Eating - Playa Del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is heaving with restaurants of every kind. Although the quality of food here is often very good (particularly Italian ) it's rarely reasonably priced. The pedestrianized section of Av 5 is edged end-to-end with dining tables where you can eat pizza, pasta, burgers, chips and veggie stuff - you name it - but if you're on a budget you'll need to search out where locals go for tacos and comida corriente . As a rule of thumb in Playa, the further from the sea, the cheaper the food - as is everything else. Probably the nicest places, though, are the beach restaurants and bars, where your can sift sand between your toes while eating fresh fish and sipping icy margaritas. Keep an eye open for the various happy hours.

Andale , Av 5 between C 4 and C 6. Coffee shop with really good Italian espressos, cappuccinos and so on.

Buenos Aires , Av 5 between C 4 and C6. Argentinian steakhouse tucked away in a side street, the best place in town for delicious grilled meat.

Hot , C 10 between Av 5 and Av 10. Bakery with small laid-back café serving fresh muffins, bagels and brownies as well as omelettes and sandwiches.

La Grotta di Bacco , Av 15 between C 4 and C6. Superb Italian restaurant with home-made pasta, grilled fish and meat dishes. Has a classy Italian wine list, too.

La Parilla , Av 5 between C 6 and C 8. Branch of the very good Mexican grill chain. Live music nightly.

Lo Sfizio , C 4 between Av 10 and Av 15. Friendly and noisy Sicilian restaurant with the best pizzas in town and a long wine list.

Los Almendras , Av 10 and C 6. Traditional Mexican restaurant with outdoor grill and delicious tacos which you fill yourself from a buffet. Good value and unpretentious.

Media Luna , Av 5 between C 8 and C 10. Vegetarian and seafood restaurant with good pasta and veggie dishes. Huge delicious breakfasts - fruit salad, French toast, pancakes.

The Coffee Press , C 2 between Av 5 and the beach. Chilled-out pavement café with good coffee, home-made cakes, soup and sandwiches.

Xtabentum , C 2 between Av 10 and Av 15. Local family-run Mexican restaurant with tasty comida corriente, bean soup, burritos, etc. Very good value.