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3-day dining guide to the Best Food in Cozumel

How do you find the best Cozumel restaurants on the island? You will never be able to try them all – unless you spend your whole vacation eating. We wouldn’t judge you if you did, but you’d be missing out on some quality beach time.

That’s why Stingray Villa has crafted this three-day dining guide, featuring the can’t-miss restaurants you have to squeeze in. Most of our guests come in on three-day stays, so we made this guide bite-sized. Dine your way through our pretty little island on this three day excursion.

Day 1: Dining in Cozumel Mexico

Dinner – Mister Taco

We put Mister Taco on this list for a simple reason: the food is excellent. And we put it under dinner for your first night because it’s perfect for late arrivals when you just want to eat something delicious ASAP.

Luckily, Mister Taco is open until 2 am every night of the week.

Do you like Al Pastor? Do you want to have the best Al Pastor tacos you will ever taste in your life? You will find this taco shop a mile or so from the waterfront and pony up a few pesos for a plate full of the finest Al Pastor tacos you will ever have…….made Caribbean style with fresh pineapple juices seared into the meat. Mister Taco will be packed with locals riding by on scooter picking up orders to go. Very little English spoken but just say, Al Pastor.

Al pastor tacos at mister taco
motulenos at corazon contento Cozumel, Mexico

Day 2: Dining in Cozumel Mexico

Breakfast – Corazon Contento

Breakfast, the most important meal of the day! Corazon Contento is less than a 15-minute walk from your Airbnb too. Corazon Contento is open every day but Sunday, so it’s easy to get your first coffee fix.

This little gem is tucked away at the corner of 10th Av. and 2 calle. It’s a family establishment (you’ll often run into the owner and the kids there) and it’s certainly not a fast food joint. Everything is made when you order it and definitely made with love.

So what are our favorites? Too many for one meal, which is where your companion (companions!) come in!

My hands-down favorite is Huevos Motulenos. Motulenos is a breakfast food which originated in the town of Motul. The dish is made with eggs on tortillas with black beans, cheese, ham, peas, plantains, and salsa picante.

Day 2: Dining in Cozumel Mexico

Lunch – Burritos Gorditos

Burrito Gorditos looks like a little hole in the wall place because it is. It has a very small seating area and the kitchen/prep area is right behind the cash register. You will walk in and be warmly greeted by the owner. The burritos are a good size, packed full and not too expensive. The menu is all in English & the price is in dollars too. Get the shredded Beef or Pollo burrito. Both are great! All the goodies are inside: rice, beans, avocado, cheese, and Mexican salsa. You can get your burrito fix Monday-Saturday 9 am till 4 pm. 

Burrito Gorditos
Coconut Shrimp at Casa Mission

Day 2: Dining in Cozumel Mexico

Dinner – Casa Mission

Even if the food wasn’t so tasty, we might still send you to Casa Mission, just for the atmosphere.

While most Cozumel restaurants are decidedly low-key, recalling a bygone era, the outdoor dining area at Casa Mission may just transport you to another era entirely. This place used to be a mission and the current owner and extended family still live on the premises. The atmosphere is fun and the hacienda had a romantic quality to it that draws you into to the past while dining on great food.

To start they prepare the best guacamole at your table. Very fresh ingredients and flavorful. Try the coconut shrimp – sweet, firm and very fresh. They have a talented mariachi band that plays here too. One thing you have to try is the “Sexy Coffee”, not just because it tastes phenomenal but the production is amazing. Yes, the sexy coffee is a dessert with liquor and lots of vanilla ice cream. If you are full and don’t want dessert, order it anyway. Like I said the production is worth it alone.

Day 3: Dining in Cozumel Mexico

Breakfast – Jeanie’s

This place has views that are amazing, right on the ocean. It’s called Jeanie’s Waffle House so that should tell you their specialty.

You can get a traditional breakfast here, but we suggest you try the Eggs Rancheros, Chorizo Omelette, Chocolate Chip Waffles and Chicken Taquitos (let’s hear it for the dining companions again). Any day that starts out with these four is already off to a great start. Dine outside if the weather is nice and people watch—a Cozumel tradition you’ll be sure to adopt during your stay. 

Jeanie's Waffle house, best Cozumel restaurant, Mexico
La Conchita, best restaurant in Cozumel, Mexico

Day 3: Dining in Cozumel Mexico

Lunch – La Conchita del Caribe

Since it’s a new day, it’s time for more lunchtime Shrimp & Pulpo Ceviche – and La Conchita del Caribe makes the best in Cozumel. Probably the best we’ve had since visiting Cozumel 20 years ago, in fact.

Anyway, back to the food. Ordering at La Conchita del Caribe is difficult because the menu is quite varied and everything (and we mean everything) is excellent.

Day 3: Dining in Cozumel Mexico

Dinner – Le Chef

Time for your last dinner in Cozumel. Le Chef is a Cozumel institution and always buzzing. Get there early if you can pull yourself away from the beach!

We rotate between ordering the lobster bacon sandwich, the tuna steak wrapped in prosciutto and the mahi-mahi with lobster sauce. The mahi-mahi with lobster sauce sells out quickly—one of the reasons early dining is so popular. 

le chef, best restaurant in Cozumel, Mexico
maple bakehouse, boutique inn restaurant guide in Cozumel, Mexico

Day 4: Dining in Cozumel Mexico

Breakfast – El Maple Bakehouse

We had trouble picking an option for your final meal in Cozumel, so we went with the place that makes the best pan (bread) on the island. They serve lovely coffee and the food is great, but the baked products are the star of the show. Whether you eat them there or take them away, don’t walk out without some baked goods from the baskets.

Maple Bakehouse also serves a very good Eggs Benedict, with proper hollandaise sauce and properly-poached eggs. The restaurant is small and gets crowded to the rafters inside, so think about getting a seat on the sidewalk and watch people going by. Even outside, service here is professional. We’ve added El Maple to the already-crowded list of our go-to places for breakfast.

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