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Sotavento

4.3 (12 reviews)
Closed 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

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SOTAVENTO ATMOSPHERE

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Grilled Octopus
Lanier D.

This isn't your typical beach resort restaurant. The food, service, and ambiance is fantastic. This was our last night at the Andaz on this stay, so I wanted to dine at a special place with my fiancé. We had a reservation and were seated at a center table right on the sand with a view of the Sea of Cortés in front of us. The ocean breeze, sound of the waves, and smell of grill is a thrill to the senses. There's no bad table at this location and because it's on the beach they'll still serve you even if you don't have on shoes.   Victor our server was great, attentive, and knowledgeable. His service and assistance from the manager Julian made our dining experience special. We were presented 2 glasses of champagne to celebrate the occasion. My fiancé had the Salmon, and I had the Grilled Mayan Octopus. We had sides of their polenta and grilled sweet potatoes. For dessert, (yes, we had dessert too) we had vanilla puff pastry and the cherry clafoutis. All the food was delicious, with great presentation and excellent service.  This was somewhat of reunion with the manager Julian because he was a key part to our engagement at the property last year. With coordination from the magnificent team at the Andaz Mayakoba we were greeted by him at the dock with champagne as we were preparing for a birthday/surprise proposal dinner. He had taken photos of us and although we didn't dine at Sotavento on this night Julian left great impression upon us.  Sotavento means leeward or the side sheltered away from the wind. If this is the food that will be prepared and served after a shipwreck, then I'll be Gilligan. Great food and service.

Green salad
Gary Y.

Vibe at this Sotavento is great - you can get an ocean facing table and eat under the starlights. Food is amazing here but what you don't find out that it can be swarming with FLIES. Yes, meat flies - you won't see them until the food comes out. We were totally caught off guard since it was a bit windy at the time - surprised they could hang. If you complain, they'll bring over some incense to ward them off (but attempt is sorta futile). We resorted to asking for a second set of plates so we can cover the dishes in a clam shell fashion. So yeah, while the food is amazing - just not sure if it's worth the stress.

Grill on the beach
Ian A.

Good but way too expensive. $7 for a Diet Coke. $17 for a bowl of white rice. Small portions. In the picture I combined my child's portion of sea bass with my adult portion of octopus.

My dinner table

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Review Highlights - Sotavento

Sotavento is one of the four restaurants on-site at the Andaz Mayakoba.

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Ictio - Oysters

Ictio

4.6(65 reviews)
8.1 kmParaíso del Carmen

On a local's recommendation, I stopped in for lunch at ICTIO Fish House and it instantly became one…read moreof my favorite dining experiences here. Then came the whole fried fish -- crispy, golden, incredibly fresh, and topped with fresh onions, cilantro, jalapeños, and a charred lime on the side. It was so delicious I could barely put my fork down! The owner himself came out to check on us -- so kind, humble, and genuinely passionate about his food. Everything is made with the freshest local ingredients, and it shows in every bite. The flavors are bright, authentic, and unforgettable. ICTIO is an absolute must. This is the kind of meal you'll remember and tell everyone about.

Came here on a Wednesday night and they were packed. Thankfully, we managed to snag a table even…read morewithout a reservation but the service was pretty slow the whole night. I guess they weren't prepared for it to be this busy on a Wednesday night. The food was all really good, except for the fish. It was grilled well but tasted a bit dry. Only the top of the fish that was covered in sauce had flavor but it didn't seep through to the bottom of the fish. I recommend getting the Seafood Ceviche because they make it with coconut milk, which was different from all the other ceviches we had on our trip. Other than the slow service, this was a good experience. Seafood Ceviche 9/10 Crispy Jumbo Shrimps 9/10 Soft Shell Crab Taco 9/10 Fresh Catch of the Day (half garlic butter, half ictio) 7/10

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Ictio
Ictio - Charales

Charales

Ictio - Live music.. They were pretty good. Restaurant filled up by the time we started to eat.

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Live music.. They were pretty good. Restaurant filled up by the time we started to eat.

Coco's Cabanas - Ahi - appetizer

Coco's Cabanas

4.9(53 reviews)
2.9 km
$$

Coco's remains a favorite. We love it here and have never been disappointed. The service is…read moreamazing, the food incredible, the setting bohemian ambiance. Still our number one in Playa years later.

