La Cueva del Chango

They have one of the best margeritas in playa imo. Ask for the passionfruit margeritas with the seeds. They also do very good breakfasts and a fantastic guacamole. Do stay away from the chicken tacos.

Best Chilaquiles ever!!! crispy tortillas just the way I like them. Prices are very affordable.
Server checked on us several times.
Try the white concha.
Great restaurant!!!
*****I did notice the owner go off on one on his employees… (I guess he was not doing his job right) Right in front of the bar. It made me feel uncomfortable… Maybe do it behind close doors away from customers view.

We ate here twice, once for breakfast and once for dinner. If you have to choose one, go with breakfast. Such a neat ambiance, the service was great, and the food was delicious. What else could you ask for?! Anyway, if you are anywhere close, make a special trip and eat here! Try the chilaquiles with the egg on top!

Everything they serve here is pretty solid. The place is known for their chiliqueles, which are essentially breakfast nachos. They have a selection of different sauces and salsas to add and you can either have chicken or eggs on them.
There are few good breakfast options, but this place hits the spot. Brunch time can get very busy so be prepared for a wait during the on season.

Visited Cueva about a year ago for the first time and left a deep and positive impression on me. I told every single person I knew was coming to PDC about this gorgeous and delicious place.
A year later, here I am coming back for more so I think it’s about time I write a review. Cueva del Chango has remained just like I remembered, peaceful and delicious. The service matches the quality of the food. As soon we sat and placed our drink order (the freshest fruit/​veggie juices I’ve had so far in Playa), we were offered fresh baked Mexican pastries. I’m not much for sweet breads but here I always have it.
Surrounded by nature, the sweetest eco décor and a couple friendly iguanas known by name! The experience you get from eating here it’s like no other in the area. This restaurant is located in the greenest street in Playa, a little far from the 5^th ave. madness but right off 5^th ave on 38^th st.
I’ve had the breakfast on many occasions and yes they are known for their incredible chilaquiles, so big we share it sometimes! BUT everything else on the menu is equally delicious and big portions.
Our last visit was for lunch. We started with the guacamole and the pico de gallo salsa which was so fresh, and perfect. Then we ordered the chicken skewer salad with peanut dressing. The dressing was my favorite because it was a lot like the peanut dressings used in Vietnamese cuisine. Huge chicken skewers a bit charred giving them such a unique flavor. We also ordered the seared tuna topped with roasted garlic, side of buttery potatoes and a salad. This was a hit for me! Huge piece of perfectly seared tuna and huge chunks of roasted garlic and other spices. We sealed the deal with coconut and raspberry ice cream. And some caramel crepes topped with nuts OMG this is what sweet dreams are made of! This dessert is meant to be shared! I always know this is a place that I know anything I order will be just delicious and fresh. Great part in all of this, it’s affordable!
Last but not least, this is a place where I know I will be leaving with not only a happy belly but a happy mind. Service here rocks! I don’t know what it is but they just got the formula down. Service is super attentive, making it feel like home. Highly recommend La Cueva provides!

Fui a este lugar a desayunar y curarme la cruda. Comida Mexicana muy tradicional echa a mano todo desde las tortillas hasta los chilaquiles, que fue lo que pedí. Deliciosos y amigo pidió huevos mutilados que se veían muy ricos también. Todo el menú se veía muy rico. Altamente recomendado entre los locales.

This place it’s amazing! Their food is really good, sopa azteca is a must! Best mojito i had in Playa. Chips and salsa to start, salsa de habanero is very spicy but tasty. Breakfast are good, you should try the CHILAQUILES: crunchy chips with sauce, chicken of egg (you can chose from different kinds of sauces). Jungle kind of restaurant, i just love it!

Great little find off the beaten track. We were staying at Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Perla and we walked along the beach to this great restaurant. About 30 minute stroll along the beautiful beach.
Although our resort is an all inclusive (includes all meals) we missed the 11 o’clock cut off for breakfast and thought we’d explore in town.
So happy we did! arrived at noon and was great by friendly staff.
I ordered delicious chicken enchiladas with black bean sauce and my husband had the daily special of beef with Chilaquiles and everything was EXCELLENT!
We ordered the fresh lime margaritas, chips and salsa and they were great! All fresh ingredients and very authentic.
Prices were good. I must comment that the bathrooms were super clean.
All and all a perfect lunch in a perfect city!
*Side note: I saw a sign that said «cash only» not sure if that was the whole place or he part we sat at.

Had a great breakfast — I had the chicken sopas and the made one with mole. Mole was good but on the sweeter side (must have a lot of ground up raisins but just added hot sauce). My husband had the chicken enchiladas. Fresh juices with any combo — I had watermelon/​papaya and my husband had fresh squeezed orange juice. We also had coffee which was very good and strong. Beautiful atmosphere. Catered towards vegan/​healthy which I liked. Would definitely come back.

