La Perla Pixan Cuisine & La Carboneria

f you’re looking for an authentic and serene dining experience in Playa del Carmen, this restaurant is a hidden gem! Nestled in lush greenery, the ambiance is nothing short of magical, with the soothing sound of a nearby waterfall adding to the peaceful atmosphere. The highlight of the menu is their freshly made tortillas—handcrafted and absolutely divine. I highly recommend trying their Sanota alongside a real local Mexican breakfast that bursts with flavors and freshness. It’s the perfect place to start your day, whether you’re a local or a visitor seeking a genuine taste of Mexico in the heart of Playa del Carmen. Don’t miss out on this unique and beautiful spot—it’s a must-visit for anyone who appreciates great food and tranquil surroundings. Highly recommended!

Loved this place! I went for breakfast, they had a vegan section with a bunch of options. I had mushroom tacos, they were so flavourful and came with beans, salsa and guac! The tortillas were hand made to order, you could see the person cooking them. Tried a Mazapan Coffee with soy milk - vegan and delicious, sweet and kind of nutty (I think there are peanuts in the mazapan) The atmosphere is lovely, lots of natural elements, a rustic wooden palapa elevated bar in the middle and on either side there are lovely seating areas for dinner. Staff were friendly also!

Yet again, blown away by another epic dinner! I would happily devour the entire menu if I could—it’s just that delicious and downright genius. Every dish is a masterpiece, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be dreaming about it for weeks. Ale was an absolute gem, guiding us through each dish like a culinary tour guide, making sure we knew what we were getting into (including the grasshoppers!). Can’t wait to come back and chow down on more of those crispy little critters. Five stars for both the food and Ale’s patience with our excitement!

Best restaurant in Playa Del Carmen! The service is unmatched. Isaid was wonderful! Very attractive and full of energy! He even helped me celebrate my husbands birthday!! The vibes BOTH NIGHTS we were here was worth it!! Highly recommend this place!! The mezcal with mango is so yummy!

We stopped in for a light late dinner. We loved the mushroom soup, highly recommend! And the ceviche was delicious. Tasty salsas with chips, including the habanero. The atmosphere was nice, very natural and organic feeling. The only negative was the loud live music. Thankfully, we were seated far away from the band.

It is not a fancy looking place, but the staff is very hospitable and friendly. We went twice for breakfast. The service is really good, and the food is filling and tasty. It was a little hot inside the place. Highly recommend La Perla...

Nice place to visit, well designed and decorated with very good service from Isaid (Di Maria). The breakfast was tasty Omelete filled with mushrooms, the Mexican coffee was great and full of spicies, the carrot cake was good. The atmosphere was great and highly recommended to visit.

Been in Mayan Rivera for 6 days, eating out every day, this was 10 out of 10! Everything the food, flavors, drinks, service were EXCELLENT!!! I recommend this place to everyone looking for an excellent place to eat. Irvin was our waiter, he was awesome explaining to us the menu and patiently waited us!

Pros: Great outdoor/indoor atmosphere among abundance of plant life Beautiful bar area Overall friendly staff Cocktails are delicious - check out their vast menu selections Fun celebratory vibe (there was a birthday happening and the whole restaurant joined in the fun!) Cons: Service seemed to take a while (was solo) and was not generally checked on...had to continually flag staff down There is an automatic $15 tip applied if paying in USD...totally fine if your bill warrants the price tag (I generally tip 20% regardless)...but here's where it went awry... I asked about paying in USD or if card was OK. They pointed out the automatic $15 tip if paying in USD and I opted to pay via card as I only had a few drinks (easier with card anyways). Tried to pay with card...the waiter comes out with the machine, I use my card, add my tip, they take the machine back, press some buttons, and note card is denied. Hmm, weird considering I had been using that card the whole trip, had plenty of funds on it, and no fraud notification popped up. So I pay cash, not a big deal. I tossed in $80 for a roughly $50 bill knowing I needed to add the $15 tip....but they grabbed it, looked at the amount, said thanks, and ran off lol. Took another 10 minutes to flag someone down asking if I could please have my change. Perhaps a coincidence, but the whole interaction seemed a bit off. Later when I looked at my card transactions just to see what the issue could have been, it appeared to have charged/processed and then refunded the amount. Seemed a bit weird. I would consider returning, but perhaps not mention having USD? lol. Not sure if anyone has had a similar experience or if it was truly just a one-off coincidence.

