We were on vacation for a week in Playa and this was by far our favorite dining experience. Our server was knowledgeable and kind, and the ambiance was super vibey. The dinner was out of this world! I also ordered a smoked mezcal cocktail which they smoked at the table; always a fun presentation! The pork belly is a Must and their grilled Caesar blew my mind. When we return to Mexico, we'll be back! read more

Primo - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

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Excellent wait staff. Superb bone marrow appetizer and wonderful pork shank. Nice environment near 5th Ave l, but not on 5th Ave.

I really enjoy having dinner at Primo!!! I remember going to their previous location years ago..they have moved to a larger location near 5th. The other week was my first time at the new location and it looks amazing!!! I really enjoy the open air kitchen and the ambiance. The employees here are always welcoming and super nice. I had the raw oysters for my appetizer and they tasted very fresh. It's hard to find good tasting oysters in Playa..but these oysters were great. For my entree I got the duck!!! I love duck because it's full of fat and this duck dish was fantastic tender and fatty. If you are in Playa make sure to drop by Primo for a great dinner!!! read more

Primo - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

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Great food. Great service. You can just taste the pride that they cook with. Highly recommended for an amazing dinner

If I could eat here everyday I would. I mean being in playa for 2 nights we came both nights. The bartender remembered us from 9 months ago when we were walking up. Incredible! We ordered 2 bone marrow (as always because it's juicy and deep) the brisket mole and tuna tostados. The tostados had sooooo much tuna on it and we watched the chef cut it fresh. It was almost too much that I couldn't finish it. The second night we got the prawns aguachile which typically has a very citrus flavor but this one was perfectly seasoned and flavored to a traditional aguachile. The tuna..... with mole sauce and a plantain mash. I cant even put into words how good and perfectly creamy the mole is here. They cook on open fire and green egg in the middle of the restaurant. If you want an experience and beautiful ambiance I highly recommend coming to this place. read more

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My girlfriends and I were in the middle of a 10-day Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun trip. For our last night in Playa, we decided to do a last minute dinner at Primo, a stylish al fresco restaurant next to our Airbnb that we had been admiring all stay. The tiny spot looked packed every night, but they were able to accommodate a late night walk-in. From our dining table, we had a front row view of the eye-catching open-kitchen, where everything is cooked in a wood fire, underground oven, comal, or grill (including a Big Green Egg). The dishes were elevated Mexican, with colorful presentation and plenty of fresh herbs. My favorites were the roasted cauliflower and grilled octopus. I thought the cocktails outshone even the food though! Mixologist Abramo is the one man team behind an incredible bar menu that could hold its own among metropolitan cities with a great bar scene. After noticing our enthusiasm with the first round of cocktails, Abramo went ahead and made custom cocktails to our tastes, plus an excellent pairing with the two desserts we ordered. He eagerly detailed the process and complexities behind each thoughtfully made drink. Service was great all around, with part of the staff able to speak fairly good English, and they were very patient with all our food questions and requests. Primo was hands down the best meal of this Quintana Roo Mexico trip. If only we had tried this spot on Day 1 of our Playa stay! We would have been repeat guests for sure. read more

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Such a great experience! For me it was a spotlight in the dark when I thought all hope of finding a place to eat for dinner was lost! I had gone to several restaurants but it was so busy nothing was available. Thought before going home and ordering Uber eats I would try here even though I figured they wouldn't have availability as a highly rated restaurant. But alas they did! I sat at the bar which is perfect because Primo is an open air kitchen right on a street corner. You get to watch events of your dinner unfold while you sip on a yummy cocktail. It's an upscale spin on Mexican food with options like lamb barbacoa, guacamole and bone marrow. It has such a great, intimate and dark vibe. So even though you are eating on the street it somehow feels like you are in a cozy cave isolated from the rest of playa del Carmen. Need to go back and try it all! read more

