The Gastronomy of Puerto Morelos: Seafood and Mexican Tradition

Puerto Morelos is a small fishing town on the Riviera Maya, known for its beach and its reef, and increasingly for what ends up on the table. The gastronomy of Puerto Morelos is built on the sea: the boats still go out in the morning, and the catch is in the kitchens by lunchtime. Add the traditional Mexican dishes cooked in the family restaurants around the square and you have a food scene that deserves a trip of its own. This is a guide to the dishes worth ordering and where to find them.

1. Fresh Seafood: From the Sea to Your Table

Everything starts with the fishermen. Puerto Morelos has kept its identity as a working port, so the seafood on the menu was very likely landed the same day: shrimp, octopus, lobster, conch and the fish of the day, grilled, fried or raw.

The dish you will see everywhere is ceviche. Fresh fish or seafood is cured in lime juice and mixed with tomato, onion, cilantro and avocado. Every restaurant has its own version, and comparing them is half the fun.

2. Fish and Seafood Tacos

Fish tacos are the town’s everyday classic: corn tortillas, fish battered or grilled, and a spread of salsas and toppings to build each taco your way.

La Sirena, on the second floor above the shops on the main square, is a good place to start. Its fish tacos come with battered grouper and a lime-and-chili slaw, there are shrimp tacos too, and the menu has proper vegetarian options.

3. Ceviche and Seafood Cocktails

Ceviche and seafood cocktails are staples at the restaurants and beach bars along the shore, and they suit the setting: a table facing the water, a cold drink, a plate of shrimp or octopus dressed in lime.

The mixed ceviche is the crowd-pleaser, usually shrimp, fish, octopus and squid in fresh lime juice, served with crisp tortilla chips. With a cold beer it makes a light lunch that still feels like a treat.

4. Fresh Lobster: A Caribbean Delicacy

Lobster is the most indulgent thing on the local menu. It is usually grilled with garlic butter, though some kitchens dress it in tropical sauces, and many restaurants serve lobster brought in that day.

El Merkadito, a seafood restaurant and beach club on the seafront road near the lighthouse, is a good place to order it. You eat with the beach in front of you and the reef line on the horizon.

5. Seafood Soup: A Restorative Broth

Seafood soup is the dish locals turn to after a long day (or a long night). A rich broth is loaded with shrimp, octopus, clams and fish, then simmered with local vegetables and spices. It is filling, warming and very much a home recipe.

Most seafood restaurants in town have it on the menu; ask for the sopa de mariscos.

6. Traditional Mexican Cuisine: Authentic Flavors

Seafood may be the star, but Puerto Morelos also does the classics well. Tacos al pastor, enchiladas and tamales turn up in the family-run restaurants around the square, made from home recipes with produce from the region.

If you want something more creative afterwards, John Gray’s Kitchen, a block north of the square, cooks international dishes with local ingredients and a Mexican accent, in a garden setting with good cocktails to match.

7. International Cuisine with Local Touches

International cooking has its place here too, usually with a Caribbean twist. Many restaurants on the beach and inside the resorts blend flavors from elsewhere with what the local market and the fishing boats provide.

Tanino’s is the example everyone mentions: a Mediterranean-leaning menu of pastas, ceviches and carpaccio, grilled fish and meat, backed by a long wine list and live music in a garden a block north of the square.

8. Traditional Desserts and Sweets

Save room for dessert. Coconut flan, creamy and made with freshly grated coconut, is a local favorite, and you will also find tres leches cake and artisanal ice creams flavored with tropical fruit such as mango, pineapple and passion fruit.

Look for them on the dessert menus of the restaurants around the square.

9. Refreshing Drinks: Margaritas, Mezcal and More

A meal by the sea calls for a good drink, and Puerto Morelos has no shortage: classic margaritas, mezcal cocktails, passion fruit mojitos and local craft beer.

Unico Beach, a beach club with free access on the town’s shoreline, is known for its Caribbean cocktails, best taken on a lounger facing the sea. Some bars in town also run tequila and mezcal tastings, an easy way to learn the difference between the two.