Guide to the Restaurants at Hotel Xcaret Mexico
One of the best things about staying at an all-inclusive resort is trying the amazing food they offer. Hotel Xcaret Mexico has 20 different options to choose from, making it a great option for food lovers and those looking to enjoy delicious food while on vacation.
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Hotel Xcaret Mexico was built in two phases. Phase 1 is the original part of the hotel built in December 2017 and has 11 restaurant options. Phase 2 is the new part of the hotel that opened in July 2025 and has 9 restaurant options. Read on to learn about the different food options at Hotel Xcaret Mexico and what each one has to offer.
Phase 1: Original Side
Mercado de la Merced
Mercado de la Merced is the large buffet restaurant on the original side of the resort. This is by far our favorite buffet, and we usually eat here everyday for lunch and sometimes dinner.
This buffet offers a large selection of traditional Mexican dishes, along with some pastas and pizzas. The selections at the buffet change daily, and we weren’t able to eat the same thing twice, which was a little disappointing when we found something we really loved, but the food is delicious so there’s always something new to try.
Chibali
Chibali is also a buffet but is only open for breakfast and lunch. This buffet is geared towards children, and is located next to the octopus pool towards the back of phase 1.
The buffet offers some Mexican breads and foods such as quesadillas and taquitos, but offers a more international cuisine. For breakfast they have waffles, pancakes, eggs, and foods that are more Americanized. For lunch they have pizzas, some Mexican foods, sushi, and things of that nature.
The bonus of this buffet for kids is the candy bar that they have. The offer a large variety of Mexican candies that children can try and take with them. They also offer several flavors of ice cream in the same area.
Xin-Gao
Xin-Gao is an Asian restaurant that offers 4 unique experiences to try. They offer: Teppanyaki, a live culinary show; Robatayaki, the Japanese grill; Fusion, an elegant and creative menu; and Omakase, the art of letting oneself be surprised.
The food here is delicious and has a nice atmosphere. The teppanyaki was a fun, interactive experience. While we liked Xin-Gao, we loved the new Asian restaurant in Phase 2 more, Tama-Mon. Both are good, so try them out and see which you like better.
Las Cuevas
Las Cuevas is a churrascaria steak dinner set in a cave. This restaurant is located near the pyramid towards the beach and can be a little confusing to get to. We have gotten lost trying to eat here, but have always found someone to help direct us.
This restaurant has gauchos that walk around with freshly cooked meats on a stick, and you can try a variety of different cuts. It also offers a rodizio buffet where you can choose sides to go along with your meats.
They also have a full bar for drinks, and offer wine pairings if you would like that option. This is a delicious experience and one of our favorites at Hotel Xcaret Mexico.
Las Cuevas also offers a tremendous brunch on Sunday mornings. It is not included, but well worth it in my opinion. Reach about the Brunch Dominical here.
La Trajinera
La Trajinera is a seafood restaurant located next to the infinity pool towards the beach. Here you can try traditional Mexican seafood dishes that you would find in the coastal cities in Mexico.
This restaurant offers a buffet and a-la-carte options. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My husband’s favorite dish here was the whole fried fish with the head attached. The fish was fresh and fried crispy. My favorite was the chilaquiles for breakfast. Nothing beats freshly made chilaquiles.
Cantina Los Faroles
Cantina Los Faroles is a Mexican restaurant featuring food from the state of Oaxaca. The restaurant is lively, with live music and accompanying light show. I think this is one of the prettiest restaurants at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, I love going in here.
The food is delicious, offering traditional Mexican dishes such as: quesadillas, empanadas, tostadas, tlayudas, along with different types of meats. This is definitely a must try in my opinion if you enjoy traditional Mexican cuisine.
Las Playas
Las Playas is a restaurant located down on the beachy area of the resort along the river. The restaurant has a beautiful, serene setting, and you can look at the river while you dine. The offer traditional seating, seating in the beachy area, and also have swings lining the bar.
The restaurant offers many traditional foods such as tacos, tostadas, and ceviches, mostly featuring seafood items. They also offer some pizzas, salads, and have a vegan menu option.
Bio
Bio is the vegan option on the Mexico side of the resort. This restaurant is located in a cave down along the river.
The food here is made from natural, fresh ingredients. There are several fresh juices and smoothies to choose from, along with baked goods, and traditional breakfast items.
If you are vegan, vegetarian, or just want to eat less meat, this restaurant is for you.
Teatro del Rio
Teatro del Rio is a dinner with a show. This dinner is a 6-course meal, with an option for children. When we were there it was chicken nuggets and fries or mac and cheese. The menu for the 6-course meal changes each season, so there is something new to try as the season changes.
There are 2 different show options depending on the day you attend the show, México Olé and Caribbean. If there is a certain one you want to see, make sure you book the correct day for that show.
Fuego
Fuego is an Italian-Mexican fusion restaurant that is exclusive to the guests staying in Casa Fuego. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
For lunch, the menu offers salads, ceviches, pizzas, and some traditional Italian dishes. For dinner, the menu offers mostly Italian cuisine, with some Mexican touches here and there. The also have some vegan dishes on the menu as well.
