Coffee and breakfast
A jungle garden, a French bakery, Mayan hot chocolate on 5th Avenue. Mornings are easy here.
The first list is where I go for breakfast and coffee. The second is more places guests rate highly.
Isaac, owner of PH 315
The owner's picks
ARCANA restaurante
It's vegan and it's delicious. Get the smoothies and the waffles, in a shady garden with good coffee.
A plant-based cafe and restaurant with a Middle Eastern inspired kitchen. The whole menu is vegan, and it serves breakfast and brunch with outdoor seating.
- The kitchen is plant-based and Middle Eastern inspired, and the whole menu is vegan.
- Breakfast and brunch include vegan and gluten-free waffles, fruit and smoothie bowls, and avocado toast.
- Savory options at lunch include bowls, hummus and a mushroom vegan shawarma.
- Drinks include infused spiced milks, rose latte, espresso tonic and fresh juices.
- The setting is a shaded, boho terrace with good outdoor seating. Laptops are not allowed inside.
La Cueva del Chango
A Playa classic: breakfast in a jungle garden.
A Mexican restaurant in a leafy, jungle-style garden with water, stone and a fish pond. Breakfast is the main draw, and the garden is especially pleasant after dark.
- The most-mentioned breakfast dishes are chilaquiles in several styles, huevos rancheros, molletes and stuffed bell peppers.
- The kitchen cooks natural Mexican food, including enchiladas with house mole and shrimp in cilantro and serrano sauce.
- The menu also has vegan dishes, fresh juices, mezcals and artisanal ice cream.
- It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a shorter Sunday that ends at 2 pm.
Chez Céline
French bread and pastries, breakfast, and an easy coffee stop on 5th Avenue at Calle 34.
A French bakery, cafe and bistro on 5th Avenue at Calle 34. Baking runs all day, and most tables are outdoors facing the avenue.
- Baking runs all day, with baguettes, croissants (including almond), brioche, eclairs and lemon tartlets.
- Breakfast and brunch plates include croque monsieur, quiche Lorraine and an egg plate with boursin cheese.
- Desserts include creme brulee, coconut flan and Paris-Brest, and the coffee is organic Chiapas, ground to order.
- The tables face 5th Avenue and are mostly outdoors, which makes it a good spot for people watching.
- The evening menu is built around wine, with cheese and cold-cut boards, pork terrine, and savory and sweet crepes.
Ah Cacao Chocolate Café
Mayan hot chocolate and a coffee break on 5th Avenue.
A Playa del Carmen chocolate cafe on 5th Avenue at Calle 30. It serves Mayan-style hot chocolate, coffee and pastries, with indoor and outdoor seating.
- The menu lists a sipping chocolate maya, a Mayan-style hot chocolate that is sweet with a chili kick; ask for it extra hot.
- Founded in 2004 in Playa del Carmen, it sources cacao and coffee from family farms and makes its chocolate in a small solar-powered factory in town.
- Pastries and desserts include croissants, pain au chocolat, brownies, cheesecake and mousse, plus chocolate tamales and vegan and gluten-free options.
- Indoor and outdoor seating and good wifi make it popular with remote workers, so tables can be taken up by laptops.
Also well reviewed
Not the owner's recommendations. Ratings are the figures we read on the date shown, and they change.
Amate 38
A Yucatecan restaurant on Calle 38 Norte that serves breakfast and dinner, with handmade tortillas.
- The menu includes cochinita pibil and charcoal-grilled dishes.
- There is a mezcal and wine bar.
Google 4.7 (3,060)Tripadvisor 4.6 (370)as of Oct 2026
Carlota Home Bakery
A small bakery and coffee spot for bread, pastries and breakfast.
Google 4.7 (1,860)Tripadvisor 4.7 (408)as of Oct 2026
Fresco Hábito
A daytime cafe for coffee, breakfast and light lunch.
Google 4.6 (827)Tripadvisor 4.5 (151)as of Oct 2026
Stay a short walk away
Penthouse 315 at Aldea Thai sleeps 10, with a private heated rooftop pool and ocean views, a 1-minute walk (about 230 ft) from Mamitas Beach. The penthouse is also for sale.