Our Italian scuba dive-master told us about this gem of a restaurant and we're so glad he did! The physical space is charming, with both outdoor patios and open-air seating inside upstairs. The lighting and fresh breeze made the ambience magical. Our waitstaff was excellent, more typical of what one finds in Europe, where being a waiter can be a career choice instead of just something to do while going to school, as it can be in the U.S. The food was divine. We started off with a complimentary glass of peach wine and bruschetta (which was perfection), followed by an appetizer of mozzarella and Parma ham. Different from what we typically get in Italy as the mozzarella seemed grilled, but it was delicious nonetheless! Our party had the filet mignon, a pasta dish with bolognese sauce, the lion fish, and the bacon-wrapped shrimp. All but one in our party loved their dishes and the one complaint was from the person who loved the taste of their pasta but thought that they got too much of it. We ended with trying three of the desserts: the freshly-baked chocolate cake (meaning you give the order and they bake it...it takes 25 minutes to come out), which was warm and delicious,paired with an optional scoop of vanilla ice cream, the fruit flambé (exquisite), and the ginger creme brûlée. This last dessert was the one item none of us cared for much, but perhaps if one is a fan of ginger it might hit the spot. We loved this place so much and will definitely return before our vacation ends! read more

Everything about this place is exceptional!! The food is amazing. Staff is courteous and attentive. Our favorite restaurant on the island by far. read more

Always a great meal, always great hospitality. Thank you Francisco and staff for welcoming us each time with a smile and delicious food. We love the lion fish offerings (get it with the gnocchi!) and the outdoor balcony seating is a must, if possible. Live music, if you're lucky. read more

New Especias - Lion fish gnocchi - Italian Near Me - San Miguel, ROO

Had a delicious dinner: mine was salmon with mashed potatoes and a wonderful zucchini-basil dish. Why am I taking a star away? The noise. A large group came into the downstairs room and were so loud while they were still in the lobby entry, we could no longer hear our conversation. It only got worse after they were seated in the restaurant. No one seemed to ask about anything other than our food. I think our small group could have been moved upstairs, but that didn't happen. Sharing this do you can be aware in advance when requesting seating. read more

This restaurant is definitely worth visiting! It is off the beaten path but an easy walk from the downtown center. The meal, the wine and the service were all exceptional! We had the fettuccine with sausage and tomatoes and a bottle of Campo Viejo Rioja. The wine was very good and the fettuccine was as good as i have ever enjoyed! Thank you, Especias, for providing an excellent dining experience! read more

New Especias - Campo Viejo wine - a great choice! - Italian Near Me - San Miguel, ROO

Even with no reservation, we were seated and enjoyed an amazing dinner. We did arrive right as it opened. The proprietor offered us free bruschetta and a taste of yummy peach wine. We had a smoked salmon app and two pasta dishes for dinner. Large helping so took half with us for another day. Highly recommend. read more

Trigger warning...I know some of you will defend the use of ricotta in lasagna, but when I was in Milan, they made it with bechamel. This place sure knows how to do lasagna the right way with bechamel!! So yummy! I ordered it to go and ate it at my hotel since I'm feeling a little sick. The portion size was good, and temperature was hot and perfect even back at the hotel. I recommend the lasagna. The bread was not good (kind of chewy and without flavor or oil or butter, cold by time I was at hotel), but I didn't have to pay extra for it, so I'm not taking away a star. read more

New Especias - Meat Lasagna - Italian Near Me - San Miguel, ROO

Just wanted to post these photos - looking forward to going again soon - my two favorite dishes read more

New Especias - Lion fish! - Italian Near Me - San Miguel, ROO

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Food was very delicious. Loved the lion fish. Fruitti de mare also delicious. Will definitely come back again

Usually the first restaurant we visit when vacationing in Cozumel. Great food and great people!