I would love to sit down and write every single detail on why this place was perfect, but I aint got time for that. Simply put the food was delicious and our service was amazing. It was fresh tasting, the atmosphere was beautiful, and our server (who spoke little english) definitely fulfilled all of our dining needs. The wait (which was about an hr on a sunday morning) was worth it! We ordered the French toast with eggs beans and potatoes on the side and we were stuffed. Delicious quality food for little to nothing!

Ended up Unilocaling and finding this spot hidden just steps off of 5^th avenue for brunch.
Food: 4, Atmosphere: 4.5, Service: 4
Cost to worth it rating: 4 ($ 5 for chilaquiles, $ 20 for the 2 of us with chips and salsa, entrees, and a few drinks)
Return worthiness: sure
Highlights:
— Salsas: awesome from the pico de gallo (only freshly cut tomatoes, onions, avocado, and a bit of jalapeño) to the spicy green one. 5 stars
— Chilaquiles: 2 sunny side up eggs, avocado, and a mound of tortilla chips drenched in the red salsa. 4 stars
— Fresh juices: large selection of almost anything you could think of. The watermelon was excellent. 5 stars
— Homemade bread: banana or orange were both soft and delicious
— Jungle feel: cool atmosphere with trees all around and a stream going through
Midlights:
— No tacos: mostly enchiladas and sandwiches
— Mostly outdoor seating: I found it pleasant but I could imagine on really hot days the fans might not be enough to keep you comfortable.
Lowlights:
— Bit of a wait in the sun since it’s a popular place
Loved brunch but for non-​breakfast eaters there weren’t as many options.

CHILAQUILES NATURALES, CON POLLO was delicious and we had it for dinner. The tuna on tostada was pretty good but the acos (3) de camarones con queso Oaxaca, crema, epazote y chile xcatic was much better.
Great service very friendly and reasonable prices.

LA cueva Del Chango seems well known by many. My family and I came looking for a great meal and that Is just what we got. The salsas are amazing but, the habanaro one is flaming hot! Not for the faint of heart! The dishes we tasted included the baked cheese (hit), delicious tostadas, and shared a fish in mole sauce as an entrée.
The ahi tuna tostadas and panela baked cheese were so rich in flavor and extremely good. I’d recommend this restaurant as a quieter place to get away from the hustle and bustle of 5^th. It seems like an oasis.

Came here today for brunch after seeing the reviews. First off, the place is beautiful from the entrances to the inside, it looks like you’re dining in the rainforest. There was a small wait which is always a good sign.
They didn’t give us an free chips or bread but there was someone coming around with free pastries. They started us off with a bunch of free salsa to go with what we ordered. The jabanero one was definitely no joke and the other two had a great smokiness to them. I ordered the chilaquiles which were huge and smothered in crema, flavorful scrambled eggs, and a delicious red salsa. My friend had the fried eggs with a combination of smoked ham, mushroom, yucca and a bunch of other things that don’t sound exciting, but were seasoned and sauteed in some magical Yucatan method that made it absolutely incredible.
The service was a little slow but our waitress was super nice and gave us 10% off for dinner.

Chilaquiles! Chilaquiles! Chilaquiles!
Finally something to rave about in PdC! This is a fun little restaurant with friendly service.
4 real stars from me, not 4 ‘I’m drunk on vacation’ stars. This place is for real.

Not really vegetarian for dinner; sure there are salads but the menu says vegetarian options available of which there were zero entrees. They offered to put some random vegetables on a plate but that’s not the same as an actual vegetarian entrée.
The food is ok but nothing worth mentioning here. Disappointing as this was our only opportunity to have a Mexican meal in playa del Carmen and it really fell short…

Awesome everything. Have had multiple meals here as a tourist, all delicious and freshly prepared. Best coffee, best margarita, awesome crepes and omelettes. They make juices and smoothies that look awesome, too. All in a cool jungle-​like setting.
Only downside of this place is the interminable wait to be seated, no matter the hour. But it’s worth it!