I just had the opportunity to go on a very rare dinner date with my wife and I have to say we walked away feeling very disappointed and bummed out with our meals. We are Mexican and are therefore, obviously, familiar with good Mexican food. Unfortunately, the food that we received was average at best and well overpriced. Having just come here from Holoch in Merida which was fantastic and where we paid LESS, I have to recommend that you avoid this place due to the cost to quality of food balance here. The food. We ordered a ceviche, a Tlayuda Mixta (shrimp and clams), and the Lasagna de Huitlacoche. The ceviches taste was that of a standard everyday ceviche, nothing special, but the shrimp were essentially raw. The Tlayuda Mixta came with three roasted prawns in their shell as well as with three clams also in a shell. This was very odd to me because this meal is served on a tostada which is meant to be eaten with your hands. So it didn't make sense to me that these shrimp and clams were served in a shell. However, in retrospect it actually lines up perfectly with our thoughts on the restaurant itself, that is that it is all show but the quality of the food is just average. The Service : Friday 7:30pm When we arrived we waited at the entrance for a few minutes and no one ever came to greet us. I then walked over to the bar and was eventually greeted by a gentleman who immediately sat us down. After this point the service was great. We were helped and checked on throughout our time there and never waited very long for anything. Overall: The food is okay. It's mostly presentation but the flavors were boring. The service and people there are great though. (Hence the two stars as opposed to one) If you're in the area and you can get into Trujillo which is next door, I'd recommend you go there. Or anywhere else really. I don't mean to be harsh but we really did feel like this was overpriced for the level of food we were served. Despite the good service.

The ambience and the service of this place were decent, hence the three stars. The food left a lot to be desired, as the flavors were not as we had hoped for. They messed up our order but they graciously replaced it with the right order. Not sure if we ordered the wrong things on the menu, but overall it was pretty disappointing for us.

We found this place and went to check it out. 38th Ave. is incredible. Very quaint, very romantic and chock full of good restaurants and bars. We found La Perla online and decided to give it a try. There was live music the whole time we were there. Very good band. Our waiter met us at the entrance and showed us to our table. The restaurant is very romantic and the food was very good. The waiter started us off with drinks, and we had the squash blossom appetizer. These were completely different than the other squash blossoms I have had in New Mexico and were very filling. My companion ordered the chicken leg with Molé and I ordered governors tacos. The tacos had plenty of shrimp and the flavoring was right on. The shrimp were tender and plentiful. My companion enjoyed the Mole and thought it was one of the best she has ever had. Very rich and full of flavor. There was plenty of chicken meat. The waiter was great, the food was wonderful, and the price was fair. This is definitely one to try and get into.

Food was decent. Everything would've been much better if the bottled water wasn't so overpriced. They charged us 200 pesos per bottle. That came to a little over $11 per bottle. So we paid over $33 for 3 bottles. I let our server know that I was only tipping 10% because of the crazy water price. I get it that it was Italian water, but at this price it would only make sense if they were in Beverly Hills. Every other restaurant on this trip charged 50 pesos for their imported bottles including Evian. I had the Oaxacan mole which was a step above Doña Maria. If it wasn't for the water, maybe I would've had better memories of the food and atmosphere. Before leaving Carmen Del Playa, I made a point to tell several people at our hotel down the street about our experience. Hopefully they'll warn others before recommending this restaurant.

This place was amazing from the food to the ambiance I was pleasantly pleased. They also had a live band playing. My friend and I sat in the bar area where we had a great view of the band. I had the steak tacos and my friend had a roasted octopus of some sort. We also ordered the queso dip. We both agreed if we had that at home we'd eat the full thing!

Amazing food! Lot of vegetarian options. Amazing service and ambiance was top notch. The live music was really good! Enjoyed my evening. My server was very knowledgeable suggested good menu as per my dietary requirements. Some of my favorites were guacamole and chips, QUELITES ENMOLADAS QUELITES WITH COTTAGE Overall a must visit if you are here in playa de Carmel

One of the best restaurants at Playa del Carmen. Close to beach, nice ambience, great food. The waiters and waitresses are very friendly. We have a one year old with us, they constantly visited our table and made sure the baby gets everything she needs. We really appreciate their friendly service.

