Chef PLAYA mariscos - 77728 Playa del Carmen

Overpriced for pretty average food..

mmmmmmm!

The place does not exist. Google, please take it off the map not to disorient people

You can find this place as "Cocteleria Susana". Close to the hotel paradisus esmeralda. I little bit hide but such a hidden treasure

OK I stumbled upon this listing while scrolling Google Maps aimlessly at 1AM. I saw this place had only Spanish reviews they claimed the spot had an amazing seafood tasting menu for 300 pesos. Based on heuristics formed after 3 years of backpacking I knew this place was going to be a gem. Walked from my place on the 10th ave for about an hour until I was disheartened by an almost empty neighborhood. Then a nice Mexican lady walking her dog thought I was lost and I asked her is there a seafood place. She said indeed yes it's to the side of the street. I walk up to a shutterd storefront that said "Cockteleria Susana" out front but had a small metal-gated front door. I approached to peep if there's anything going on inside and lo and behold a lovely pungent smell of roasted spicy peppers mingled with seafood hit my nose. The smiling proprietor ushered me in and told me there's no menu and you just pay 300 to eat. I've traveled to Europe and Asia and have gone to 2-3 star Michelin places on the regular in my past life. But I have to say this spot was truly something special for the candor of its cuisine and the unbecoming nature of whole ambiance. Plastic chairs and tables, small CRT TV blasting Mexican classics. My Spanish is barely sufficient but the owner was kind enough to strike up a conversation, ask me about my life and told me that he gets his food fresh from local fishermen daily. The meal started with 2 ceviches of local mussels and shrimps. Perfectly brined in lime juice and served on a nice base of pico. Then there were 5 different warm dishes, if I remember correctly: garlic shrimp and langoustine, sautéed octopus bites, a sea whitefish paté, and salmon and another sea whitefish. All served on a near infinite supply of deep fried tortilla. The food was a bit on the greasy side, but it balanced well with the fresh crispiness of the seafood. I never write reviews and I feel like I must give the proprietor a shoutout and introduce fellow travelers to an opportunity to explore what the locals of a culture has to offer, instead of opting for the easy way out of paying prices more appropriate for north of the border at tourist traps in more central 5th ave places that try to make ersatz European cuisine for a quick money grab. I kept telling the cook/bossman that I couldn't believe this place is real and he'll be seeing me a lot in the next few weeks. He and his coworker (wife?) are honest and jolly folks who offered an experience that would be memorable for a life time. Recommend highly without qualifications. It's BYOB and I will sure be packing a sixer of Dos Equis and pass one along for the bossman.

It looks just like someones house from the outside but don't be scared to go to the gate and ask for a table. The family is very welcoming and generous. There is no menu and it's 300 per person (portion), but they serve several plates of good local fish that is to die for. (Octopus, shark, shrimp, salmon, calamari, fish, and other) they'll serve you till your full. The chef isn't scared to improvise and he has an amazing homemade dessert (a surprise and creation of his). I encourage you to build up the courage to go there cause it'll be worth it! If you're willing in the back he has some coconut trees he's cultivating and a pet crocodile

The chef has been a one man show cooking up all these delicious seafood dishes for more than 20 over years. It feels like you walked into someone's home

Seafood hole in the wall joint. No alcoholic beverages, plastic chairs, looks like a dump but wow is the food good. Might be the best we've had since we've been here. This place is also odd when you approach, it doesn't look like a place to eat. The hosts do not speak English but are extremely friendly and with a little help from Google we did fine. There is no menu. They showed us our choices, fish, squid, octopus, pawns, shrimp, we had the fish, octopus and prawns. The dishes came with a vegetable side, avocado, two mushrooms with butter. For two people, stuffed, we paid 600 Mexican pesos. Loved it, and I would go back again.