Axiote Cocina de México

"Here in the Riviera Maya, Axiote Cocina de Mexico offers a tight selection of familiar Yucatan dishes prepared with modern touches. Carefully presented, the generously portioned plates are compelling, starting with a selection of fiery salsas that do not hold back on heat. The likes of tostadas de mais azul or guacamole with chapulines (grasshoppers) make for good starts. Fork-tender birria de cordero is a stand-out entrée but do save room for dessert. From coconut cream with passion fruit to mango with honey, orange foam and cocoa, the sweets here are a surefire strength. While not necessary, a lengthy tasting menu is available for those looking for a more involved affair. The dining room is easy-going thanks to a guano leaf-roof and true palapa-style look." - Michelin Inspector

15 Destination-Worthy Restaurants in the Mexican Caribbean | Eater

"Chef Xavier Pérez Stone helms Axiote, an open-air, palapa-style restaurant in the heart of Playa del Carmen. Stone has a profound respect for Mexican ingredients and lesser-known dishes, like stewed pork head with poblano pepper and shrimp, duck tacos marinated with chiles, or fideo negro, a stir-fried, dry noodle dish made with beef tail. Recommended by the Michelin Bib Gourmand, the menu features traditional dishes and locally sourced ingredients like sikil pak made with charred tomatoes and habanero and guacamole topped with chapulines, or grasshopper — a traditional ingredient from Oaxaca, where farmers will gather the insects during the rainy season. Many of Axiote’s cocktails are garnished with worm salt, and a coffee cocktail, the Río de Cafè, is made with mezcal infused with an aromatic white cocoa flower — an integral ingredient in the ceremonial Mayan chocolate and corn drink." - Lee Musho

"Named for the bright-red paste made from numerous spices that’s used as a rub in southern Mexico (the intense color comes from the achiote seed), Axiote abides by a simple rule: It uses only Mexican ingredients in the dishes it prepares according to cutting-edge culinary technology. That rule translates into a gourmet experience like few others. Unique options such as octopus dressed in Mesoamerican huitlacoche (corn smut) and recado negro (a smoky-spicy black sauce) make up the small menu and daily specials, alongside a host of chefs’ scrumptious inventions. The restaurant’s simple interior, which combines contemporary and rustic style, appropriately takes a backseat to the incredible cuisine."

The 13 Best Cancún Restaurants | Eater

"Another obligatory stop on a culinary tour down the Riviera Maya, Axiote is run by Xavier Pérez Stone, who proudly serves Mexican cuisine that is at once local and national, fresh and sustainable. His restaurant in Playa del Carmen has been a valuable alternative to the commercial options that dominate the area, with dishes such as duck tacos with chile paste; smoked marlin served chilled with pumpkin seed and burnt habanero salsa; or Veracruzan rice with shrimp from Campeche. The bar stocks some of the best tequila and mezcal in town, as well as wines from across Mexico. [$$]" - Wendy Pérez