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A moderately upscale restaurant with a focus on cooking things on the open flame grill. For appetizers, we had the aguachile, ceviche, and bone marrow. Bone marrow was beautifully charred and served with fresh tortillas as a makeshift taco. The marrow itself was super fatty and perfectly seasoned with a lot of that smoky char coming through. By itself, I would definitely crave some acidity but thankfully we also got the aguachile. The aguachile was blisteringly punchy with brightness and the seafood itself was bouncy and tasted fresh. The squid ink and avocado helped round things out and the dish ended up feeling exactly what I want from an aguachile. The ceviche was much less acidic and the sauce the fish was served in was more creamy than it was acidic. The fish was also bit bland which maybe works for people who are getting into seafood but makes the dish feel fairly flat in comparison to the aguachile. Overall would definitely recommend ordering the bone marrow and aguachile apps. Then came time for entrees. The grilled fish was fairly meh, suffering again from some blandness with a sauce that was mostly just earthy and creamy. I think the slaw/salad served on the side was their attempt to balance things out and provide the fish some much needed acidity but that part of the dish also fell kind of flat. Most detrimental though was that the fish was overcooked. The skin developed a lovely crisp crust but to the expense of the actual flesh. The duck carnitas suffers a smidge from the overcooking problem as well although the crispy duck skin and dark meat parts were thankfully spared. This dish was also served in taco form, giving you the chance to scrape bits of duck meat off the bone and dress to your pleasure with their salsa, grilled onions, and carrot potato thing. The salsa was a bit disappointing, more sour than bright and flavorful although the duck carnitas with tortillas was a suitably satisfying experience. The interior vibe is mostly open with the odd waft of the open flame blowing towards you to remind you of who is doing the cooking. Service was very attentive and polite, even if you speak predominantly English. Would recommend if you're in the area although I would focus more on the appetizers than the entrees. read more

Amazing amazing experience!! This spot was incredible, my friend and I stumbled across this location on New Years Eve after forgetting to make a reservation anywhere. We ended up seated by the kitchen which was great because we were able to chat with the cooks while they prepared our dishes. We learned about the process and ingredients that went into different dishes and the food itself was spectacular. Everyone was incredibly friendly, engaging and attentive. The drinks were also spectacular! It is so clear that the folks that work at Primo love what they do and put so much care and attention into their craft. Will absolutely visit again when I'm back in Playa. read more

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This is hands down the best restaurant in Playa Del Carmen. I've been here many times and coming to PDC for 15 years now. This is the inky place where the food is the same quality you would get in San Francisco. The cocktails are wonderful - I especially like one called "Smokey Mezcal" For appetizers I suggest the yellow fin tuna ceviche. Finally for mains the suckling pig in fantastic. By local prices yes this is expensive. But you get what you pay for and the service, ambience, and quality of the food is outstanding. They have a big green egg where they smoke stuff for hours. You will see them prepping in the morning many hours earlier. read more

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Primo is doing well executed food with premium ingredients in a very cool setting. Guests sit near the small kitchen and smoke pit. For starters I ordered smoked Cauliflower and bone marrow. The cauliflower was still firm but also not too much so. It was deeply smoky and paired with a clean blend of hummus and other vegetables. The bone marrow was four massive bone halves. It was way too much marrow for one person. The marrow was cooked perfectly. And atop it is garnished with back garlic. They serve it with fresh tortillas. Rolling up a taco of bone marrow was such a guilty pleasure. It's buttery and unctuous, and a little garlicky. This was an excellent dish. The pork was also great. The meat itself was from quality product. The combination of mashed local potato, pinnacle, and pork all played together in a synergistic manner for a dance of complementary flavors on the palate. And at $45, this meal is very fairly priced for the level of care and quality ingredients that went into it. read more

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Without a doubt this will be the best food and cocktails you have in PDC. I have been here 7-8 times. It is the best place in PDC. Just go! read more

