5 Restaurants in Playa That You Can’t Miss

Life in Mexico is full of adventure, great weather… and delicious food. If you’re visiting or if you are thinking to retire in Playa del Carmen, here is a list of 5 restaurants that you must visit!

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Zenzi Beach Bar & Restaurant – This beachside eatery is located at the end of Calle 10 Norte and is situated directly on the beautiful white sandy beach in Playa del Carmen, along with Mexico’s beautiful Riviera Maya. You also have the advantage of looking out over the gorgeous Caribbean water as you enjoy your food and spirits.

Zenzi appeals to a large expat and retiree crowd who mixes well with the many locals who also come to enjoy the restaurant and its laidback ambiance. Almost every afternoon and evening you can listen to live music being played from one of Playa del Carmen’s many talented musical groups.

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The atmosphere is very beachy and offers plenty of open air seating. After the sun goes down, accented lighting around the palm trees provides an intimate feel with music and conversation happening in the background. Take your shoes off and feel the cool sand between your toes!

The menu offers a variety of appetizers, sandwiches and dinner entrees. The food is very well prepared and is complimented with great service. They also have a full bar that will prepare your special request or a menu to select an alcohol or non-alcohol beverage.

Zenzi is a great place for family and friends to get together, where couples can meet or just drop in for a quick bite or a cool refreshing drink. Sit back and enjoy the music while you’re relaxing in paradise!

Fah

Restaurant Fah Bar – Fah Bar is a unique restaurant that sits directly on the world famous Quinta Avenida (5th Ave), between near the corner with Calle 10 Norte. Fah offers lots of exciting street action that includes everything from break dancers to traditional mariachi music, to jugglers. It is also a great location to people watch from your street side table, booth or the open air dining area.

The off street dining area provides a tropical forest like feel with an oversized tree that provides a natural canopy but still allows the outside in. They have a variety of seating choices that consist of tables and chairs to padded sofa duets, and a back wall with bench seating that faces the bar, dining and stage areas.

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Entertainment is provided most every afternoon and evening. The music mixes very well with any mood. The menu is quite extensive and offers a cuisine that can be found in many fine dine restaurants. The service is very courteous and complete with complimentary servers who assist the waiters in keeping your needs met.

The drink menu offers some unusual cocktails served with or without alcohol. If you are an exotic connoisseur of martinis, you must try the cucumber martini or any of the other creative beverages. The relaxing atmosphere will provide a subtle comfort that can’t always be found in similar eateries.

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Pez Vela – Another great 5th Ave. restaurant and bar is Pez Vela. It is probably one of the longest standing eateries on Quinta Avenida, with an astonishing 28 years of existence. They must be doing something right to be around for that long. You can find this restaurant on the corner of 5Th Ave. and Calle 2 Norte.

They are more of a casual – lets hangout restaurant and cantina. Their walk up “U” shaped bar has swing seating that offers quick service and a full drink menu. Their clientele ranges from locals to vacationing singles or couples, to expats looking for a casual conversation. The atmosphere of the open air corner bar kind of reminds you of a Mexico version of ‘Cheers’.

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The restaurant offers curbside dining which is great for people watching and other activities that are constantly passing by. There is an inside dining area, as well as a mezzanine that is ideal for group parties or a special occasion get together. The motif is traditional Mexican with a flair for color, and yes there is a big screen TV for watching your favorite sporting event.

The food is true Mexican but has its own special flavor. They have received awards from the Federal Tourism Board regarding their quality of cleanliness and kitchen preparation – a big plus for delicate stomachs. Their menu is fairly simple but covers all the desired dishes normally wanted when visiting Playa del Carmen. The service is friendly, prompt and very attentive. The prices are budget friendly and offer great value.

Oasis

El Oasis – El Oasis on Calle 12 Norte between 5th and 10th Avenidas is an eye-catching location. The eatery is a true seafood venue with an extensive menu of top notch dishes. They aren’t a high capacity restaurant like a lot of their neighboring peers. They do have a fully stocked bar, but their main focus is Seafood cuisine!

You have a choice to either be seated street side, on a small open-air covered patio or dine inside. The décor is styled very elaborately with a strong emphasis on a nautical theme. The walls, ceiling and seating are painted with bright colors that provide quite a novel experience.

