We just got back, and trying new places as well as revisiting old ones is one of our favorite Playa pastimes.
first some comments on the previous posts:
DA GABI is at the moment (June 2004) closed for renovation. People we talked to seemed to think it would still be Da Gabi's but who knows.
Right across the street is KARTABAR, which advertises Mediterranean/Lebanese food. Didn't try it, though.
EL FOGON has a second location on 30th near calle 4.
El Faisan y el Venado - thank you JAH for pointing us towards this gem! They have more Yucatecan specialty dishes than Yaxche for less money. The relleno negro is an amazing dish. Imagine a bowl of pitch black soup, with chunks of turkey, chorizo, and hard boiled eggs, tasting of oregano and black pepper.
HC CARNES on calle 1 sur near 20th - the lunch deal was 70 pesos for more arrachera (or chicken, or chuletas (pork chops), or costillas (ribs) ) than we could eat in one sitting...plus tortillas, choice of roast onion or a baked potato, and a soft drink. We took most of our meat home, and they threw in more tortillas. Maybe because there is a tortillera across the street?
MAMA NATURA on 5th north of Constituyentes (just past Bip Bip) is a tiny place tucked in the trees with a waterfall fountain. This is where I went when I craved a big salad--and I was satisfied. Great fruit drinks too--try thier special lemonade.
If you find yourself down at Xpu Ha beach (one of my favorites), be sure to eat at CAFE DEL MAR. Exellent food with a healthy-fresh emphasis. I loved the empanadas de maiz con queso.
Friends who are locals kept telling us to try ULA GULA, on 5th upstairs from...hmm, near 10th I think? When the special of the day was snapper in my favorite cuitlacoche (corn fungus) sauce, I couldn't resist. This is not a changarro by any means--it is classy, "tall food." The night we were there the service was awfully slow, though...
I have to tell a story about Tacos Israel-Arabe. We arrived in town on the Saturday night of the big downpour. We'd missed a connection, got to Cancun long after dark, picked up our rental ATOS (from Avicar-fantastic service, BTW) and drove/floated down to Playa. It was scary. Once we felt the car rock when a bus turned off Lake Constuyentes and its wake hit us. We had to park the car a block away from our place on 1st because the street was flooded. Hardly worth putting on dry clothes, so we walked/waded up 10th and passed restaurants--closed on a Saturday night! Babe's bar was open, but kitchen closed. Tacos Israel was the first place we found that was open - Hurray! Tacos and beer never were so welcome.