Cancún
Pericos
Avenida Yaxchilan no. 61, tel.998-884-3152
This Mexican restaurant is easy to spot thanks to the old cart that lies atop its thatched roof. The decor is wild and crazy with strange murals, life-sized papier-mâché skeletons playing cards at a table with a bottle of tequila, and saddles on the barstools.

La Habichuela
Calle Margarita no. 25, facing Las Palapas park, downtown, tel.998-884-3158
This restaurant specializes in Caribbean tropical cuisine, with seafood dishes figuring prominently on the menu. A big mural, abundant greenery and numerous Mayan sculptures create a lavish, relaxed ambiance. The house specialty is cocobichuela: shrimp and lobster in curry sauce, served in a half-coconut.

Dolce Vita
Paseo Kukulcán, Km 14.5, Laguna Nichupté, tel.998-885-0161
This fine Italian restaurant was a hit with downtown residents for over 10 years before it started attracting tourists. The terrace looks out onto the lagoon, making it a very romantic spot for dinner, and the menu features seafood and fresh pasta made right on the premises.

La Destillería
Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 12.65, tel.998-885-1086
Located northwest of Plaza Kukulcán, La Destillería is a replica of a Guadalajara tequila distillery. The chef uses only the freshest ingredients to prepare his traditional Mexican dishes with regional influences from Campeche, Oaxaca, Puebla and, of course, the Yucatan. If you like tequila, there are over 150 kinds on the menu. You can enjoy your meal and a view of the ocean on the restaurant's small back terrace.

La Fisheria
Plaza Caracol, Km 8.5, tel.998-883-1395
This seafood restaurant serves the famous ceviche, raw marinated fish in tomato sauce seasoned with onion and coriander. Main dish selections include trout amandine, octopus in chipotle sauce, grilled lobster and the catch of the day. The pizzas, cooked in a wood-burning oven, are also worth the trip.