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The menu goes from ‘A to Z’ in seafood choices and cooked any way you want it. They pride themselves on fresh lobster, ceviche and their signature shrimp tacos. The food is plentiful, served hot and fresh and is extremely delicious. They serve a small cup of seafood chowder as an appetizer that will arouse your taste buds and tease you for what is ahead. The service is excellent with a smile every time they visit your table.

They do have a small bar area that offers Happy Hour specials, but not really known for having a cocktail hour crowd. However, they serve up a mean margarita that is crafted at your table with ingredients that you would never have imagined being in a margarita. It is actually served to you in a mortar type bowl with an accompanying straw. If you enjoy good seafood in a unique setting, then a visit to El Oasis is a must.

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Casa Sophia – Located on Avenida Aviacion between 10th Ave. & 50th Ave (Highway 307), Casa Sophia is a great place to have some good Italian food, great conversation and enjoy a glass of wine. Its cuisine is prepared authentically as if coming from its own origins.

The restaurant and bar is a stone’s throw away from Playacar and is very popular with the locals, as well as the area’s expats and seasonal residents. It has multiple dining sections that include a glassed in dining area with a full bar, two open air covered patio areas, and a smaller indoors area near the deli counter.

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Its ambiance is simple but casual and very comfortable. The menu is very detailed with some of Italy’s finest dishes. Their pizzas and pasta are handcrafted with true Italian style. They also have a variety of wines that compliment any meal. The table settings are reminiscent of the old country where dining is an art of ambiance and food combined. The service is exceptionally friendly and delivered in a professional manner.

Casa Sophia is somewhat off the beaten path and offers no significant similarities to its peers that reside beachfront or on Playa’s Quinta Avenida. There is no hustle and bustle or lapping waves or street entertainers. Just a relaxing setting for family, friends or couples wanting to enjoy a conversation. The pricing is very reasonable for the exceptional quality of food served. They accept pesos and USD only.
Enjoy Italy in the heart of the Riviera Maya!

Do you have any other recommendations for eating out in Playa del Carmen?

Let us know!

Remember… we make it happen!

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House Sitting in Mexico

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I’m sure you have heard stories of folks who come down on vacation and return having purchased real estate.  And then there are folks who sign a long-term lease and move a container full of furniture. But maybe for you, the idea of living in Mexico is elusive. You wish moving down here but cannot pinpoint the best place for you.

The good news is that there’s an easy way to explore your options about moving to Mexico, and it happens to be free. It’s called house sitting and it’s a very good way to explore your options for a move to Mexico. Instead of a hotel, house sitting allows you to stay in a “real” home, similar to what you might consider for yourself when you move. You can stay there long enough to see what it’s like to live there, while you are informing yourself, meeting people, exploring various neighborhoods and forming your own opinions about the town.

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House sitting is typically a no-cash exchanged relationship in which a sitter receives a place to stay in exchange for keeping the home occupied while the owner is away, plus other responsibilities as required.  In this “win-win” relationship, house sitters have an opportunity to see what daily life is like.  Typically the homeowner introduces their house sitter to neighbors and friends, so there are people to get to know, and opportunities to benefit from their experience, plus enjoying the lower cost of living of their new host country.

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If you want to know more, there is a website that brings homeowners in Mexico together with people like you who might want to house sit for them. It’s www.HouseSitMexico.com and easy to use, highly functional website that offers two types of interactive maps of Mexico (helpful as you get to know the country), sophisticated search capabilities, private messaging and email updates of new house sitting opportunities.

If you want to learn more about house sitting, visit the HouseSitMexico website and contact them for more information.
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Reasons why I enjoy living in Playa del Carmen

Tony Scopel

We have written a lot about retiring in Mexico, but what about just living here part-time?

Recently we got in touch with Tony Scopel, an American traveler and creator of the website You, Me and the Dock, who chose Playa del Carmen as a temporary home. We wanted to know why he chose this destination and his answers are very interesting.

Even when he’s not retired yet, his lifestyle allows him to spend extended periods of time in this area, and we’re sure that his experience can be helpful if you’re planning to retire in the Riviera Maya.

