Best Restaurants In Acapulco

The bigger hotel restaurants offer a wide selection of standard international and trendy fusion cuisine as well as local specialties. Prices tend toward the expensive side (dinner for two without drinks, wine or tip will be upwards of $60), but food quality and a luxurious setting help compensate. Atmosphere and entertainment vary with the establishment. Dinner rarely begins before 9 p.m., although some hotel restaurants begin serving around 6 or 7.

Along Costera Miguel Alemán there are numerous palapa (thatch-roofed) places to eat with a seafood menu and a funky air. Look for those where people are eating and not just having a drink. The Costera also has no shortage of rib and hamburger joints, where big portions, potent libations, wild decorations and a wilder crowd are the rule. Those homesick for fast food will find the usual American outlets lining the Costera, although prices are not cheap.

You can get an authentic Mexican meal at the traditional restaurants around Plaza Alvarez in Old Town Acapulco. Typically the comida corrida (lunch special) is a bargain, with soup, rice or noodles, an entree and dessert or coffee for a very reasonable price. Neighborhood street stands sell fresh seafood, but use caution when purchasing any food item from street vendors—if it's not fresh, your stomach could regret it.

In most restaurants it is customary to leave a tip (propina) of 10 to 15 percent. Establishments catering to tourists normally use purified water to cook vegetables and wash produce. At smaller places or if in doubt, order bottled water, juice, soda or beer, and ask for drinks without ice cubes. See the Lodgings & Restaurants section for AAA Diamond designated dining establishments.