This place was really nice! We almost didn't go in because we thought it was closed. Turns out it was just their electricity, and they cook on the grill! Most of the meal was in the dark with little votive candles, and the staff helped with flashlights, too. The food was very good. We drank some Pluce. It's real interesting, and you should try it. It was real tasty, but I kinda wish I had prepared more for the texture. It's kinda slimy?... I added an ice cube and that helped my brain think the texture wasn't too weird.

This was my favorite place hands down. An authentic Mexican experience. The food was absolutely delicious. The coffee was the best I've ever had in my life. ORDER THE HOUSE COFFEE, YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE. It was better than any latte you could order, trust me. Chilaquiles 10/10. The music 10/10 and the art and ambiance 10/10. The service also 10/10. Our server was Isaid. Very helpful and attentive. Came for breakfast and am coming back for dinner tonight!!

This restaurant has been on my list to try in Playa for awhile. I finally went there the other night and I can't believe it took me so long to try this place. I sat at the bar and Natalie and Morgan were the two who helped me throughout the night. They were AWESOME!!! This restaurant has a lot of speciality drinks. I was able to try the Chichen Itza and it was so refreshing!!! I couldn't even taste the alcohol!!! So good!!! For dinner I got the duck tacos and the Oaxcan Mixed Tlayuda. The ducks tacos were way better than I expected. The duck was so soft, juicy, and flavorful. SO GOOD!!! I also got the Tlayuda which I did not eat until the next day since the duck tacos were enough to keep me super full. Even though I ate the Tlayuda the next day it was still very good. To me a Tlayuda is a tortilla with a bunch of meat and cheese placed on top. Sounds simple but it was simply delicious!!! Can't wait to come back to La Pearla Pixan to try other drinks and dishes!!!

We purposely sought this place out for one reason....the roasted grasshoppers! We had nine in our party, including five ravenous teenagers. Most of our meals were enjoyed at outdoor mom and pop corner cafes and pop ups, yet we had to try this! The service was exemplary! Each of the staff members introduced themselves as they took our order, brought our drinks, refilled our tortilla chips, etc. The ambience is very cool as it's an open air vibe with plenty of colors and fauna throughout. The menu is modern and creative. Yet...we came for one purpose....to challenge ourselves to eat roasted grasshoppers! We each dipped a chip into the platter and scooped a few of these critters, drizzled guacamole and/or salsa and down the hatch. Having never tried them before, I had no expectation. They had an earthy flavor. If you could taste a smell, tasting dust comes to mind. There are more incredible items on the menu to try and I would definitely return.

It was so hot one afternoon we stopped for an afternoon refreshment: excellent pulke drink, we had coconut, guava pulke delicious!! Such a different drink. A few nights later we wanted to try the churros, so good!!! Must try. Next time we want to eat here. The waiter and staff are so helpful. Mescal shots were delicious.

Juevos rancheros y jugo de Naranja estas muy bien. Nice ambience and really good service. Most beautiful street in playa del Carmen!

Great food, mezcal and patio. Only surpassed by Claudio's service! A must visit when checking out Playa!

One of the best dinner spots we've had/experienced in Playa! Authentic Mexican food (omg the stuffed peppers and grasshoppers are AMAZING), live music, phenomenal craft cocktails, Wi-Fi available, BILINGUAL staff, and overall 5 service. Shout out to our waiter, Enrique!! GO NOW -- RUN, DON'T WALK! ¡Uno de los mejores lugares para cenar que hemos tenido / experimentado en Playa! Auténtica comida mexicana (Dios mío, los pimientos rellenos y los saltamontes son INCREÍBLES), música en vivo, cócteles artesanales fenomenales, Wi-Fi disponible, personal BILINGÜE y servicio general de 5 . Un saludo a nuestro mesero, Enrique!! VE AHORA -- ¡CORRE, NO CAMINE!