This was a wonderful surprise that we stumbled upon. We came on Saturday night around 7:30pm without a reservation and were seated right away. The restaurant is all outdoors and feels like you're eating on the streets of Mexico. It's dark and smokey which we liked. Appetisers: - Bone marrow: this dish deserves Michelin stars. The biggest bone marrow pieces I've ever seen and you wrap the goodness up in tortillas with some sauce and salt and enjoy. 5 stars for this dish alone - Prawn crudo: served with crispy tortillas, this dish was very light and fresh Main dishes: - Octopus: cooked a little too long as they were somewhat chewy, but the flavor was there - Pork Belly: very tender and served with mashed potatoes Overall, the portion sizes were just right and the bone marrow appetiser was finger licking good. We thoroughly enjoyed this experience for a nice evening just one block away from all the action of 5th ave read more

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This restaurant is AMAZING!! Hidden a little behind the 5th Avenue, these chefs are multi-tasking between one green egg grill and another chef goes up a ladder to their storage on a second level when they need ingredients. We had the suckling pig, lamb, and the fish for our entrees with guacamole and shared a sweet dessert tamale with berries and fresh ice cream. It was a little more expensive but probably the best Mexican flavors of my whole weekend. I even enjoyed my margarita served with a pretty dried lemon. read more

Cool atmosphere and food was delicious. Got the grilled shrimp (some of the best I've had), brisket and lamb and oooh baby. Very much worth stopping by for elevated Mexican food. Their shirts say something along the lines of Mexican food feeds the soul and I can't agree more. We ate here on a Friday (busy) and by the end of our dinner our service became a bit less attentive/friendly. Didn't impact our meal but worth noting. read more

Primo - Grilled shrimp and catch of the day - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

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Such amazing food..... and it's on the street corner. This was one of my best food experiences all year.... and I spent 3 months in Boston and I live in New Orleans. This will be a "must go to" when i'm in PDC. read more

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Nuestra Primera ves @ Primo & Guau! Muy ricisimo, to say the least. Beau and I stopped by for dinner and thought it was just a corner street taco shop. Primo is far from that. Your taste buds will thank you. Started off w/ the (seasonal) Watermelon salad, was not what we expected but not in a negative sense. It was a wedge of watermelon topped w/ all the ingredients, we enjoyed it. We had the aged NY Wagyu A rich dish w/ plentiful greenery, paired w/ their blackened garlic sauce I could not get enough of it! We also had the pork belly which I'm typically not a fan of bc it's so fatty but this was a well made dish the tomatillo salsa is to die for! the potatoes were made just right. We planned on returning but wanted to give other spots a try. The steak was great! Definitely a HOT item. 4.6 read more

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I'm only giving extra star for presentation, yes every plate looks so pretty! I usually don't take pictures but I did here. Service was okay, but the food... was not good at all. Ceviche tasted so fishy, we eat a lot of raw fish so we knew instantly that the fish was not fresh and the tortilla chips that came with it was extremely hard and didn't understand why. So glad we just ordered a few things to start with and didn't order full meals, the price is very high for the area. We are from California and this place cost the same as a beach front restaurant in Laguna! This is a tourist trap for sure. read more

Primo - Pork belly-plain, nothing special - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

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Spanish for "cousin," most Mexicans will say Primo means much more, and in that vein Chef Pedro Abascal designed his Restaurant at the corner of 10th Avenue and 14th Street as a place where guests could feel like they were dining at home. Not far from the bustle of Quinta Avenida, though in reality far more Tulum than Playa del Carmen, it is from an open air kitchen that Chefs Abascal and Roberto Martinez create bold plates utilizing local Ingredients, the majority kissed by flame or smoked in a Big Green Egg while others are buried and cooked in a pit oven in the style of Barbacoa. Dinner only and subject to the elements, both weather and vagrants lingering near, it is while decisions are made that diners are offered Peanuts, a seemingly odd choice but thankfully one that prevents diners from filling up before the arrival of vibrant Guacamole served alongside freshly-fried Tostada. Well priced for large portions, five U-10 Shrimp for less than $16USD served with a bit of char in Salsa, it was in place of sold-out Bone Marrow that a daily special of Brisket was served, 24-hours of low heat yielding tender flesh that stands up well to Ginger and herbaceous Recaudo. Easily sold on a half-Duck tenderized by acid before Roasting, the blend of smoke and Citrus deeply penetrating medium-crisp Skin, it was on the recommendation of a tattooed server that Suckling Pig Terrine was also ordered, its texture perfectly suited to be eaten on its own or atop hand-pressed Tortillas. Low enough volume to carry on a conversation, though music helps subdue street noise, Dessert sees Chocolate from Oaxaca used to create a molten Cake Michel Bras would be proud of, while the seasonal Strawberry and Hibiscus Tamale sends taste buds reeling with a diversity of tastes, temperatures and textures. read more

