Romeo Restaurant
Best Restaurant in Playa and the First place we always go for dinner is Romeo Restaurant. Laura Carmine with Terry Carmine, Marcela Leal Morales with our dear Canadian friend, Ed Vidgen
Romeo’s in on Calle 4 between 5th Ave and 10th Ave, a 10 minute walk from any of our condos. Pasta is made fresh when you order it (!) I get Ivan’s (head waiter) favorite, Spinach Ravioli with Truffle sauce or the Grilled Seafood (OMG). Terry always gets Spaghetti Bolognese. We split a Contadina Salad and Marcela and Ed shared Grilled Octopus sliced thin with a little seasoning. Ed also had Gnocchi and Marcela had lobster.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Romeo/244556569014838
I’ve never tried the pizza, but I hear it’s the best in Playa. I know it’s thin crust and looks delicious.
Telephone 984-141-6507 I definitely recommend a reservation as without one you might wait in line outside for and hour or more. Busiest after 7 pm.
Location Romeo is on 4th Street between 10th Avenue and 15th Avenue on the south end of downtown Playa Del Carmen. Just look for the palapa roof in the middle of the block.
Hours Closed Wednesdays. Open from 4:00pm-11:00pm all other days.
“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefor art thou?” 4th street in Playa Del Carmen!
https://www.yelp.com.mx/biz/romeo-playa-del-carmen
Le Cinq: My new favorite restaurant!
Le Cinq is my new favorite restaurant!! It’s located on 10th Ave. between Calle 12 and 14. We went early last night because we’d been cooped up with an all-day rain. I love French food and this place is incredibly good. We were the first to arrive and in addition to the menu, they showed us pictures on an iPad of all the dishes and wines. They have an extensive wine list with descriptions of each wine. You’ll see numerous French wines in addition to other wines. We started with escargot surrounded by thin slices of tomatoes and potatoes that was one of the best I’ve ever had. My husband had the best french onion soup he’s ever had. He followed that with lobster risotto and I had shrimp on a skewer with pineapple and other vegetables. Of course the sauce was out of this world. We finished with a warm chocolate dessert. Our waiter, Selomit, spoke French, English and Spanish and was attentive, very informative, and friendly. This is one of the best French restaurants I’ve been to including ones in France. Love it. Not the most expensive restaurant in Playa, but a little above average in price. Beautiful interior with outside seating as well.
El Fogon: Cheap, Good Mexican Food in Playa del Carmen
Although they have a couple of locations, all the locals go to El Fogon on Constituyentes in Playa del Carmen. Be prepared – the menus are in Spanish only but the wait staff will help you. There’s a line waiting to get in from 7pm till closing. Food is really good, atmosphere is authentic and thijere’s usually a singer or a band that will pass the hat for tips. It’s a Playa experience and one that I recommend. #PlayadelCarmen #LaurasBeachfrontCondos #PlayadelCarmenBeachfrontCondos.com
Playa del Carmen Beaches
The following Riviera Maya Beach Lover’s Guide
Picture yourself on a white sandy beach, trade winds rustling in the palm trees while you swing in a hammock. Build sand castles with your children, or enjoy evening strolls with your loved one at sunset. Riviera Maya beaches turn your vacation dreams into reality. You’ll be enchanted by the beautiful beaches, warm translucent waters, and picture-perfect weather that lasts all year long.
Riviera Maya Ranks in the Worlds Top 10 Beach Vacations
The photos don’t lie. The Mexican Caribbean is that blue, and the beach sand is that dazzlingly white. With 72 miles (116 km) of beach stretching along the Caribbean coastline, Riviera Maya has something for everyone. The beaches are one reason why we decided to call the Riviera Maya home, and why so many visitors return to this paradise.
Beach areas in the Riviera Maya are public spaces bursting with activities. If you are looking for evening beach activities under an star filled sky, Playa del Carmen offers a vibrant, hip nightlife once the sun goes down. Couples and families looking to embrace the day together from sun up to sun down will enjoy . The magnificent bays that define these beaches provide an endless list of water activities like snorkeling, kayaking, diving, beach combing, or simply relaxing in a hammock.
Sun-worshippers will discover their tropical paradise on any Riviera Maya beach, but
For true paradise seekers, the raw and unspoiled beauty of the unpopulated Caribbean will lure many travelers to Sian Ka’an Biosphere beaches.
No matter what kind of beach holiday you prefer or what slice of the Riviera Maya shoreline suits your needs, you will find what we call ‘heaven’: pearly-white sand, natural shade from slender palm and coconut trees, crystal-clear waters, and fragrant sea air.
Two miles of white powdery sand make the beaches of Playa del Carmen a hot spot in anyone’s book. Enjoy the sunshine at one of the trendy beach clubs or meet up with seasoned Playa visitors on the central beach. Either spot provides ample opportunity to people-watch on the shores of this popular Caribbean destination. Looking for more than the sun? Water sports are in abundance and easy to reserve right on the beach!
Miles of beach in a trendy Playa del Carmen
The beaches in Playa del Carmen are not as tranquil as other Riviera Maya towns, but Playa’s great location, hip beach life and long stretch of beaches puts it at the top of a dream vacation list. Beach clubs, beach hotels and beachfront condos share the shores of Playa del Carmen making these beaches the public place to be during day. When the sunrises, beach goers are on it, picking their favorite spot and getting ready for an all day beach session. When the sun starts to set, the crowds move to 5th Ave for dinner and join up again for some beachfront nightlife. The beach is the center of Playa’s activity and there is lots to do.
