Restaurant recommendations for dinner?

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Janie88

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Messages
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Location
Columbus OH
# of dives
200 - 499
So I am tentatively rethinking our plan to stay at an AI in Cozumel and switch to a hotel like Casa Mexicana, B&B or something similar. Which means we'd be eating most dinners out. Not being familiar with the restaurants in town, is it too much to request recommendations for walkable restaurants?

I think we'd probably do lunch at Thirsty Cougar (I really liked this place) most days, and breakfast is a non-issue as most of the places we'd stay would have breakfast included or on the chance we stay in a condo, we would just pick up oatmeal, bread for toast etc. for mornings.

Thanks!
 
If you do some data mining on this subforum you'll find lots of info about restaurants. Among my faves in no particular order are 'Ohana, El Moro, La Perlita, Casa Mission, Pancho's Backyard, Kondesa, Kinta, Buccano's, La Choza, Blue Angel, Especias, Casa Denis, and Punta Morena (on the east side).

DISCLAIMER: The last time I was on Cozumel was pre pandemic in May, 2019. I hope that the above eateries are all still there and open for business, but these are "interesting times".

BTW, walkability to the places I listed from Casa Mexicana is variable. El Moro and La Perlita would be a long walk and hard to find, so cab it. Walking to Punta Morena would be a 15 mile hike across the island on a highway with no lights and no sidewalk, so... :D

Also BTW, El Moro is closed on Thursdays and Punta Morena closes before sunset, as does everything else on the east side.
 
waliking distance - there are many. On the town square, there are quite a few, most are pretty good. Not on the square, I like La Choza, Las Palmas, El Pique (tacos), Casa Cuzamil. Thirsty Cougar is always great for lunch OR dinner.
 
I used to think El Moro was 'way out there' until I started walking there and back. It's a 30 minute walk from downtown (1.5 miles) about the same as from Blue Angel to downtown. If you keep that in perspective you will realize that San Miguel is really not that big of a town, traffic for the most part is pretty slow so it seems bigger. Cabs are also relatively cheap. Lots of great restaurants in the downtown central area and more above 30th
 
Hemingways for skirt steak

Punta sur for their salad and awesome empenadas

Casa Cuzumel for just about anything

Laab for interesting Italian dishes..

And any or all of the above suggestions...coz really is a foodie island.
 
Kooben Laab is my current favourite for modestly priced, well-prepared food (mostly pasta, sometimes risotto as a special, the odd meat or seafood special, fantastic desserts). Well run kitchen by Italian chef. On 30th and between around 5 and 7 (or thereabouts). We go there all the time. I have had a couple of good sushi dinners (and I am really picky about sushi) at Cozumel Dreaming. Beautiful presentation. But it's very small...as is Kooben Laab (which last year added seats on their roof).
 
@Janie88 , all of the above are good. Kind of depends upon what you are in the mood for. Restaurants also considering--
Cheap
Tacotales (formerly Otates). One of few taco places with a full bar.
Mister Taco (my favorite basic taco place--it is on Juarez (aka cross island road) around 55 Bis.
El Sazon del Camaron--Lunch place at Juarez&55. Probably best breaded shrimp tacos on island.

Higher end by Cozumel standards but mid-range by US standards
La Cocay--General upscale food. Steak/seafood etc. Love the duck firecracker appetizer, chocolate torte for dessert. Steaks are good (they have a steak night). Bacon wrapped stuffed chicken entree very solid (about only restaurant where I actually order chicken). They actually have a very good pizza oven if you want pizza.
Soy Gardel--Uruguayan food. Love their tuna tartar. Actually eating leftovers as I am typing
Le Chef--Lobster Bacon Sandwich
Casa Mision--55& Juarez. Large House/estate that serves Mexican food in a nice atmosphere. Basically takes up a whole block. Breakfast/brunch that is a good value given the setting (I think it is somewhere in the $5-7 range for a full breakfast). Dinner is going to be more expensive but I forget the price range.

Bombay Delights--Solid Indian food directly behind Casa Mexicana if you stay there.
 
IMO, if you're not afraid of 'local food' check out Las Palmeras (google search 'Cocina Económica Las Palmas’) on 3 South and 25th. It's NOT the same as Las Palmas that's water front and a tourist trap (high prices, but still good food)... This place is, IMO, REAL food, packed with locals, and dirt cheap... I'm a big guy and for $3 or $4 I leave stuffed...


Right down the street from this place is the market (google search ‘Mercado Municipal’). I had some AMAZING sope’s there, for 17 pesos each, in addition to several good meals. They also have great fresh fruit (and juices) and several restaurants where you can sit down, in addition to the stalls that are more to-go in my opinion…
 
#1 Stall #46 at the market, making one of the many sope's I had there... delicious and only $1
#2 Price menu for stall #46
#3 The sope.
#4 Juice/ blended shake spot in the market... seemed like a gallon of 'blended juice' for a few bucks if I remember correctly...
#5 A Meal from another restaurant, sit down place, in the market. Likely less the $5 or $6, with a Coke.
#6-8 Las Palmeras...
#9 El Moro... good spot, great spot if you're a diver (whice we all are on here :))

**All pictures are from Jan. 2020... not sure who's still in business, but I'll find out in person this summer**
 

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