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Wow. I mean Wow!! This is an amazing restaurant with fantastic food. Amazing flavors, layered with all kinds of flavor. Original recipes and authentic flavor. Not your typical Mexican restaurant. Be prepared for exquisite and world-class kind of cooking. Congratulations to the chef and the team here. I came here twice during my stay in Mexico and ordered pretty much the entire menu with a group of friends. There is nothing on this menu that is not fantastic. If you want to treat yourself for a special night out, I recommend this venue. read more

Primo - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

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One of the best restaurants I've visited in my life. I love food science and cooking, and this place amazed me very deeply. We found it by accidentally attracted with outstanding smell of charcoal cooking spreading over the street. In the area where you can find dozens of restaurants per block it was definitely a hit. You can try anything, and it will be freaking delicious. Whoever built this place is a food genius, thank you! read more

Regional comfort food. Very unique artistry with perfectly executed precision. Awesome vibe and awesome food. Drinks were very creative and delicious. Similar to Arca Tulum food but without the pretentiousness. read more

First impression - when we arrived in PDC on a Monday afternoon, they were hosing down all their outdoor furniture and scrubbing the place clean. I thought that was pretty impressive. Night after night, they had diners present - a very good sign. We ate here for our last dinner in town. The shrimp appetizer was delicious! By the way our best friend ate her tacos, I'm going to assume they were equally delicious or she was extremely hungry. I can't remember the name of the drink I ordered but it was delightfully refreshing - it had some cucumber liquor in it. The banana desert was beyond delicious!!! read more

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The food here is amazing!! If you ever visit Tulum, you have to come here. This is a good spot for locals not just tourists. read more

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We 1st walked down 10th Ave & smelled heavenly food. There was some language barrier since we talked to them 3 times expecting to be able to eat in or take out, but we needed reservations when we tried to actually order. Anyhow, we're so glad we didn't get too mad to not go. Everything was delicious. Recommend 100%. Worth every penny of the higher pricing, 2 meals, 1 appetizer, 2 cocktails, 1 coke was &100 USD read more

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Aside from some stale tostadas which were totally out of character (and remedied), this restaurant can do no wrong. Service, care, quality and tempo were perfect. Fantastic service and street side ambiance. A must for visitors. Support these local food artists. read more

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So the reviews are true food super. Had as an appetizer the shrimp fresh from Merida awesome. Has the langosta it was amazing. The fresh tortillas are to die for. The banana desert with cacao and sesame seeds is money. One big deterrent is the the wait time . If you are super hungry might wanna pass as the food takes a long long time. That being said the food is awesome! read more

Primo - Cooks - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

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This place is so cool and vibey. It's outside and candlelit, and the perfect place for dinner. The food is perfection and the staff is so kind and accommodating. You can tell they genuinely want you to enjoy yourself and your meal. I would recommend booking in advance on Google, this place is popular!!! read more

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Open air deliciousness off of 10th Ave. Try the brisket and ask for a side of salsa macha - you will thank me later. Sofa King good!!!

