Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

OpenTable

Updated March 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Oh lala

4.8

4.8 (1077)

MXN500 and over

Mediterranean

Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

About the restaurant

The cuisine at Oh Lala! is a refreshing change from that of other, more conventional restaurants. Guests are treated like good old friends in a relaxing atmosphere coupled with personalized service and good food.
Opened in January, 2011, by co-owners George and Mikaela, Oh Lala! offers personalized experiences for its guests, ranging from a laidback sampling of hors d’oeuvres and wines, to a leisurely look at the full menu.
With a total of 10 tables divided between the indoor and outdoors seating, and an open kitchen, Chef George, Mikaela, and their staff, make sure that every visit to Oh Lala, International Cuisine by George, Is a unique and a delicious one.

Top review

Erin

Dined on Mar 13, 2025

Great food! They send out a flatbread with goat cheese for a complimentary bread starter. Then we ordered 2 appetizers, the mussels in a white wine sauce and the duck confit tacos with a mango chutney. Mussels were so flavorful delicious! The duck tacos were served with 3 and so tender and perfectly paired with the mango chutney. For our entree we had lobster risotto which was the special. It was a big lobster tail over the risotto, very very flavorful and filling! We also got the buttered tuna which was highly recommended by other reviews I read and it definitely was worth getting! They sent out a chocolate soufflé style cake for my boyfriend’s birthday, it was very good! Luis was our server and he was very very attentive, knowledgeable and funny! We definitely will recommend this place to others and will be back next time we are in Playa Del Carmen! 5 STARS!!

YUM YUM by GEORGE

4.7

4.7 (148)

MXN300 and under

Thai

Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

About the restaurant

Yum Yum by George es un restaurante contemporáneo/internacional con acentos de comida Tailandesa & Hindu.
El menú retrata un mundo culinario, expresando la fusión de las recetas tradicionales de forma artesanal y artística, con nuevos conceptos, técnicas innovadoras, colores, texturas y sabores. Nos enfocados en promover experiencias culinarias en un ambiente relajado, vibrante y amigable.
Yum Yum by George es el espacio perfecto para pasar un buen rato entre amigos, disfrutando de buena música, platillos llenos de sabor y cócteles exóticos.

Top review

Ned

Dined on Jan 28, 2025

Shrimp dumplings were great. Loved our curries. 2-3 on spice level was just right

Primo

4.7

4.7 (144)

MXN310 to MXN500

Mexican

Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

About the restaurant

Inspiration for Primo comes from the love for food, ancient spirits, local crafts and rustic cooking. Trying to recreate in a small outdoor space under a beautiful tree, the essence from original Playa del Carmen and bring an authentic Mexican food where everything is cooked with wood fire, underground oven, comales and grill, as has been done traditionally in most Mexican small towns for centuries. Primo means cousin in spanish, as a common slogan in Mexico we say Primo to refer to really close friends, the ones that may be closer than family. Our intention with this name is that guests feel the confort of gathering in a place that will taste and feel like home as we do. We have developed the interior design with locally made tzalam wood furniture, bejuco lamps and a chukum finish for the walls. We pride ourselves of using local and sustainable suppliers for most of our ingredients.

Top review

GeraldS

Dined on Mar 10, 2025

Great place - excellent food, service, and atmosphere. Will definitely go back when in Playa del Carmen.

Piaggia Playa del Carmen

4.7

4.7 (246)

MXN310 to MXN500

Mediterranean

Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

About the restaurant

Delight in the exquisite Mediterranean Italian cuisine in the heart of Playa del Carmen. Piaggia Ristorante offers a unique culinary experience with chef-crafted dishes and selections perfectly designed to captivate your senses.

Enjoy unparalleled gastronomic excellence paired with the best service and a breathtaking direct view of the Caribbean Sea.

All of this in a welcoming atmosphere that will completely enchant you. Discover the magic of the Italian coast at Piaggia Ristorante, your gourmet destination in Playa del Carmen.

Piaggia, ranked as one of the city's best restaurants with top ratings on various platforms, come and sample the exquisite and creative dishes from our renowned Chef Eugenio Villafaña. We look forward to welcoming you!

WELCOME TO YOUR NEW FAVORITE PLACE, WELCOME TO PIAGGIA

Top Table Group -

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 2 days ago

We had a great time - great value and they were lovely to my mom for her birthday. Great view of the ocean and amazing food!