Old restaurant but new restaurant for us to try. I follow a local Cozumel blog and have seen this restaurant's food postings daily, which was what made me want to try this place, along with reviews on Tripadvisor. We arrived and were greeted and seated by the owner Francesco, who was very charming. Take note only outdoors seating here but there were fans. Nice touches of complementary Bruschetta and glass of wine to start off, as you review the menu. We ordered the the Seafood Fettuccine, Filet Mignon with Peppercorn Sauce and Mash Potato and the Lion Fish with Capers, Herb Butter Sauce. Note: I had the Lion Fish which I've never had before (I loved it!). All the food was very very good. I did take note as the evening progressed that Francesco was the Hostess, the Waiter, the Server and the Chef. He apologized on several occasion, giving us his hopefully temporary situation, of lack of staff. Would I try again? Yes, he made a Lion Fish consumer out of me. Atmosphere was nice, service a bit slow due to situation and food was very good. We will revisit on next years vacation. read more

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Our favorite restaurant in Cozumel. We've been to Cozumel 13 times and are building a condo there. We sometimes eat here multiple times in a single trip. This is our 'go to' restaurant when we want a great meal. The entire staff is wonderful. The service is great and the food fantastic. You can eat indoors or rooftop. The peppercorn filet with mashed potatoes is my favorite. My wife and daughter swear by the gnocchi; saying it's the best they've ever had. read more

A friend of ours who lives in Cozumel brought us here. Being married into an Italian family, I know Italian food really well. I will say WOW, we were really impressed! The food was incredible and we were treated very well. We will return very soon Maurizio... P.S. We walked there and back from our resort, as it was a nice night and not hard to find. read more

New Especias - Italian Near Me - San Miguel, ROO

Ate there last night. We found this while walking to another restaurant and said "We Got to go here tomorrow night." Well it was great. The food was home made, the dessert (Tiramasu) amazing, drinks perfect, service first class. I would recommend this as a great Italian place on a Mexican island. Who knew? read more

If you are looking for quaint ... romantic ... beautiful... delicious ... look no further .. this wonderful place is off the main road but well worth the short walk. You are greeted promptly ... served bruschetta and a sample of peach wine while you look at the menu. Wine selection is fantastic. I chose the lion fish which was prepared with a tomato .. caper ..olive sauce . The fish was cooked to perfection .. and the sauce was absolutely amazing . I also enjoyed the caprese salad which was wonderful .. the best part being ...they bring the olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the table in a very cute container might I add so that you can add the perfect amount. The Mexican red merlot is so delicious. I rarely ever order dessert ... but this time I decided to since my birthday is in a few days ... tiramisu ... not only was it beautifully presented it was equally delicious... so much so I forgot to take a picture of it. If you are in Cozumel this place is not to be missed. Highly recommend this gem. read more

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Our best meal so far in the island. Great pasta, excellent service, super value! We ordered 2 pasta dishes, 1 coke, and one lava cake - $705 pesos before tip. read more

This restaurant is off the beaten path but so worth it. The service and food were five star. We tried several dishes and all were delicious. I will definitely be back next time we're on the island. You must try this place - you won't be disappointed. read more

We were just walking down the street looking for a quality meal in the area. We encountered a couple leaving here and asked for an opinion. They report this as one of their favorite places. We stepped in to a very comfortable atmosphere. We sat on the balcony overlooking the street with an impressive mural/painting on the adjacent wall. Its a nice quiet area. No obnoxious music or barking dogs to be heard. Just soft house tunes. I had the tuna with balsamic. My son had the smoked salmon asparagus fettuccine (highly recommended). It was on the special menu. Will return again. Thanks read more

New Especias - Italian Near Me - San Miguel, ROO

I have always had a great dining experience here. Fantastic food and service. Try the Lionfish Pasta to help the reefs and delight your palate. read more