Primo is an exceptional Playa experience. The open kitchen of this hip outdoor eating establishment is central to the whole experience. The aroma of slow roasting meats and the ambiance of street lights dancing off the wood thatched roof create the perfect setting for a relaxed night out with good friends or a date. We were a party of five on a six top and were very comfortable. There is a kitchen sidebar where patrons can eat while observing the chefs creating delicious dishes. Primo is the kind of restaurant you'd expect to find in LA or New York, although it has a much more laid back vibe. Every dish we ordered was fresh, well seasoned, and engaging in composition. To start, we ordered the seasonal salad, grilled shrimp, and mahi-mahi ceviche. The watermelon salad served with a lite Mexican cheese, and a delicious citrus dressing was refreshing. The grilled shrimp salsa macha presented in the shell with a mild chipotle dipping sauce. The Mahi-mahi ceviche was my favorite of the starters. It had a bright citrus dressing and was seasoned nicely with salt and pepper. They also served a version of the shrimp with less seasoning for my four-year-old daughter. The staff was very accommodating with my children's spice levels, bringing spices on the side, and even giving my son a taste of the lamb barbacoa before we placed our entre orders. For our entrees, we ordered the suckling pig tacos with fresh coleslaw, lamb barbacoa, (which my eight-year-old son loved), and grilled mahi-mahi. All of the dished were exceptionally tasty and visually appealing. For drinks, my wife ordered the smoked mezcal, which pared perfectly with all of the dishes from our meal. I highly recommend this restaurant for a great dining experience. read more

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Everything was delicious! I highly recommend you try this spot. My photos are not the best quality but you get the idea. I would highly suggest ordering a bunch of menu items and then sharing it with your table. The restaurant is a small outdoor spot on a corner of downtown Playa Del Carmen with a really cool open air kitchen. I am coming back in January to visit and will definitely be back. read more

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Absolutely and utterly incredible BBQ food! Don't hesitate. We are staying at a local resort and this food blew away anything there. read more

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We went there last night (Saturday) and it was closed. Looks to be out of business. I could not get the phone number to go through earlier, which makes sense...LOL! read more

Chill romantic vibe with the candlelit table and sometimes there are performance live music on the street. I love this place and the grilled octopus is amazing! read more

Primo, or no? I hate being the "third wheel" at dinner. Guys, all you know what I'm talking about. Your female mate has just found a brand new female friend and is dragging you out to join them. And the ladies always say the same thing - "Come on, you'll like her, it will be fun!" Then, just a little after your first drink arrives and obligatory friendly small talk concludes, you start looking at your watch as they start dissecting the many delicate idiosyncrasies of the Real Housewives of Detriot- "that Tanya is such a bitch!". Aghhh! Save me sweet Lord. Well, that definitely was not my experience last night as my yoga centric, yet crunchy (not creamy!) peanut butter craving esposa, her new acquaintance and I dinned at the corner of Calle 14 & 10th aka Primo Restaurant. This dimly lit, cozy spot with just 8 tables directly across from the "Wings N Ribs" joint and catty-corner from the big 7-11, has been getting a lot of buzz lately, at least in my world. So, on this somewhat rainy night, we three tried out the interesting eatery. I say interesting due to the bare kitchen setup that they were operating. I have to admit that I've never seen any restaurant that utilized a Green Egg smoker as the centerpiece of the kitchen! The smoker, a very small wood fired griddle and an even smaller electric hot plate made up their entire cooking equipment inventory. As I surveyed that scene and the cooks working in perfect unison inside this tiny space, I was indeed impressed at their cleverness and creativity. Oh, and by the way the sidewalk overflowed with groups of hipster peeps waiting for an apparently much coveted table. Note, they do take res. As it turns out, my buena mujer companion claims were true as her friend was delightfully funny, whip smart and quite engaging, so I dodged that bullet. Plus, she, an Americano, spoke fluent Spanish, which is always a good thing. As she recounted her erotic journeys from Milan to Minsk (Rochelle, Rochelle), we all shared a bottle of Baja Mexican white wine which was both perfectly dry and delicious. It did have that slight Baja saltiness aftertaste which I'm slowly learning to enjoy. After several stories of varying interest, we requested our dinners. The she-devil, I mean my lovely wife, had the grilled shrimp and I split some BBQ lamb and bone marrow with the new, worldly friend. First, the shrimp were prepared and delivered in their shells and were very appetizing and cooked perfectly. The lamb BBQ is served as a very small portion but awfully flavorsome. Yet the bone marrow was star of the show. Succulent, buttery and decedent all at the same time. Whether you're smearing it across some toast points, a cracker or a fresh flour tortilla, it definitely good eats. Service was just right, attentive and professional. Not cheap, but worth checking out the awesome food coming out of this diminuto cocina. A very happy Thanksgiving eve to all you Americanos and a belated happy Turkey Day to all you Canadians. read more