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Experience

DESTILADOS 2X1 DE 1:00 A 6:00 PM

Experience

ESPUMOSO Y POSTRE EN LOS CUMPLEAÑOS!

Experience

LIMONCELLO SPRITZ 2X1

Porfirio's - Playa del Carmen

4.6

4.6 (995)

MXN500 and over

Mexican

Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

About the restaurant

PORFIRIO’S es pasión, orgullo y excelencia. Un restaurante que elogia lo mejor de México, transformando sus tradicionales sabores, texturas y aromas en los más exquisitos platillos de la alta cocina mexicana. Un sitio que renueva el concepto de cocina urbana contemporánea, equilibrando recetas caseras con acentos tomados de cada rincón de México, que se traducen en audaces sabores resultado de una cuidadosa selección de ingredientes y un ambiente donde música, decoración y sazón se entrelazan armoniosamente.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 4 days ago

Delicious food and impeccable service! Cocktails were very good as well

Ilios - Playa del Carmen

4.6

4.6 (803)

MXN500 and over

Greek

Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

About the restaurant

Ilios honra los diferentes matices de la gastronomía tradicional griega al llevar la cocina de todas las regiones de Grecia a un nuevo nivel de elegancia y sofisticación en medio de una decoración inspirada en el paisaje conspicuo y la belleza escarpada de la península griega.

Un oasis de cocina mediterránea moderna influenciado por la comida y la cultura griega, un lugar donde la gastronomía mediterránea converge con el buen gusto, representando lo mejor que la cultura griega tiene para ofrecer.

Top review

RobertVIP

Dined on Mar 12, 2025

Amazing dinner! Service was excellent. Great fish choices and definitely a great place to people watch.

INTI Beach

4.5

4.5 (113)

MXN310 to MXN500

International

Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

About the restaurant

Inti Beach is the place you should know on your visit to the Riviera Maya!

You will live a unique experience that will make each of your senses vibrate through our services. International gastronomic proposal with Peruvian and Latin American overtones, beach club to spend the day with views of the Caribbean Sea and the Island of Cozumel, a complete menu of massages to give that touch of rest to your day, and an international musical proposal every day of the week.

Our space has been conceived and designed to be the meeting point for all those who seek to enjoy their days with a relaxed, natural, bohemian lifestyle, connecting with nature but with a touch of sophistication. We welcome all those who commute with respect and tolerance towards others.

Top review

ShellyVIP

Dined on Mar 12, 2025

Our third visit for dinner and the flame show. Our dinner was amazing. Great vegetarian options and truly good options for all. Our server was very attentive. As always the flame show was very entertaining. We’ll be back next year.

Alux Restaurante

4.4

4.4 (2129)

MXN500 and over

Contemporary Mexican

Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

About the restaurant

Alux is a restaurant inside a natural cave. A unique place to enjoy a magical evening. The creation and formation of the cave is ancient. In this environment of true underground palaces decorated with unique stalactites and stalagmites you can enjoy a natural spectacle. With a capacity of more than 250 guests, our cavern has various environments designed for you to enjoy your stay to the fullest, all accompanied by our haute cuisine and mixology that distinguishes us in this region of the Riviera Maya.

Service only for dinners. À la carte service. Entry with reservation. Dress Code: Smart Casual. Kitchen closes at 11:00 pm. Payments are accepted with Cash, Credit and Debit Card AMEX, MasterCard and Visa. Children welcome. Smoking area. There is no corkage.

Minimum consumption $1,000.00 pesos per person.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 1 day ago

The venue is stunning and the service was very good. The fish and meat was cooked to perfection. Highly recommend.

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La Cantina at Vidanta Riviera Maya

4.4

4.4 (450)

MXN310 to MXN500

Mexican

Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

About the restaurant

Ubicada en Salum, Vidanta Riviera Maya, La Cantina ofrece un ambiente perfecto para pasar la tarde saboreando deliciosa comida mexicana y lo mejor del tequila y el mezcal. Al anochecer, disfrute de la atmósfera vibrante y auténticamente mexicana de una cantina clásica.

Top review

Carol

Dined on Feb 17, 2025

Wonderful atmosphere, delicious drinks and entrees. Superb service with very attentive waiter.

Luma Taverna del Mar

4.3

4.3 (127)

MXN310 to MXN500

Seafood

Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya

About the restaurant

El mejor restaurante en Playa del Carmen, Restaurante LUMA Taverna del Mar, Mediterranean Fusion Seafood