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3 May 2019
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Food

Don’t be fooled by its small size! The Caribbean island of Isla Mujeres is a top Mexico foodie destination, offering some of the very best restaurants in the region. With options like lavish brunches, freshly-caught seafood, flavorful Yucatecan cuisine, and some wonderfully refreshing tropical cocktails, Isla Mujeres boasts excellent eateries throughout the island. Several of the most famous restaurants are set on pedestrian street Avenida Hidalgo in the center of downtown (the best place to hang out in the evenings), while others can be found along the island’s coastal roads.

Lola Valentina

Location: Avenida Miguel Hidalgo
Typical cost of a meal: $150 – $300 pesos per person
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

With an unbeatable location on the bustling Avenida Hidalgo, Lola Valentina restaurant has become an island favorite for its luxurious breakfasts and brunches. A prepare-your-own coffee station adds, even more, charm to the beautifully quirky décor, and top menu items include fantastic french toast options (coconut or cream cheese!) as well as breakfast cocktails and fresh juices. Many of the breakfast items also have a vegetarian or vegan option available. Lunch and dinner have Mexican fusion cuisine like stuffed chili poblano and red snapper in hollandaise sauce, or you can just stop by for evening drinks at the streetside bar.

Isla Mujeres

Barlito

Location: Avenida Rueda Medina #491 at Marina Paraiso Hotel
Typical cost of a meal: $150 – $300 pesos per person
Hours: Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

A beautiful outdoor setting for taking advantage of those sunshiny Isla Mujeres days! Barlito has an upper deck shaded by local trees (complete with a population of sunbathing iguanas), plus a lower deck and palapa bar by the water. Renowned for its homemade baked goods like its breakfast bagels and huge paninis, this restaurant also has Mexican favorites like tacos and nachos, as well as sandwiches and pizzas.

The Municipal Market

Location: Avenida Guerrero, next to the post office
Typical cost of a meal: $50 – $100 pesos per person
Hours: Open for breakfast and lunch Just outside the island’s municipal market is a row of open-air food stalls.

Here, you’ll find small crowds of locals and tourists alike, plus some very cheap prices. The food stalls serve favorite Mexican breakfast recipes like chilaquiles (fried corn tortilla chips smothered in salsa and light cheese) and fresh fruit juices, in addition to traditional Maya dishes like poc chuc, salbutes, and panuchos at lunchtime.

Zama Beach Club

Location: Carretera Sac Bajo
Typical cost of a meal: $250 – $500 pesos per person
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

On a quiet but gorgeous side road sits Zama Beach Club, an upscale open-air venue set under a giant palapa roof by the ocean. Here, gentle waves wash over a white sand beach with loungers and palm trees, while a two-level pool and pergola provide cool relaxation. The menu includes Yucatan-style seafood like ceviches, seafood cocktails, fish tacos, and tikin xic (fish marinated in achiote paste and cooked while wrapped in banana leaves). A meal here gives you full-day access to Zama’s beach and pool areas.

The Joint Reggae Bar and Grill

Location: South end of the island, near Garrafon park
Prices: Cocktails $60 – $100 pesos, entrees $120 – $220 pesos
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

This laid-back Jamaican-style eatery has an outdoor setting and palapa bar, with casual eats like tacos, burgers, and classic bar food. Especially great here are the specialty cocktails like the mojitos and margaritas, and you’ll most likely be treated to music by a live reggae band while you’re there.

Food stands

Mango Café

Location: Avenida Perimetral Oriente
Typical cost of a meal: $150 – $200 pesos per person
Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

An Isla Mujeres icon! The famous Mango Café sits in the center of the island, where most of the locals live, and its eclectic, colorful style gives the restaurant a casual and welcoming feel. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; it has small but fantastic menus. Dive into its signature eggs benedict or coconut french toast at breakfast, or indulge in chicken chipotle quesadillas in the afternoon.

Food Carts on the Town Square

Location: Town square by the Palacio Municipal, on Avenida Morelos
Typical cost of a meal: $30 – $100 pesos per person
Hours: Open in the evenings

When the sun goes down, the food carts open up on one side of the town square in downtown Isla Mujeres. Locals and tourists alike line up for cheap street food like tacos, hot dogs, and empanadas, plus regional Yucatan favorites like salbutes (taco-like food with a puffed deep-fried tortilla) and marquesitas (crepe-like rolls filled with your choice of sweet ingredients). The food cart options can vary seasonally and nightly, depending on whether or not the owners are in town or busy. The town square might be the most well-known food cart spot, but you can also find others scattered throughout downtown or in the village at the center of the island.

Keep Exploring Isla Mujeres

Make a day out of it and visit top island restaurants by golf cart! Click here to find out the best way to see all of Isla Mujeres in a day by renting a golf cart.