This place is amazing, must try it!!! Chef Pablo was very nice and was in the open kitchen all night. The staff was very knowledgeable about every dish and very friendly. Drinks are great as well. Every thing was great but my two favorites where the ceviche, it was in a guayaba leche de tigre, and was sooo good, the other thing that is a must try was the suckling pig tacos. If you are in playa and want to eat good food there is no better place, and the price is very fair. Try this place!!!!! read more

Primo - They cook everything on this comal. - Mexican Near Me - Playa del Carmen, ROO

My fave restaurant in PDC. Very simple space with outdoor seating, a great view of chefs cooking and fantastic food. Just off 5th Avenue so you are away from the crowds. Great service and lovely ambiance. We ordered the grilled prawns, smoky margaritas and a few appetizers. Hands down the best meal we had in PDC. read more

This place was absolutely amazing! We sat at the kitchen bar and got to enjoy watching the cooks skillfully put together one spectacular dish after another. For dinner we ordered the Chef's tasting menu as well as bone marrow, every single dish was a spectacular treat of well balanced flavors and beautiful presentation. The food was so good that we didn't even have a favorite! The Cesar salad was great, ceviche was amazing, the shrimp - so good, short ribs were out of this world, bone marrow- OMG, and even the dessert didn't disappoint. Plus the drinks were on point (we had 3 different cocktails), service was friendly, well timed, and informative... music and lighting were pleasant as well. I'd come back here again and again, and would recommend this place to anyone who enjoys truly good food. ps. I don't have any pics to post because my phone wouldn't do the dishes justice. But trust me - everything was beautiful! Flowers and all. read more

Food was Horrible , we tried to send back and manager said NO - felt we would go to jail if bill not paid ,, we had two bites of food . husband going to hospital for poisoning symptoms Tried multiple times to resolve ,,,, manager said they had such good reviews they would not take bad food back . read more

Omg! My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE by far! So sad it's all the way in Playa del Carmen!!! I need this restaurant back home in Virginia! Okay... where do I start! First off on my first trip to Playa (Aug 2018) my boyfriend and I were walking. getting acquainted with the city. We passed by Primo, and met Roberto who was cooking various meats. He introduced himself, shared the menu, gave us an explanation of traditional cooking and welcomed us back for dinner. We ended up going back for lunch and boy! were we pleased! The food was amazing! We had guacamole, suckling pig, and other dishes. I never liked quac but it was so pretty and looked so fresh, I had to try it! Omg! It was amazing and I've been hooked ever since. Fast forward... January 2019.. we went back to Playa! Yep, we loved it that much we went back lol We were walking by Primo and saw Roberto! He turned around and greeted me by saying my name! I turned to my boyfriend, shocked! And was like "omggg after 5 months and only meeting me twice, he remembered my name!!" Crazy! We had to dine there again! Unfortunately they were closing and would be closed on Sunday so we made a promise that we would eat there on Monday( our last full day there). Monday came and we had Primo for dinner! What an exceptional way to end our trip! As always a GREAT EXPERIENCE!! EXCEPTIONAL service. Cuisine - Impeccable! It was a culinary experience like no other as we sat at the bar beside the kitchen and watched Roberto and Jersai prepare our food! It was like having a VIP food experience and front row seats to the FOOD Channel! All our dishes were prepared and seasoned well. Full of flavor, too pretty to eat (but I ate it and cleaned my plate), just amazing.. I can't even put into words how great this place is... so I'll just leave the pics! If you're ever in PDC, this a MUST! You haven't had great food until you've had PRIMO! read more

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