Wow, this restaurant is a little gem in Playa del Carmen! Our head server Uzzi was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and the team of servers were so attentive. They brought out chips and salsa to start and we tried the a fermented agave drink - an Ancient ancestral drink called Pulque. It reminded me of unfiltered soju (Korean drink). I highly recommend you try it! Our table of 8 ordered lots of unique dishes and some easily identifiable dishes (Baja fish tacos, enfrijoldas, steak tacos, etc.) for those who aren't too keen to try new things. They had live music and dance performances on the night we ate there. My unique dish was the battered Huauzontle balls, filled with Oaxaca cheese with guajillo sauce. Highly recommend this place for unique ingredients and fabulous flavors. Hubby ordered a flight of mezcals and enjoyed them. I ordered a few mezcal cocktails and they were all fantastic!

Isaid was a phenomenal server and all the food was amazing! Highly recommend the ceviche and the queso fundido. The live music created such a great atmosphere and it's definitely a must-visit for anyone seeing La Playa Carmen.

Best food in Playa! This is very authentic and fresh food. Service is great! Isael was very friendly and helpful when ordering our food.

One of the best spots in Playa Del Carmen! Go in the evening when the weather is a bit cooler, seating is outdoors with nice decor. Fans are on to help cool you down. Waiters are attentive & helpful. Food is so delicious & presentation of all plates was excellent!

Beautiful atmosphere, delicious flavors and amazing service. Isaid was attentive and helpful. Great spot!

Food was great but it was pricey for the portions and what we got compared to other places in playa del Carmen. The food was unique but not a lot of flavor. The atmosphere/ambiance was nice it's right down the street from the beach with music playing. The service was good we never had to wait for anything and were checked on throughout the meal.

O.M.G folks! While vacationing in Playa del Carmen, I had an acquaintance refer me to go to Calle 38 (38th street) for some real unique cuisine and ambiance. I went on Yelp as well as Googled some spots and decided on La Perla Pixan & La Carboneria and we were not disappointed! The restaurant has a great ambiance and live music playing. We were promptly seated and our server Santiago took great care of us. We started with home made chips with green, red and habanero salsas that were outstanding. Then we ordered the baracuta cheviche which was out of this world. The table ordered tacos governador, the tuna filet al pastor, and slow roasted beef short rib. Everything was incredible, tasty and perfectly cooked. Santiago and staff were incredibly attentive and the dinner was fantastic! I highly recommend this restaurant and would definitely go back.

Loved our experience here- the staff was very welcoming and Isaid, our server, was extremely attentive. We had the tyluda and loved it!

This restaurant came highly recommended to us. It is good, but honestly, it's just average good. Not quite as good as top fine dinning and not quite as good as some of the good old dirty local eateries. This would be for someone who wants some sort of standard when it comes to atmosphere, service and food but doesn't want to pay top restaurants Prices. It's a good, safe choice, just Won't blow you away like a $1 dollar taco at la Cochi-Loka as An example. Oh, get their grilled octopus, that was definitely one of their better dishes.

Isaid la experience que nos diste fue expactacular, las bebidas y recomendación muy buenas! El servicio al 100! Muy buen lugar para comer y beber!

If you are not that picky about Mexican food in general and want a restaurant with superb service and good atmosphere, then this is your place. But if you've had good Mexican food then.... Avoid this place. Food here is pretty dry and bland, just like some other reviewers pointed out. I've been to Mexico 10+ times and eaten at countless Mexican restaurants in Mexico and in the U.S., and this place is one of the worst when it comes to the food itself. The service is superb though; all our wait staff were so so nice and genuinely happy to help. I just wish the food was better.

Isaid was excellent. He knew we were interested in trying authentic Mexican food and guided us through the best things to eat. Music and ambiance is an absolute vibe. The food and drinks were amazing - would recommend to anyone in the area.

Excelente servicio. Desde la "hostess" , mesero todos, excelente servicio. Mi ceviche muy rico. Mi bebida también. Armando cantando nos alegró la tarde. Estuvimos visitando en Octubre 2022.

