Cancun gastronomy is a treat for even the most demanding connoisseur. Its hundreds of restaurants feature something for every taste, surely to satisfy the preferences of travelers from each corner of the world. From fast-food restaurants to elegant dining rooms where you can indulge in gourmet specialties while listening to soft music; from traditional Mexican and Italian restaurants to Chinese or Japanese dining; from low-priced buffet meals to haute cuisine, there is such a variety that you can make your Cancun vacations a superb feast for your palate.

Cancun features two distinguishable restaurant areas when it’s time to enjoy a good meal: the Cancun Hotel Zone, with upscale and pricier restaurants and Downtown Cancun, with more modest establishments, lower prices but at the same time, very tasty dishes.

The Cancun Hotel Zone offers culinary specialties from the five continents with the added value of the breathtaking sea views, glorious settings for spending a romantic evening dining on delicacies. Cancun is also filled with US chain restaurants such as Outback Steak House, Hard Rock Café, T.G.I. Friday’s, Bubba Gump Seafood Co., Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, among others, that will provide visitors with a more familiar environment, where they can feel at home. But what you shouldn’t miss is Cancun’s specialty: seafood. Try exquisite shrimp and lobster dishes at Lorenzillo’s, where you can pick your own lobster from a big tank and have it cooked to your liking for dinner. You can also try amazing dishes at the hotels in Cancun, which offer a variety of world class restaurants featuring French, Italian, Mexican and Japanese cuisine, to name a few.

If you are on a budget or want to try the local cuisine, head to Downtown Cancun, where you will find a big number of restaurants where you can eat from tacos (pork, meat, chicken or vegetables wrapped in corn tortillas) to a variety of stews prepared usually with corn, beans, pork or chicken, and an assortment of chiles. Many of those small restaurants offer what is called “comida corrida” that includes a soup, a stew or meat with vegetables, a side dish and a sort of juice prepared with water and fruit called “agua”. They are very low priced and will leave you completely satisfied. At Cancun’s Centro you can also have huge breakfasts with eggs, sausages, ham, coffee, bread and juice and great seafood meals.

Dining etiquette is similar to the one in the USA, but here it is considered rude to bring your bill to the table without anyone asking. So be sure to ask for it, saying “la cuenta, por favor” or mimicking the action of writing on your hand. The usual tip, “propina” in Spanish, is between 10 to 15%; you can leave more for an exceptional service.

Cancun is so gastronomically diverse that you will have a hard time deciding what to eat. Try a different restaurant each day of your stay for a very fulfilling culinary experience.