This was our second visit to this restaurant, the first being about 4 years ago (we come to Playa every 2 years during the week of New Year’s Eve). We really loved the jungle ambiance of the restaurant.
This year, we sat in the front of the restaurant due to a mishap with our reservation (the fault of our concierge, not the restaurant). We appreciated the restaurant finding us a table.
At first, our kids and my mother were struggling to find options on the dinner menu that interested them. When we told our server that we were just going to have drinks and would be going elsewhere for dinner, one of the managers (Paulo) came over and told us we could order pretty much anything we wanted and that if they had the supplies, they would make it happen. This made my kids and my mom happy, and so they were able to come up with great options.
We also found out the restaurant only accepted cash (we didn’t remember this from our last visit and our concierge didn’t tell us), so we were worried we wouldn’t have enough money with to pay. Paulo told us if we didn’t, they would simply confirm our resort reservation and let us return to pay the next day. Regardless, as the total bill for the 5 of us was under $ 100 USD (and that bill included meals for 5 people, an appetizer and 2 alcoholic beverages), we had enough with us so it was a non-​issue.
Overall, giving this place 5 stars for going above and beyond to accommodate… And the food was VERY good!

La Cueva del Chango is one of the best breakfast spots in Playa Del Carmen!
This is a very popular breakfast spot and it’s always crowded. The service is great and so is their breakfast. The pastries, bread, salsas, even marmalade are all made from scratch. The place has a feel of being inside a rainforest/​outdoor jungle. There’s lots of trees, a relaxed atmosphere with a little river flowing through the space, very hut-​like. There’s tons of mosquitos so make sure you’re lathered up before you come. (I think they might have some spray if you ask).
I really like their juices. My favorite is the Chaya, spinach, and pineapple. The coffee is decent too. Seriously, all their breakfast items are good and flavorful, so it really depends on what you are in the mood for.
My only complaint would be that I wish they had a breakfast package deal like a lot of the restaurants in the area. Like another reviewer mentioned, the prices are geared more towards tourists and not locals, so it will cost around $ 300 – 400 pesos.

Despite my last review of a restaurant recommended by a local, on this strip, this one didn’t disappoint.
The aguas frescas were the best! And the chips and salsa will make the wait for entrees worthwhile.
Servers were very attentive, but it may have been because we sat next to the kitchen. The place itself is very relaxed and hut-​like. No AC but a bunch of fans everywhere to keep you cool.
Definitely going back!

Muy buena opción para desayunar. Indispensable ir con tiempo y tener paciencia. Es raro no encontrar gente esperando y desafortunadamente hay poco personal para atender.

El lugar es muy lindo y la comida excelente; no dejen de probar las distintas salsas que tienen todo el sabor casero

Cueva del Chango es perfecto para comer un buen desayuno. Los jugos son requisimos y frescos. Si tienes amigos vegetarianos, como es mi caso, este lugar es ideal, no es todo orgánico pero el sabor si es MEXICANO.
Clave del wifi: cueva123

A and I went here twice for breakfast while in Playa del Carmen last month.
Food gets a solid 5 stars, I can see why this is Jacques Pépin’s favorite breakfast place. Apparently they know it too, because the prices are geared more towards tourists and not locals. I may be a gringa, but I know a $ 25 breakfast for two is not «cheap» in Mexico, but I digress…
You can’t go wrong with the chilaquiles and crepas. There are many variations, but our waiter on the first visit was really sweet about explaining each one and recommending her favorites. I loved the fruit and granola oatmeal as well.
They are also known for their fresh squeezed juices. Our waiter said the mango-​kiwi combo was her favorite. I enjoyed that one as well as a melon juice. The waiters come around with trays of fresh bread. We tried the banana bread and the concha. The concha was the best concha I’ve tried to date. *Note that they charge for each piece of bread, but don’t tell you.*
So why 4 stars, if the food is that amazing? Mosquitos for one. The cute outdoor jungle setting unfortunately comes with pesky mosquitos that bite you throughout the meal. Service is also a toss up. We had wonderful service the first visit and very subpar service the second time. Our second waiter gave us attitude when we didn’t order any juice or coffee. In fact, he gave a really rude laugh that made me almost walk out, if I hadn’t already enjoyed the food two days prior. He then proceeded to ignore us for the rest of the meal.
Some of the wooden salsa spoons also have tiny black specks of mold on them. I didn’t notice until the second visit.
Expect a long wait as well — 15 to 30 minutes for breakfast.
All in all, the food is definitely worth the negatives. Just use bug spray if you are really bothered by mosquitos.

La cueva del chango tiene una decoración única ! me encanta! tiene un estilo selvatico, natural y fresco! su comida es especial por sus sabores caseros, es barato y tiene alto surtido, te venden todo tipos de huevo ya sean divorciados, con chaya, etc. también te venden licuados de fruta, aguas naturales, baguettes, sándwiches, etc.
La verdad es que yo solo he ido en la mañana, asi que no se como estén las comidas, pero los desayunos están buenisimoooooooooooooos!!!
Es uno de mis lugares favoritos, en el podrás ver tortugas, peces, y uno que otro gato colado por ahí, el lugar es como una cueva de cemento con entradas de luz hechos de botellas de vidrió de colores, dándole un aspecto de reciclado, pero si te gustan mas los espacios libres puedes salir a la terraza y estar bajo los arboles!
Es realmente exquisito estar ahí!
Necesito recalcar que todos sus platillos son muy nutritivos y naturales, ideal para los vegetarianos o naturistas!
Nota: sus postres también ameritan reconocimiento!

