of restaurants, want to stand out, it must be competitive. read more

See all

Updated Mercian food with delicacy and inventiveness. They had a sunflower paste dip that was better than their guacamole which also incredible. I think our server might have snuck out the back and picked some perfectly ripened avocados off a tree. It was chunky nature butter. I will add that Mexicans need a lot less corn chips then us greedy Americans. I asked for about 5 refills of chips. But my family eats a lot!! The atmosphere is chill and has a Mayan vibe. It's a few steps off the beaten path. Nobody is saying, "Hey pretty lady, you hungry?" So that lends a credibility in itself. Staff is eager to please and kind. A tiny bit slow, but again, we are spoiled hurried Americans. My only critique is that there fans need to be cleaned. They look like weeping willows, the dust vines are long!!! read more

Axiote - This is my family. But the place was all families. - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

I have celiac (strictly gluten-free), and I'm vegetarian. I came here because of multiple reviews that were positive for those with celiac disease, and the restaurant overall had good reviews in general. Unfortunately, I had a pretty poor experience. As vegetarian/gluten-free, the waiter recommended a salad or a warm cauliflower dish in a mole sauce. There was some complimentary pickled vegetables with various sauces and fried tortillas/chips that came out, and the waiter assured me the chips were also gluten-free. I began to eat them, and then they came rushing back later to notify me the chips/fried tortillas were in fact NOT gluten-free. At that point, the dinner was mostly ruined. I ate my main course cauliflower dish which was pretty good, though left the restaurant quickly afterwards. Unfortunately, I did get sick soon afterwards from the food, so I can't give a positive review of the restaurant. The restaurant also just handled it by having the waiter apologize, and then still got charged full price for all the items, and also pressured into giving a tip despite all this. Anyway, definitely not going again. read more

Axiote - Complimentary pickled vegetables with various salsas and fried tortillas - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

See all

Food was very meh for the prices. Not a fan of paying $12 for a drink that uses sugary mixes on a margarita. Guacamole was good. Shrimp tacos were not good at all and felt sick after. Maybe it was an off night but was very disappointing. Quality did not match reviews read more

The best food I've gotten at playa del Carmen! Even with the power out, the service and food read more

Had a lovely time here on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The menu looked interesting, with unheard-of combos - pumpkin seed hummus! cauliflower ceviche! - that made for dishes with such clean, wholesome flavors. My friend and I especially enjoyed the sauces that came with the hummus, the two spicy ones were bomb. Overall, a great place if you're looking for delicious Mexican food with different flavor profiles than your standard fare. read more

Axiote - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

See all

Came here for dinner and was not disappointed . Great low key feel with super friendly service with a smile . The scallop ceviche was exceptional as well as the cauliflower . Combined with the great wines ( and chips ) it was superb ! read more

Axiote - Scallop - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

See all

Wonderful meal here in PDC! Service is excellent and the ambiance is pleasant for a vacation night out. We enjoyed the bone marrow and beef tongue tacos especially. Not sure what was in our dessert... it was okay. But one of the best meals we had in PDC! read more

Axiote - Beef tongue tacos - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

See all

Stopped in last week for Mezcal tasting and highly recommend it. Ambience: somewhat dark but nice and airy with low volume music- somewhat classical music with old twist to it Food: outstanding! Tonight stopped in for a small plate of tostada with pulpo( octopus) and pork belly. Highly recommend. Staff: outstanding, the best if the best as friendly, engage in chit chat and willing to describe food choices. Tried grasshoppers and they actually were great; salty like anchovies but not long lasting in saltiness. A must try ( they're chipped up so don't look like insects). read more

Superb, tried many of the specials and everything was fantastic, service, food, atmosphere all excellent. Cannot recommend highly enough.

This is the first time we dine in Axiote and it was an incredible culinary experience. The service was fantastic and the food out of this world. Axiote is a must to visit while in Playa del Carmen read more

Axiote - El Tuétano y el Filete de Res, out if this world. Both delicious. Try the Maracuyá mojito - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

This is on 5th avenue and quite pricy, but with that said if you are in the area and wanting a delicious meal and unique drinks with mezcal flare this is the place. I shared the Ha' Sikal P' ak (pumpkin seed spread- must try), shrimp and octopus tacos and duck tacos. The meats were cooked to perfection. The sauces and spice were quite simply some of the most balanced I've ever had. I had a couple of the tamarind mezcal drinks called the tarugada- which is the specialty of the restaurant. I went quite early around 5 pm and it was a nice intimate ambiance. There was a cool wall with all the areas in Mexico and what they are known for producing which I was really impressed by. The service was great in English and/or Spanish. I definitely recommend for an intimate dinner. It turns into a mezcal bar as it gets later- so maybe good for late night drinks as well! read more

See all

Our group of 4 ate there last night and by far one of the best meals I have had in PDC over the last 14 years of visiting here. We always try to search out a place we have not tried and I am glad everyone let me recommend this one. We shared 6 plates of food between the 4 of us as we wanted to try several things. The highlight was the pork shank braised in honey and habanero, it was just delicious in every way. The shrimp and rice ( think like paella meets jambalaya) was outstanding as well. It had capers and olives and just made it salty and briney in a good way. Also the coco ceviche was out of this world. I could eat that everyday. I could go on and on but really, this place is a gem. Finally the drinks were outstanding. I would recommend the mezcal and hibiscus if you want to try something out of the norm. I will be back here next time in town. Also would like to note, do not rush the process and service. This is a place to make an evening. Not eat and get out as fast as you can. read more

Axiote - Pork shank with honey and habanero. - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