In Playa Del Carmen you'll find Coco's Cabanas, a mini resort of sorts that also offers diners to…read morecome in without staying there overnight. Chas found this spot while vacationing here and loved the area so much that he rented an apartment nearby and flys down often from New Orleans to stay there. We started with some Mezcalina's and fresh house fried tortillas with salsa's. The chipotle salsa and the avocado with cilantro were a nice change of pace from your normal salsa verde y rojo. The chips were clearly freshly fried and tasted great even without the salsa's. Our appetizers were a baked Camembert with fruit and tortillas, a sopa azteca, and fresh tuna tostadas. The Camembert was quite good as was the soup, but these tuna tostadas were one of the best appetizers I've ever eaten. Everything on them worked so well together and you could add a splash of soy sauce and it was even better! I'd order these as my meal at 90% of the spots in the world and leave happy! Our entrees were a grilled pichana as well as a lobster pizza from the wood fired oven. I love cooking pichana and don't see it often on menus when I go out so that was a nice treat. The temp was perfect for what we asked for and it was seasoned well. The potatoes that came with it had excellent flavor as well. I could take or leave the corn haha When Chas told me he was eating pizza in Mexico with lobster on it I said "dude, what are you doing with your life?" He said just wait til you try it. He ... was right. The lobster was delicious and buttery, the sauce had great flavor, and the cheese (which was not mozzarella) worked surprisingly well. I will say that I normally like my pizza crispy and this was missing that element...but the flavor more than made up for it. Add on to all of this the fact that you're surrounded by a beautiful pool, swings over the sand, a nice bar, and the owners dog is always nearby to say hi to haha. One of the easiest ones yet. Coco's Cabanas in Playa Del Carmen - Didn't Suck!

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Coco's Cabanas - Kids on the hammocks at Cocos

Kids on the hammocks at Cocos

Coco's Cabanas - Calzone-so tasty and surprisingly light

Calzone-so tasty and surprisingly light

Coco's Cabanas - Hammocks for when you're so full you can't move.

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Hammocks for when you're so full you can't move.

Langosteria Maya - Back of restaurant

Langosteria Maya

4.5(13 reviews)
8.3 kmCalica
$$

Well we wanted to have a small meal to share and we thought paella for 2 sounds like a great…read moreoption... OMG... there was paella more for like 4 lol.. so much seafood, fish, squirrel, shrimp, oysters and clams... we walked out of there stuffed. Amazing food, super fresh, made on the spot. Yes it might take a minute to get it but hey you're getting it made right there not just heated up. Margaritas were good too and the place was nice and super quiet. If lobster is your thing, then I think you can pick your dinner too :) there were a few fresh ones in the tank right behind us. Say hi Mr lobster before you turn into someone's succulent meal. Recommend the paella.. for 260 pesos a meal for 2 you cannot go wrong.. talk about cheap seafood.

We were in Playa del Carmen for a day-ish and needed a place to eat cause the Venezuelan place was…read moreclosed on Mondays! So we found La Pesca and glad we did! It was early/late afternoon and not many people were in the restaurant. The folks there spoke good English and had an English menu. There was a larger party near us and they definitely had a good time. They ordered ceviche, fried fish, etc and they were able to choose the fish they wanted! How cool is that. The server basically comes over with a tray of fresh fish and you just pick one...or two. We went with a paella because it looked good. It was definitely smaller than the picture. The crabs were a bit small too so you don't get any or much meat. But overall the taste was not too shabby. Perhaps a ceviche would've been better but we already had some earlier in our Mexico trip. Fairly priced, off a few blocks west of the crazy busy touristy street which is nice. Definitely will come back next time I'm in the area.

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Langosteria Maya - Paella(seafood rice) food & drinks are excellent service is outstanding. not over priced at all. This is a must come to place.

Paella(seafood rice) food & drinks are excellent service is outstanding. not over priced at all. This is a must come to place.

Langosteria Maya
Langosteria Maya - Interior bar area

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Interior bar area

El Fogón

El Fogón

4.6(1.3k reviews)
8.8 kmCentro
$

Great food! Here for a spring break trip. Saw this wasn't too far from our hotel and off the beaten…read morepath. Reviews are right. This place is great. My husband got sirloin tacos off the rotisserie. I got a pollo plate. So good! We also added on guac, chips and a potato taco. Everything was great. Will come again. Sorry forgot to take a pic before we dug in.

We loved El Fogón so much we came back twice during our trip and that says everything. For a spot…read morethat's Michelin Guide-recognized, it still feels authentic, unpretentious, and very local. No gimmicks, just seriously good tacos. The tacos were packed with flavor, perfectly seasoned, and served hot and fresh every time. You can taste the quality and the technique especially in the way the meat is cooked and carved. Everything felt simple but done right, which honestly is what makes a taco stand out. The atmosphere is lively and busy (for good reason), but service moves quickly and efficiently. It feels like the kind of place locals actually eat at, not just a tourist trap with hype. We fully intended to try different taco spots around Playa del Carmen... but after our first visit, we couldn't resist coming back. When a place makes you change your food itinerary, you know it's worth it. If you're in Playa and debating whether it lives up to the hype it does!!

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El Fogón - View from interior towards the corner intersection.

View from interior towards the corner intersection.

El Fogón - Nopales

Nopales

El Fogón - Strawberries smoothie

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Strawberries smoothie

Sotavento - seafood - Updated May 2026

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