Central Playa beach and North Playa beach
The 2-mile white sand beach of Playa del Carmen is divided into two areas; Central Playa del Carmen beach and North Playa del Carmen beach. The symbolic division point is the second ferry pier located at the bottom of Av. Constituyentes, a main traffic route into the city. The feel is very different on each beach, with ‘Old Playa’ felt on the central beach and ‘Trending Playa’ felt on the north beach.
The Central Playa del Carmen beach was the first beach developed in the city. Here you’ll find the Ferry dock to Cozumel, numerous beach clubs, restaurants, dive shops and water sport vendors offering a wide range of fun water activities. There are also a number of snorkeling, dive and fishing boats ready to take you out at the bottom of 14th Street. Popular beach clubs owned by long-time Playa residents are Zenzi, Fusion, and Wah Wah’s.
North Playa del Carmen is known as the location of Mamitas Beach Club and Canibal Royal, two trendy beach clubs with DJ’s, dancing and beach beds. Great food, large beachside pools and music sets these area of Playa del Carmen apart from the central area. The evenings are quiet on this beach, but the days are full of visitors and locals enjoying talked about beach vacations in paradise.
What many Playa del Carmen visitors love about this city is the diversity of beach vibes. We are not sure if anyone gets tired of the beach, and from the look of the daily activity that goes on, we don’t think anyone does. With so many venues to entertain you and over 2 miles of beach to discover in the city limits, (there are more beaches just outside the city limits within walking distance), there is more entertaining than one could hope for.
There is little outer reef break but great protection from the Island of Cozumel making Playa del Carmen a place of tranquil sea
Why I don’t like All Inclusive’s
I don’t like all inclusives: Give me the real thing!
I’m sorry if I am offending anyone when I say, I don’t like all inclusives. I love to travel and I love to eat at the best places that the locals go to. I love watching people whether it’s sitting in an outdoor cafe in Paris, or walking through the farmer’s market in Bangkok or the Central Market in Phnom Phen, or strolling down 5th Avenue, La Quinta, in Playa del Carmen and stopping for a gelato, a drink, or a latte at a cute little place. It’s real, it’s unique and it’s what makes travel such a fun learning experience.
Don’t get me wrong, the all inclusives can be beautiful properties with lots to do, but I need the real thing when I travel.
Why I don’t like all inclusives
In Playa del Carmen there are all inclusives that have thousands of rooms on the property – Barcelo has 5000 rooms. Are you kidding me? Is this someone’s idea of a romantic get-away or a relaxing vacation? You look at pictures for the all inclusives and you only see a few romantic couples on the beach or in the pool. The reality is you’ll never find a quiet place with 5000+ people.
Here’s additional reasons for my not liking all inclusives:
- Drink till you drop. I hear from people all the time that they go to all inclusives because of the free booze (it isn’t really free, but we’ll get back to that later). At this point in my life I don’t need to drink till I drop
- Same people every day. It’s like being on a cruise ship and seeing the same people every day. If you like them it’s good, but if you don’t (and how many people have you met on vacation that you want to remain in touch with?) you start dodging areas like the pool because you don’t want to have to spend another minute with them.
- Time to play a game!! I don’t want to hear a guy over the loudspeaker, again and again, organizing a team for a game of something, then announcing the game and cheering people on. I want to sip my margharita, read my book, and watch people as they stroll the beach. Boring? Not to me and my friends.
- Most of the guests are Americans. I was born and raised in the USA, but I’ve traveled the world and love other cultures and countries. I don’t want to sit next to another American who tells me how much better everything is in the US than the country we are in. I can stay home and have that conversation.
- They want to keep you on the property! In many areas the all inclusives have a deal with the taxi drivers. It’s about $50 to take someone from an all inclusive to the downtown area of Playa or Puerto Vallarta, but only $10 to ride back. The properties don’t want people to see what they are missing in town so they jack the prices up for guests to leave.
I’ve tried all inclusives and was turned off by the every day sameness of the surroundings, people and food. This isn’t Disney and I don’t need a sterilized setting when I travel out of the country. This morning I happened to stumble on someone else’s blog post, Pin the Map Project, that summed it all up for me. Here’s a link to it, Why I Hate All Inclusives
I love this website and blog, and I hope you do too. Enjoy the day!!
Here’s the 5 main lessons of the article, but read the article
- All-Inclusive resorts tend to be isolated.
- The “sprawling resort” becomes small, fast.
- The guests are a…certain type of traveler.
- The food is good but forgettable.
- Visiting and leaving a country without ever seeing it.
So who wrote this blog I am in such synch with? Here’s the blogger team:
Nikki Vargas
Founder/Editor
Nikki is the Founder of The Pin the Map Project and started her blog four years ago as a way to flex her travel writing muscles and see the world.
Becky Kivlovitz
Staff Travel Writer
You can find her either on the trail, re-reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck, or planning her next great adventure: www.beckykivlovitz.com.
Christine Stoddard
Staff Travel Writer
. Learn more at WordsmithChristine.com.
Camha Pham
Staff Travel Writer
Camha also blogs at Curated by Cammi. Follow her on Instagram at @curatedbycammi or on Twitter