Continue reading to learn more!

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We have on several occasions visited many destinations up and down Mexico’s beautiful Riviera Maya. Places like Puerto Morelos, Puerto Aventuras and Tulum are very picturesque and each has its own charming qualities. But now living in Mexico and specifically in Playa del Carmen, is a dream come true!

Being somewhat a spoiled American, Playa as it is known to the locals, offers many of the amenities we graciously enjoy back home. One of the many advantages we looked at was the cost of living in Mexico. It is approximately a third of the cost of United States. With that said, all the other benefits make this a perfect utopia for extended stays. When we were looking for places to stay for lengths of time, there had to be certain necessities that needed to be present, and one of those particulars is the need for sufficient and affordable healthcare.

Mexico’s health system has made great strides over the last decade. Merida, the capital of the State of Yucatan, is ranked number one in Southeast Mexico for healthcare services and medical research. I also have personally experienced medical and dental treatment in Playa del Carmen, and it was just as professional as anywhere in the States. Playa’s doctors speak multiple languages and have their doctorate degrees and credentials posted in plain sight. Their staff are courteous, professional and very knowledgeable. The part that makes this even better is that it’s about a quarter of the cost compared to the US… All this gets two thumbs up on my list of musts!

Beach food

One of my favorite things to do during the day is to walk up and down the beach and watch all the activity going on. There are people kite surfing, playing paddle ball and performing tricks with a soccer ball. You can also take a chair, an umbrella, your favorite beverage, and a good book and just relax. With the turquoise Caribbean water and blue skies above as a backdrop, there isn’t any place else on earth I would rather be.

We spend several days a week enjoying the many restaurants, cantinas and beach bar & grills. The cuisine here in Playa is some of the best I have tasted throughout our Latin America travels. The seafood is in abundance and is cooked in so many different ways to choose from. There are plenty of places to eat traditional Mexican food and it is made with the freshest ingredients. On certain days we order tacos, tostadas or empanadas from small cart vendors scattered around town. There are also other authentic cuisines represented here in Playa del Carmen from such countries as Italy, Cuba and Thailand to mention a few. Food is so affordable that there should be no reason why you have to cook and do the dishes every night.

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Shopping is a whole new experience here in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. There are name brand stores, department stores and my favorite, the homegrown shops. You can find just about anything you want, and then some at the best prices. I like going into stores and shops to browse and see what the latest Latin trends are. There are stores filled with appliances, home furnishing and electronics. We sometimes walk to a park where there are farmer’s markets filled with fresh fruits & vegetables, local crafts and food carts. It is amazing the things you can find that you can’t get back home. Not to mention the grocery stores and there are plenty of them. Shopping in Playa is an enjoyable experience and not a job.

When we decided to plant ourselves in Playa del Carmen for a year, we looked at all the nearby towns and islands as well. We are an adventurous couple and like to take day trips or spend a night or two somewhere close, but far enough away to consider it a brief getaway. Playa has several nearby destinations that offer easy day trips: Cozumel and its great snorkeling is a 35 minute ferry ride away, Puerto Aventuras and its aquatic attractions and town center is twenty minutes away via car, bus or taxi. Tulum with its Mayan Ruins and beachfront eateries and hotels is 40 minutes south of Playa del Carmen. The sleepy little beachfront town of Puerto Morelos is a 25-minute bus ride north of Playa. These are just a few of the places that can be visited in a day’s time.

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The attractions offered in and around Playa del Carmen are countless. You can visit Playa’s new indoor L’Aquarium. This is a great way to marvel and learn about many of the ocean’s inhabitants. You can take a walk down the beach and schedule a fishing, snorkeling or dive trip. Another exciting day tour is to explore a cenote. These below ground caverns of crystal clear fresh water are a great way to spend a hot day cooling off.

If you just want to casually stroll around and see what’s going on in town, then set out with no particular destination in mind. We have done this many times on a lazy day. You never know what you might stumble upon. Sometimes you can find a festival or cultural event happening in a local park. If you get bored in Playa, then it’s your own fault.