For a bachelorette party, Axiote was a wonderful spot to stop and eat and enjoy some delicious Mezcal in Playa Del Carmen. The service was lovely and the culinary experience was incredible. Amazing food, fresh chips with delicious guac, and Mezcal served beautifully with three different kinds of salt - including a grasshopper salt! Everything was so tasty and the staff was happy to answer any and all of our questions. Service is slow but that is kinda everywhere in Mexico. Bring bug spray. Highly recommend giving this place a try!! read more

See all

Classic slow cooked pork tacos. Cilantro, cumin, lime and a little more. Octopus was overdone in my opinion. The char went well with the noodles but drowned out the umami of the octopus. Noodles had good flavor but too soft in my opinion. Cheesecake had some tomato jam. It was light which help cut through the fatty cheesecake. Good pairing. read more

See all

My friend and I did not enjoy the food here on our most recent visit. We ordered guacamole, duck tacos, shrimp ceviche and a cauliflower dish. The flavors and the freshness were not there. The cauliflower was undercooked and not seasoned - the accompanying sauces weren't able to overcome this. The ceviche was the worst I've ever had and the tostadas were stale and store bought. The duck tacos and the guacamole were both passable. The table next to us had a mezcal tasting and ate up the same ceviche so maybe that was where we went wrong. read more

If you are a foodie, this is a must in Playa del Carmen. The tasting menu was a fantastic way to sample a huge variety of dishes. Very elevated Mexican cuisine read more

Wonderful New Mexican spot! The menu is TIGHT. The tacos are vicious. The appetizers and desserts are all worth it. The craft beer is nice. The staff is wonderful. Their menu seems to rotate seasonally, but I trust that you can't go wrong. I tried the duck tacos, the tortilla soup, the apple salad, the cochinita pibil tacos, and some desserts. The duck and cochinita pibil tacos were cooked wonderfully and both had a nice crunch. Go here and get anything! Right off of the main avenue! read more

See all

Almost broke a tooth on the pork tacos. The waiter also forgot about our quesadilla. They also open closer to 12:30. Good flavors and tap beer. read more

Woooooow. We had an excellent dinner here and it was so much fun. We tried: Guacamole with grasshoppers Grilled octopus Shrimp ceviche (with avocado and coconut milk) Duck tacos (with three-chile sauce) Cochinita pibil Everyone oohed and ahhed over the dishes. My favorite was the shrimp ceviche with coconut milk, fresh coconut shavings and avocado. It was excellent. We laughed over trying grasshoppers. Most liked them, citing flavors of beef jerky. We had many rounds of Canelita drinks (tequila, pineapple, lime and cinnamon) and local IPA beers (referred to as "eep-ahs" locally). And even a celebratory round of tequila shots for my birthday. The food was excellent. Service was too. And we had an absolutely great time. read more

See all

Lovely restaurant with some really good food. They were kind enough to let me order 1 of each taco (duck, pork belly, a shredded pork , and sweetbread) for 160 pesos. The duck was superb, definitely get the duck tacos--wow! The shredded pork one (I can't remember the name for it....not carnitas but something similar, anyway it comes with red onions) was also delicious. Also the server noticed me scratching and offered mosquito repellant! Now that's service. read more

WORST meal EVER! Food was absolutely terrible! I had diarrhea all day the next day from eating here. This restaurant aim to be fancy high end only to be a total mess with no substance and poor ingredients. I was in Playa Del Carmen several days and ate at many restaurants, this was the ONLY place that gave us diarrhea. BEWARE! Came here in December 2020 because of all the good reviews but was thoroughly disappointed. Ordered the shrimp ceviche, the bone marrow dip and 6 different tacos. First, the staff spoke no English, so communication was very difficult. I asked for hot water? They brought me cold water with ice. No big deal. I asked for utensils and napkins multiple times and we didn't get this until half way thru our meal. Whatever, maybe it's lost in translation. The food was horrible! The shrimp ceviche had raw shrimp that was not even cooked in lemon. Normally I like raw shrimp as a sushi, but not like this. The ceviche had no flavor but instead it tasted like sewer water! The bone marrow black bean dip has just a black bean paste, couldn't taste the bone marrow at all and we kept looking and turning over the mush and still couldn't find any bone marrow. Definitely bait and switch. Moving onto the tacos, they charged us $70 pesos each, total rip off. Each one was teeny tiny and all of them tasted like poor quality sewer water. The duck one was sooo dry that the duck meat was poking my mouth, the pork belly one was basically chewy pork rind that was over cooked. The steak one was so bad, fatty, chewy and a very poor quality cut, we took 1 bite and left the rest. The only eatable one was the sweetbread and that was over fried and burnt in the middle. All used chewy poor quality ingredients either had no flavor or had nasty flavors. When our bill came out, they also charged us extra for things we didn't even order. Super expensive even without the mischarge, total rip off! Holy cow! Absolutely terrible! AVOID! read more

See all

Took my 12 year old. He started with guacamole (which was great) and I stared with the special agua chili which was beautiful in presentation but didn't have much flavor. My 12 year old prefers simple meals so I asked if they could prepare him a simple fish with just salt and pepper. There were only a few of us in dining room, and they had a lot of meals with fish on menu. The chef wasn't interested in that, so they suggested rice, which was fine but didn't exactly make for a well balanced meal. For myself, I asked for recommendation for something with spice or more flavor and they recommended TIRADITO DE MARLÍN from the regular menu, which was served in a charred habanero sauce. That dish was amazing and rescued the meal. I also tried some mezcal cocktails, which were good. I'd go back, but not with a picky eater and would probably stick with the more tested dishes on the regular menu over the specials from the chalk board. read more