I recommend the Viva Mexico Pizza for lunch, which is a pizza with a Mexican twist. I order mine without the serrano peppers because I cannot handle that type of heat, but if you like spicy, keep them on.
Ha’
Ha is a signature, adults-only restaurant recently awarded a Michelin Star. The menu at Ha is created by Chef Carlos Gaytán, the first Mexican chef to earn a Michelin Star, and you can try his delicious food at Hotel Xcaret Mexico.
Ha is not included in the all-inclusive package and is an additional cost. Those not staying on the resort property also have the opportunity to book this restaurant and come to the resort to eat.
Phase 2: New Side
La Xentral
La Xentral is the buffet option on the new side of the resort. It is located right as you cross onto the new side on the left. This is also where the transportation picks you up for the parks and excursions.
La Xentral is a buffet open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It serves traditional Mexican foods, with some American options as well. They also have a large selection of desserts, and a bar. We found the foods to be fresh here because a lot of the foods are made fresh on site. My daughter’s favorite was ordering quesadillas and watching the lady make them in front of her.
La Xentral also has a coffee stand inside with some grab and go options. This makes it a good option when leaving for an excursion, or leaving for one of the parks.
Xinema
Xinema is a dining option that offers different food stand options. It also has a large screen on the wall where they play old Mexican movies. Xinema offers aguas frescas, tacos, burgers, pizza, churros, marquesitas, and more.
Costero
Costero is a Mexican restaurant offering cuisine from the state of Veracruz. This restaurant offers a buffet of mostly seafood dishes, but you can find some other meats as well.
The food here was good, and while on the smaller side, we were not disappointed. When we were here Costero was not very busy for lunch, and it seems not many people knew they were open. It was great to be able to sit quickly and eat, and not deal with lines of people.
Azul Nogada
Azul Nogada is a Mexican restaurant offering cuisine from the state of Puebla. This restaurant offers a buffet or a-la-carte option. It is decorated with talavera from Puebla, and has indoor and terrace seating. If you want to book a private event, there is seating for up to 16 people.
Here you can find traditional foods such as moles, pork belly, and their signature dish, chiles en nogada.
Monarcha
Monarcha is a Mexican restaurant offering food from the state of Michoacán open for dinner. It is a music themed restaurant and sometimes offers live performances during dinner.
The restaurant inside is decorated nicely, featuring different musical instruments. It is very relaxing and has a great atmosphere. In addition to the indoor seating, they also offer seating outside on the terrace. Monarcha also offers live music, so you may be lucky to catch a show during dinner.
La Silla
La Silla is a traditional Mexican restaurant from the state of Nuevo León and focuses on delicious cuts of meat and is open for dinner. It is a family style restaurant, so when you order, the portions are for sharing.
We ordered the melted cheese appetizer which came with fresh tortillas. It was really good, especially since I love melted cheese. For the main course we ordered the picanha strip. It was delicios and one of the best steaks we had while there.
We really liked this restaurant and wish we could have eaten here again, but it was all booked. Next time we would probably try to book this restaurant twice if possible.
Tama-Mon
Tama-Mon is the Asian restaurant on the new side. It is similar to Xin-Gao on the original side, but offers 4 different dining options. At Tama-Mon you can choose the teppanyaki, Mongolian grill, sushi train, or dim sum bar. It is open each night for dinner.
We ate here twice. The first time we did the teppanyaki experience which was a lot of fun. The teppanyaki was a multi-course experience, with live cooking. The soup was delicious and I really enjoyed it. The main course was chicken, shrimp, and tomahawk steak. You also received fried rice and a dessert at the end.
The second time we ate here we chose the Mongolian grill. With this option we received a sushi course, soup course, the grill where you can choose chicken, shrimp, or pork with noodles, and then dessert.
There is also a dim sum bar inside that you can sit at, or a sushi train where you sit in a booth and can choose plates of sushi as they pass by.
We really enjoyed the food here which is why we ate here twice. It was one of our favorite restaurants at phase 2.
Chi
Chi is a Mexican restaurant from the state of Yucatan and is open for dinner. Reservations are required, so book ahead. The food at Chi is created by Chef Roberto Solís, who is from the state of Yucatan.
The menu features traditional Yucatecan specialties like fish tostadas, pork belly, etc. If you like food from the Yucatan, make sure to book this restaurant during your stay.
Arriba Baja
Arriba Baja is an adults-only restaurant, and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is located in Casa Eclipse, across from the waterslides. The restaurant itself is beautiful, set along the river with a flowing waterfall inside. It has nice open seating, and is a very relaxing place to eat.
The food at Arriba Baja is created by Chef Sheyla Alvarado. The menu offers several different seafood options along with lamb, duck, and ribs. They also offer a Caesar Salad which I would definitely recommend since it originated in Mexico.
Book here for a delicious meal and some adult-only time.
Recap
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