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La Perlita

4.3 (73 reviews)
ModerateSeafood
Open • 8:00 am - 8:00 pm

La Perlita Photos

LA PERLITA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - La Perlita

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Reviews With Photos

Pez Leon Filete a la Plancha
EM H.

Located off the beaten path, away from the typical haunts of the island, La Perlita is one of Cozumel's gems. The unassuming restaurant is a vibrantly decorated palapa, in the middle of a local neighbourhood, whose patrons are mostly locals. Tourists who explore the island and discover this place will find it as an unexpected surprise. The extensive menu, filled with photos of their dishes, serves up a variety of fresh and delicious seafood with a myriad of choices of how they are prepared. My cousin, Jasmine, and I couldn't resist the Langosta A la mantequilla, Al ajo (butter garlic lobster) and were not disappointed. The main attraction here is the Pez Leon (lionfish), the invasive venomous fish that have become prevalent in Cozumel. No worries - the chef carefully removes the poisonous spines off of the fish and prepares this mouthwatering delight as you desire; grilled, skewered, with coconut, whichever way you choose. Jasmine and I had to try the Filete a la Plancha - delicate and flaky, it was beautifully cooked and buttery in taste. You can't go to La Perlita without ordering the Pez Leon, en serio! Adding to the wonderful dining experience, the service is excellent. Los meseros (the waiters) are attentive, very helpful, and extremely friendly. The restaurant's utmost concern is customer satisfaction, so if you want to customize something, don't hesitate to ask. The kitchen staff is very accommodating. Jasmine and I enjoyed such an amazing dinner at La Perlita, we had to return the very next night!

Lion fish cooked two different ways.  Grilled and coconut breaded.
Jan D.

This is a nice quiet neighborhood restaurant that is a little hidden gem. The margaritas are short but tasty. We had the lion fish as an appetizer because we had not had lion fish before. It came with rice and vegetables. This came with a mango sauce that was stunning. Beautiful flavors! I would get it as an entree next time. We also had 3 seafood empanadas on little corn tortillas. The lobsters that we ordered were large ones. They also came with rice, butter and vegetables. We had no problem finishing everything off with the fresh rich flavors. The prices were very reasonable we thought. $$

Fish with shrimp
Katharine B.

Everything homemade, fresh caught of the day .... Must go to eat the real deal . Tourist should try

Ceviche!!
Alejandro C.

Just had the "small" ceviche mixto!! It was delicious and could definitely feed two. My kids had the fried fish sticks and shrimp tacos!! They were all delicious!!

Brian F.

It is a $10 taxi ride from the cruise port and worth every penny. The fried grouper was the best fried fish I've ever had. The lion fish grilled with garlic was light and flavorful. If you want a whole fish, they had a cooler with whole snapper. You get to pick the size you want. Make sure you try the lime pie. Service was excellent. Bring pesos for the price. Their exchange rate for US dollars is not very good.

Whole Snapper Cooked
Heidi V.

We asked our bellman at The Westin where should we go for the very best Ceviche? He told us La Perlita. We have been to Cozumel 9 times and have never heard of this place. Our cab driver took a turn off the main tourist trap road and we went to a quiet neighborhood and there it was. From the moment we walked in Victor (the waiter) took care of us. We had the very best Large Mixed Ceviche that had at least 12 whole shrimp and conch in it with the freshest pico de gallo and guacamole. We also had 4 beers and some plantain and our bill was $39. We WERE stuffed. Almost could not finish but we could not leave any of it. The next night our friends came over from Playa and we told that that we must go to La Perlita. They were staying at an All Inclusive and were tired of the same old food. On this adventure we did all of the above and added Fish Tacos grilled and Margaritas. They were wonderful as well. Chef Victor ( not to be confused with the other Victor) is truly wonderful. The have great Lobster, Grilled Lionfish with garlic butter and some sensational looking Red Snapper. Do yourself a favor and get off of the strip and head here. Ask for Victor!

Red Snapper fried whole, Don't forget to eat the eyes Rusty.
Rusty J.

Food is always fresh and local. Owner has a farm when she grows avocados and starfruit! Wife loves lobster I love the fish. Don't hesitate to try the lionfish.

Shauna F.

During my 1 week vacation in Cancun, this was my favorite Mexican meal. The octopus ceviche was amazing....and it was a huge portion. We also ordered the shark empenadas - very yum. The freshly made chips were excellent. And the man who served us was very friendly and helpful. The restaurant was able to cater to my friend's allergies to milk and shellfish.

Fish Fingers- Delicious!
Stacia G.

BEST FOOD ON THE ISLAND This food was so delicious we came back twice. The grilled LionFish is incredible- very light fish that just is grilled up with lime and garlic. I loved it so much. The stuffed fish filet was also delicious kind of like a chowder on top of fish and also delicious The fish fingers were the best I have ever had (fish sticks). Batter was nice and light. YUMMY. Overall, a must visit.

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3 months ago

Their seafood is always so good. The lion fish ceviche and seafood stuffed poblano pepper are my favorites on the menu. Very friendly staff.

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4 months ago

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

Amazing food, drinks, and service!!! I stopped in with my sister while our cruise boat was docked and we were not disappointed!

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3 years ago

The food was amazing and the staff was great definitely a try when in Cozumel.i would definitely comeback and highly recommended.

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7 years ago

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3 years ago

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10 years ago

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4 years ago

Outstanding Lion Fish! Don't be fooled by look from the street. Lobster Thermidor is off the charts delicious!

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

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6 years ago

EVERYTHING was delicious, from the chips to the ceviche appetizer, the fish fillets and drinks. Fresh and wonderful food, great hospitality.

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8 years ago

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La Perlita Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - La Perlita

“They were out of lion fish by the time we got there, around 8pm , but had other dishes and they were fantastic.”

Mentioned in 18 reviews

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La Perlita - seafood - Updated October 2026

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