Piaf is one of eight restaurants at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, a luxury all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen. One of the big reasons my wife chose Grand Velas was its stellar food options. The resort has four 2024 AAA Four Diamond restaurants (Frida, Piaf, Sen Lin, Lucca) and one 2024 Michelin Star and AAA Five Diamond restaurant (Cocina de Autor). Generally, the food, drink, and service were outstanding. Piaf was one of my favorite restaurants of the group. Below is how I rank Grand Velas Riviera Maya's restaurants. Book reservations as early as you can for Cocina de Autor, Frida, Piaf, Sen Lin, and Lucca (the nicer sit-down restaurants). Tier One 1. Cocina de Autor - fine dining, tasting menu Tier Two 2. Frida - Mexican 3. Bistro - casual, poolside sit-down 4. Piaf - French 5. Sen Lin - Asian Tier Three 6. Lucca - Italian 7. Azul - casual, poolside buffet Piaf is located in the Grand Class section of the resort, which is mostly reserved for adults only. More specifically, Piaf is located next to Sky Bar and Cocina de Autor. These are among the higher-end establishments at Grand Velas. In this area, the dress code is more formal (e.g., no shorts or sandals allowed) and the ambiance is more sophisticated, at what's already a classy resort. My wife and I had a great time here, not only at Piaf, but at Sky Bar and Cocina de Autor as well. We got drinks and hung out at Sky Bar before dinner at Piaf. Sky Bar is worth a visit. Before or after dinner at Piaf or Cocina de Autor is a good opportunity. It's a wonderful, swanky bar with superb cocktails and service. Piaf is what I consider a modern upscale French restaurant. It's "white-tablecloth" dining, but the decor is contemporary and the service is more casual. It certainly doesn't look nor feel like a traditional, stuffy French restaurant, though they do try to "transport" you to "the Parisian luxury of the 1940s." I enjoyed the live music, which was provided by a talented violist (or violinist, couldn't tell which). The red and black interior with distinct, ornate chandeliers is beautiful. If the weather is nice, the dining room opens to the outside with an elevated view of the ocean. Below is a list of what we had. Even though this is an all-inclusive resort, the menu still has prices for those who have to pay separately. I've included those prices, in Mexican pesos, for informational purposes. Complimentary Amuse-Bouche Complimentary Bread Service * Three types of breads, rolls, and pastries, two types of butter (regular and tarragon) and herb salt Appetizers * Lentil salad in two textures, Scandinavian-style salmon, candied carrot puree with yuzu, tangerine mousseline, ikura, and mint oil ($420) * Crispy oysters with mayonnaise foam ($650) * Foie gras terrine served with apple puree, gingerbread ice cream, and toasted brioche ($550) * Traditional snails with tartiflette, Morbier cheese, and watercress puree ($450) Fish and Seafood * Scallops with black lentils, served with lime tea sauce and crispy apple ($600) Meat and Poultry * Ribeye Angus with green pepper sauce, pasta and truffle risotto, roasted cauliflower, and herbs salad ($900) Desserts * Dulce de leche and banana fondant ($350) * Financier with yuzu mousseline sauce ($300) * Dark chocolate souffle served with passionfruit sauce ($300) In general, we really liked the food. Presentation-wise, everything looked terrific. My wife and I each only had one dish that we weren't big fans of. For her, it was the snails. For me, it was the foie gras. I thought the snails were delicious and finished every last one of them. The watercress puree paired well and was unique. I normally like foie gras and we order it a lot if it's on the menu. However, this particular terrine had, in my opinion, an unpleasant funky flavor/odor that I could never get comfortable with. My wife liked it, though. Everything else was good to excellent. I have to point out the blue cheese pastry bread. It was surprisingly fantastic and I don't even like blue cheese. It was like a blue cheese-stuffed croissant. We don't remember what the amuse-bouche was. I think it was some sort of fish cake. It was yummy. We had red and white wines with our meal. I suggest going with the Mexican wines at Grand Velas. They were the best we had. The service we experienced at Piaf was worse compared to the otherwise exceptional service we experienced during our stay at Grand Velas. I think there were two reasons for this: (1) There was a misunderstanding internally within Grand Velas staff about our reservation time. When we arrived on time, Piaf staff didn't have a reservation for us and therefore, had to accommodate us as walk-ins. (2) During our visit, the servers appeared to be short-staffed. They were definitely spread thin, rushing between tables, and not really able to spend the right amount of time with each party. As a result, the service was more robotic and less personable. I get it. It happens. read more

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This place was mostly good. The only bad thing was the fact that our concierge booked us this restaurant and it is 12+ and I have a 10 year old. We were not told this which was very frustrating so do not believe your concierge, most have no clue about the hotel. However, after waiting for 30 minutes the server allowed us to be sat as a one time exception. The food was great. I loved the ribeye, fish with potato flakes, and soufflé with passion fruit. They can simplify the food if you have a picky teen, but my kids loved it. It's a very nice restaurant with a violin playing, but it was dark. I recommend this place but make sure your kids are 12+. read more

Piaf, was definitely our favorite restaurant at the Grand Velas resort Riviera Maya. We enjoyed it so much we went twice in our week stay. Their Valentine's Day Special menu was spectacular. I have to especially point out the fillet of beef topped with seared Foie Gras. We definitely enjoyed the ambience, and if you can get it, please choose a table near the window. Those are the best in our opinion. Service was perfect both visits. We would love to return. read more

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Superb in every way! We love staying at the Grand Velas for its over the top luxury. This is our 5th visit to the resort, and it keeps getting better, if that's even possible. At Piaf, expect chef Mario Soto to wow you with this modern interpretation of classic French dishes. My husband proclaimed the foie gras ravioli as one of the best things he's eaten in his life -- and this is from someone that dined in Michelin star restaurants in Europe. From the professional flawless service, to the food presentation, and of course flavors - just a wonderful experience that I can't recommend highly enough. read more

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Bonjour amigos! Que Paso? Well, a gem of buttery French goodness on the grounds of Grand Velas. The ambiance (red and gold in semi darkness) of an old Chinese, I mean French restaurant with great service and delicious food. The foie gras pate was salty but good, the filet mignon was well prepared. The menu is quite diverse. The fish (grouper) was amazing! Frankly, the food is not really French, better described as good with a French touch. Nevertheless, tasty food, solid service and old, romantic ambiance. The addition of the harp player certainly was a great touch! read more

Most definitely one of the best French restaurants outside of France. We were so fortunate to have the opportunity to try it while we were in Mexico. Every single thing we ate was outstanding, service was impeccable, restaurant is absolutely beautiful. read more

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Wonderful service and Delicious food!! It was a wonderful way to start off our trip at this resort. Would definitely recommend this restaurant as well as the others on the resort. Beautiful decor and very romantic. A violinist serenaded us throughout the entire dinner read more

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For someone who does not like French food, this was my favorite restaurant at the grand velas! The food was exceptional. Highly recommend the filet. Appetizers were great. And you have to try the rose martini! Hands down, the best French restaurant I have ever been to! read more