The first thing to know is there is happy hour from 5-7pm. Happy hour includes 2 for 1 on any of the Mexican cocktails (must order two of the same drink and only 1 free drink - no ordering multiples unfortunately). This is helpful because the cocktails are among the more expensive you'll find in town but there are very good. Next thing to know is they do not play around with portions. The amount of food was mountainous. For the meat play I ordered there were substantial amounts of beef, beef cooked in tomato, chorizo, green chorizo, rice, beans, tortillas, chips...and it went on. Come hungry or split plates. Overall the food was great. Everything was well prepared with lots of flavor. The atmosphere is fun as there are live shows during dinner (dancers) plus the service was all fantastic.

Everything was perfect!. Service was spectacular! Best guacamole in town! Ribeye tacos were amazing! My favorite restaurant in PDC

Delicious food! Very affordable prices. Great location from our hotel. Awesome live music this morning!

We stopped in for dinner at 7:30. The maitre d asked us if we had reservations, which was puzzling given that they have no website and there is no obvious way to make them (I looked). The decor inside was charming, rustic and full of plants. But the other guests were...interesting. At 7:30 PM as we walked in, an unattended toddler was literally face down on the floor, licking the paving stones. A table away, two older guests were enjoying a little light chain smoking after their meal. So, not a great vibe to begin the evening. Once we navigated these obstacles, the service was very slow (20 min to order drinks, 20 min to get them, etc etc). The restaurant was full so that explained it, but there were some long hungry stretches. We were given chips and a little salsa to tide us over but they were really bland- we were assured multiple times (without asking) that they were "not spicy"...but we're in Mexico! A little flavor is welcome. My guess is so many tourists have balked at any heat that this sad kick-less salsa is where you end up. We ordered the grasshopper appetizer to start, and figured, when in Rome. This place is known for its use of insects in traditional dishes. I'm sorry to say that for $11 US approximately, what we got tasted absolutely tasteless. Actually, maybe a little mildew/ basement taste, but absolutely zero seasoning that I could discern. The dish was overflowing with these unflavored, many legged morsels and I honestly didn't know how we would plow through them all. We put them off to the side. Caveat: we ordered guac with grasshoppers a few nights before at a different spot and they were smoky, flavorful and frankly delicious. So it wasn't the grasshopper's fault. Finally, our mains arrived. I got the enfrioladas (tortillas in a black bean sauce stuffed with chicken) and it was just fine. Nothing remarkable. After one sad starter, two drinks, and one main each, we left after paying a bill of $70 USD. Honestly, we walked away agreeing this place was overrated and overpriced. I'd rather enjoy some flavorful hole-in-the-wall tacos and cold Modelos from a street vendor.

The food is excellent. However, went the next night for drinks and they scammed us with no alcohol. The girl at the front and our waiter the night before recognized us and told them we're good tippers within ear shot and then we got juice. If their was alcohol It was so little it couldn't be tasted in the Margarita or other mixed drink. The music is great, however, the drinks were not. I'd avoid if going for drinks only.

Outstanding food, service and ambiance! By far the best place we have been in Mexico. Highly recommend!

As we were walking by the owner lured us in by offering feee drinks. Once we got in we were hooked, all of the wait staff were extremely friendly and helpful. It happened to be my friends birthday and they brought out a cake for him! They allowed us to sample tequilas and grasshoppers! Had such a fun time that evening we ended up back there for breakfast. If you're in playa del carmen I recommend this restaurant!

This place is a must try if you are in playa del Carmen. A restaurant with traditional food served in with upscale ambiance. The service and presentation is tops. Grilled octopus: , you cannot go wrong with this. Safe bet 10/10 Pulque: traditional alcoholic , drink get the passion fruit mix 10/10. Tlayuda: a tortilla with a lot of seafood and mole. Good. 8/10 Bone marrow with chapulines. If you are ready for an adventure 10/10 Montelobos mezcal: pechuga was unique, smoky, must try for those that love a drink that will take you 0-100 in life Overall, get the pulque , grilled octopus , and the montelobos mezcal. The best fine dining experience in playa del carmen

Really enjoyed the Oaxcan food and the chapulines were very, very tasty. Service was fantastic.