This place was amazing. We saw it earlier in the week but decided to pass. On our last night we went in for dinner and my wife and I both agree this was the best restaurant experience we had in our week in Cozumel. And Cozumel has good restaurants. We also wondered why we don't have a single restaurant this good in all of San Luis Obispo County in central CalifornIa. We have great wines and beer but don't seem to have great restaurants like this. I at least now we know we don't have to go to Italy for a great experience in Italian cuisine. If you are in Cozumel and you like good wine and Italian cuisine check it out. You won't be disappointed. read more

Excellent food, peppered steak and lion fish are wonderful. Great friendly people and great food

This place is one-of-a-kind. A special place in the island that is unlike another. Romantic beautiful and the chef is an art and his trade yet has a humility of the island. read more

Excellent little Italian restaurant we had lasagna & the Tuna both were very tasty. Nice balcony seating. Wait staff very attentive. A new must to my list read more

Recommended by our Airbnb host. Incredible service. Attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. The food was exceptional. We had five different dishes and one appetizer and all of them were delicious, fresh and expertly presented. Muy bien! read more

A very good Italian dinner in a cozy fresco setting upstairs. Eat HERE and spoil yourself with the Tiramisu. Makes my mouth water writing this review. read more

We loved this place!! Fabulous upstairs seating made you feel comfy. We had the days special and enjoyed every bite. We hope to visit again!

We were actually looking for Italian when we were referred by locals to go to this little gem. It turns out they have a Unique menu that was delicious! I had the fillet mignon topped with a creamy peppercorn sauce served with mashed potatoes. Everything was seasoned perfectly, and our waiter was very friendly and Italian! Don't miss out on the prosciutto and melon appetizer! Outdoor patio seating, and inside seating upstairs and downstairs, casual friendly atmosphere. A very enjoyable experience! read more

New Especias is my favorite dining spot on the island. The atmosphere is classy and romantic, but still casual. The food is always delicious and the owner is charming. read more

My husband and I dined at New Especias on our trip to Cozumel. We were excited to try a new Italian restaurant in town. The atmosphere was lovely. We sat upstairs, which was open air and views across town to the ocean. The wait staff was warm and friendly. The menu was refreshingly authentic. I had the lionfish in a mushroom sauce. The fish was perfectly prepared and fresh. We also had prosciutto and melon. The prosciutto was excellent quality and the melon was ripe. Nothing worse than under-ripe melon! We skipped dessert. I will go back on our next trip. read more

Fabulous atmosphere. We had a group of 8 and were seated without issue. Most of us had the amazing homemade pasta dishes, while my husband had the bacon wrapped prawns; everything was superb. The kitchen is open so you can see the cooking being done. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about the food! Will come back for sure! read more

This is definantly a weird review but trust me when I say, you don't be disappointed. We were promptly escorted to balcony seating, a decent view, and tasting glasses of a wine I'll describe as delicious~ With their vast menu of beautiful cuisine, I had ordered the Smoked Salmon and Asparagus with Fettuccine. I'll have to say that I was extremely impressed and would suggest this to anybody who happens to read this review and enjoys Salmon! For desert, I had Tiramisu which was served beautifully and masterfully crafted. Very light but oh so tasty! Don't pass this up. read more

This place is truly Italian in mexico!! The chef is from Italy and it shows! The gnocchi is handmade and literally the best I've ever had!!! We also had the tuna and lion fish and was delicious. It's a hidden gem and is to die for! read more

Italian food, I had their Filet Mignon, it had a cream sauce and seasoned mashed potatoes, plated with a onion cooked with wine. I loved every bite. Also, had a specialty beverage with tequila it was excellent. Pretty busy on friday night, but worth the wait. Very reasonable prices. I will be back. Great staff. A+ read more

Wonderful! Jan, at the No Name bar, recommended we have dinner here for their fresh, homemade pasta and she was spot on! We had the Seafood pasta dish and asked them to add Lion Fish and capers. It was absolutely delicious! Wanted to stop but ate the whole thing. Definitely coming back on our next trip. read more

I am not a big reviewer but this place deserves it. Very good with decent portions and great service. Price was quite reasonable too. Very very good! read more