An important line item on my list was to have great weather, beautiful beaches and fabulous water. Mexico’s Riviera Maya has all that and more. Playa’s beaches and turquoise waters can only be explained visually. When we turn the corner and the beach comes into view, it takes our breath away. I think to myself, “I am living a post card dream”. The summers get a little hot and humid here for sure. But a trip to the beach and the cool tempered Caribbean water cures that in a heartbeat.

In summary, all the information provided above are things that are readily available for us to enjoy whenever we want. But there are other important reasons why we chose to be retired in Mexico. Life is simple here. People are genuinely sincere and friendly and always willing to help you in any way they can. It reminds me of the way it was when I was a kid and I walked or rode my bike everywhere I went, when the local stores and eateries were friendly and filled with charm. People worked hard to make an honest living for their family. In Playa del Carmen it’s the same: we meet people on the street and talk about anything and everything. The Mexican culture is a simple one and that is to enjoy life and what is around you. What you don’t have, you don’t miss!

Real Estate Tour

Neighborhoods of Playa del Carmen – Zona Diamante

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Playa del Carmen is growing at an amazing rate. In 10 short years it has transformed from a small fishing village into a bustling city, with a growth driven by all the locals and expats returning and relocating to the area.

This is why I have decided that every few weeks I will choose a Playa del Carmen neighborhood and let you know what you can expect living in that area.

For our first neighborhood I have chosen the Zona Diamante, which is spread between the Grand Coral Resort and the Selvamar Residences, with easy access to the Cancun – Playa del Carmen highway.

It’s located just 15 minutes away from downtown Playa del Carmen, and is a fast growing area made up of several gated communities with condos, family homes and a condo hotel.

Prices in this area start under 100,000 USD, making this area perfect for all stages of life, whether you are looking for a starter home or the perfect place to retire.

Grand Coral

Grand Coral

If you are looking for an investment property, Zona Diamante can fit those needs also. The Fives Luxury Condo Hotel is located right on the Xcalacoco beach, and is a great option for investment, especially if you’re looking to avoid all the hassle of managing a property yourself.

The Fives will look after all of the maintenance of your investment property and even find tenants to rent it.

Xcalacoco beach, which had been previously named as #5 in the top 25 beaches in the Riviera Maya, is the closest to all the communities located in the Zona Diamante.

It is still partly untouched, but offers a wide range of activities. Those who crave adventure can try their hand at jet-skiing, parasailing or even the ever popular jet powered hover boards.

For something slightly more relaxing, Xcalacoco beach offers scheduled fishing trips with seasoned fishermen who will take you to the best fishing spots, depending on the season.

If these activities are not for you, there is always the option for a relaxing massage on the beach where you can listen to the ocean rolling up and feel all the tension ease away. Or you can just sit back and enjoy a refreshing cocktail (or 2) at one of the beach clubs.

If you don’t feel like driving or taxiing into downtown Playa del Carmen to have a few sociable beverages or to enjoy a meal, Zona Diamante can accommodate you.

You can try one of the laid back restaurants and bars on Xcalacoco beach like Coco Cabanas which offers both European and Mexican cuisines and is well known for their pizzeria.

Another choice is the Petite Lafitte, which is a quaint bungalow resort that offers a range of seafood dishes.

The open front bar & grill allows you to sit back and enjoy your cocktail and meal while soaking in the sun, sand and sea.

Petite Lafite

For a more special evening out in Zona Diamante there is Le Reve Hotel & Spa, which is a beachfront boutique hotel that offers a gourmet menu and wine from their own cellar.

The menu includes a selection of cut meats, poultry and fish, along with freshly caught lobster from the Caribbean Sea.

When you have had enough of lounging around on the beach and at the beach clubs and are looking for a change you can visit the famous Nick Price Golf Club, located just 5 minutes away in the Grand Coral Resort, or try out the Mayakoba Golf Club, the El Camaleon, which was designed by golfing great Greg Norman.

Related: Snowbirds Beware: Mexico has Perfect Year Round Golf

It hosts many golf tournaments big and best known for the OHL Classic yearly tournament.  It doesn’t matter if you are not a golf pro or have never even swung a golf club, because the Mayakoba has a state of the art Jim McLean Golf School.

With private lessons on offer your golf skills will improve in no time.

And remember, here at Top Mexico Real Estate…

We make it happen!

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