Located on 38th Street, not far from the beach, La Perla Pixan Cuisine & Mezcal Store ignores Playa del Carmen's push towards progressive Mexican fare by looking back at traditional dishes cooked from scratch with classic technique. Open from Breakfast to Dinner daily, the open air and smoking copal best enjoyed before or after midday's peak sun, it is beneath umbrellas or a thatched roof that guests are offered seating, the clientele surprisingly local and service pleasant yet professional. Offering a limited menu in the morning, though Pulque and Mezcal are ready to pour by 7:30am, it is with complimentary housemade Tortilla Chips that meals get started, both Salsas spicy in comparison to most though the creamy Green one is particularly *hot.* Quiet early, but bustling with live music by evening, it was after ten minutes that two plates arrived simultaneously, the Chilaquiles with seared Beef and almost Dessert-like Mole maintain great texture despite Crema and Cheese while Vegetarian Emmoladas will see many sweating where they sit thanks to a complex Sauce that starts herbaceous before drifting bitter and finishing smooth despite the Guajillo's slow-burn.

This is located on a beautiful's tree line street about a block from fifth Avenue. The service and the food was wonderful, they were very attentive even though we only got waters and a meal to split. Highly recommend checking this place out if you wanna authentic dining experience.

The best service in Playa. Out host and waiter were so attentive and accommodating upon arrival. The menu offered here has great variety and the best part was the menu of Carajillos.

Absolutely LOVED this place!! Our server Santiago was an incredible waiter, he is super on top of everything and knows the menu like the back of his hand! I loved the governor's tacos, but anything off the menu sounded great! Awesome environment, lots of great live music and outdoor design!

Amazing restaurant! The food was so delicious and the service was incredible. Santiago was our waiter and he was so attentive, joyous, and kind. We can't wait to come back!

This was a great spot to visit & dine!! The owner was very personable & was able to accommodate our party with some of their breakfast/brunch items. The ambiance was friendly & inviting. There was live music playing & could be heard throughout the restaurant. The drinks were tasty & the bartenders were entertaining. The food was great! We were a party of 11 and everyone had a different entree that didn't disappoint. The staff was great & very hospitable.

I loved the vibe of this restaurant. It was recommended in our travel book and we kept putting it off due to our travel schedule. So we only got to go for breakfast and now I'm kicking myself for not going for dinner. They have an open air kitchen with a roaring fire. They have women making tortillas by hand. The food is Yucatecan but there are other regions of Mexico represented in the menu. The mole on the breakfast items was *chef's kiss*. Their lattes were good and they offer alternative milks. Our server was very nice and attentive. Prices were fair. And I loved the outdoor setting of the restaurant. I want to come back for dinner on a future trip.

Wonderful restaurant in the heart of Playa right off the busy 5th street! We were pleasantly surprised to find this place and have it be so good with it being right next to all of the more cheesy restaurants. Go here! Ambiance/Service: We had wonderful service here and the place is really nice and welcoming. There happened to be some nice music playing after we got there, which definitely an extra plus. Food/Drinks: The food and drinks were really good. We had a few tequila and mescal drinks and there were both delicious. For food, we had the stuffed chili with cecina (cured meat) and pasilla sauce, which was very good! We also had the three seafood Mexican pizza which was also very tasty. The only one I wouldn't recommend is the white pozole which was a little bland... I would definitely recommend the stuffed chili! Definitely worth checking out this place if you are right around here looking for a good place to eat.

Looking for a nice mezcal and tequila cocktail bar in Playa del Carmen? Then look no further because La Perla Pixan is where it's at! Fancy mixologist cocktails that can stand up to any fancy cocktail bar in the city, but honestly the prices are so great I was in disbelief when we got the check! The bartenders were awesome! Not only cranking out delicious beverages, but guiding us to find what we would be like and serving us shots the authentic way; with a side of dried crickets! I would come back here in a heartbeat; it was truly a wonderful experience.

If you don't do anything else in Playa del Carmen, please eat the most authentic Mexican meal in the area. First, their cocktails are the best in the area. The waiting staff can recommend the best pairing. Their xochapilli is to die for. Next, be brace and try their appetizer of fried grasshoppers and feta cheese. Yes, grasshoppers. The dish is known as "chapulines." While it may sound gross, it tastes delicious. Next, order a duck huarache. You will be full in seconds. Overall, a great experience, very nice staff and I'm always game for The Doors soundtrack

Good fresh food, a bit on the pricy side but it beat the resort food. Staff are friendly and attentive.