Otro lugar para mi lista de la Ruta Verde en la Riviera Maya. Les platicaré de la Cueva del Chango, ubicada en la hermosa calle treinta y ocho.
Este restaurante, nos invita a sumergirnos a los misterios de la selva con todo el estilo electro hipster (sin ofender). El lugar me gustó mucho.
Personalmente, quiero felicitar a los dueños del restaurante, por ofrecer tan exquisita y amplia variedad de platillos vegetarianos. Soy parte de esa comunidad desde hace cuatro años y encontrar productos sabrosos sin carne, es una gran tarea. Para mí se ganan todas las estrellitas que puedo dar.
Destacaré algunos platillos que degusté a la hora del desayuno. Unos exquisitos jugos naturales hechos con fruta de verdad sin conservantes y tonteras que te pueden dar cáncer. Y los molletes integrales estaban a un nivel dios.
Los precios los encontré algo caros, pero vale totalmente la pena por tan exquisito manjar natural.
Debo decir que al ser un lugar que esta en medio de tanta hermosa vegetación, te puedes encontrar con un par de amiguitos bichisticos, para que no te asustes.

Si quieres un desayuno mexicanazo entre la selva y delicioso, este es el lugar.
Los chilaquiles son deliciosos y no he probado jamás nada malo, muy buena sazón. Riquísimo todo y el servicio a veces súper bueno y a veces equis, pero nunca me ha tocado que sea malo.
La verdad es que sería mi lugar favorito para desayunar, si no fuera porque es tan natural y tal al aire libre que hay mucho bicho, equis si de repente ves una hormiguita o así (más en Playa del Carmen que hay infinidad de bichos que jamás había visto en ningún otro lugar), entonces, no creo que esto de los insectos sea culpa del lugar, porque es bastante limpio, pero pues tanto arbolito y naturaleza, trae consigo desde hormiguitas equis que no molestan, lagartijitas que pasan muy monas o hasta otros bichitos que ¡yak!
Entonces si es muy rico, todo muy bueno y los precios muy accesibles y sí regreso con todo el gusto del mundo, pero siempre atenta este tipo de visitas.

Si te gusta descubrir nuevos lugares y sabores, este restaurante debe estar en tu lista por conocer si visitas Playa del Carmen.
Es un lugar con un toque moderado de misticismo. El nombre le va muy bien… Hoy dos espacios, uno dentro de la palapa y otro al aire libre. Todo el restaurante está rodeado de vegetación y cuadros rústicos con acabados de madera y colores vivos. Parte de la cocina es visible y abierta para que puedas ver la preparación de lo que pediste.
Todo esto me gusta, pero lo que es de aplaudirse con resonancia, es el sabor de los platillos. El cheff ha creado un estilo bien marcado; la creatividad es un distintivo que seguramente notarás desde la primera probada. Es un tipo de comida mexicana, en el que se utiliza el chile abanero, los frijoles y guisos muy conocidos por los mexicanos, pero con una combinación única.
La Cueva del Chango es un restaurante cien por ciento playense… Igual de divertido, natural y sorprendente.

La Cueva del Chango es un lugar muy interesante. Completamente diferente a todo lo que hay en Playa. En lugar de aprovechar su gran ubicación casi en la esquina de la quinta avenida, es un lugar que se excluye, que te invita a entrar y a perderte. No hay prácticamente vista hacia afuera pero no la necesitas con el maravilloso jardín selvático que esconde.
El restaurante en sí es grande y podría decirse que esta dividido en dos secciones principales, el patio y la palapa, uno perfecto para disfrutar tu comida al fresco, la otra con el conforte de un techo. Todo es de madera o bambú lo que complementa el estilo tropical que lo hace tan acogedor sin perder lo exótico.
Este lugar es delicioso para desayunar. Todo lo que he pedido esta rico, es abundante y tiene precios accesibles. Los desayunos son típicos mexicanos, la carta es extensa y es difícil elegir mal. Unos chilaquiles, unos frijolitos o unos huevos al gusto perfecto desayuno de campeones.
El menú de comida y cena es mucho más ambicioso e internacional, con platillos y postres bastante elaborados. El steak de atún, en varias presentaciones, a mi gusto es la especialidad.
Más tarde los platillos