La Cueva del Pescador

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#5 of 54 Restaurants in AkumalMexican, Caribbean, $$ - $$$

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La Cueva del Pescador

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About

Caribbean restaurant and longstanding, Mexican food, seafood, and drinks. Family and local restaurant.

Features

CUISINES

Mexican, Caribbean, Latin, Seafood

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner, Late Night, Drinks

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Free Wifi

Highchairs Available

Outdoor Seating

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Table Service

Takeout

Television

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

Akumal road, Akumal, Tulum 77780 Mexico

Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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4.2

1,255 reviews

Excellent

641

Very good

404

Average

124

Poor

Terrible

Lydia S

3 contributions

Tastiest fish ever!

May 2022 • couples

We caught a Mahi Mahi (thank you Luis and Daniel for the fishing trip!) and brought it to La Cueva to have it cooked in garlic. It was literally the best, freshest, most juicy fish I've ever eaten! They served it with rice, beans, tortillas, chips, salsa, and guacamole for about $8.50 usd per person. The restaurant itself is cool and shaded so it is perfect for relaxing after a day in the sun. Highly recommend!

Written May 26, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Komron S

London23 contributions

Very nice : Recommended!

Mar 2025 • couples

We ate here as a couple in the evening. Very good and efficient and friendly service . At the end of a long hot day this was laudable . Muchás gracias Carlos and team. 🙏🏼 😊 We had 2 types of fresh fish grilled : excellently done 👍🏼 Nice cocktails also .

Written March 9, 2025

Leslie M

Fremont14 contributions

Yum & fun!

Apr 2024 • couples

Carlos and the entire staff is amazing. He became our "amigo". And the food is delicious and very reasonably priced. We chartered Carlos's boat to go fishing and the crew of Juan Gabriel and Anotnio were top notch. We caught 3 mahi mahi and Carlos cooked it for us FREE at La Cueva del Pescador. So much fun and delicious fish at its freshest!

Written April 28, 2024

Caroline R

2 contributions

Undercooked grouper, unrecognizable octopus, weird guacamole, stale chips

Dec 2023 • couples

We heard this was supposed to be an excellent seafood restaurant but when we ordered were told they only had frozen fish. That grouper came in foil, and was not fully cooked. The octopus with garlic was cut into so many tiny pieces, and buried in so much charred garlic, that it was not clear that it even was “octopus”, or how fresh it was. Also, we had ordered guacamole which contained a lot of something white, maybe sour cream or cheese, as if maybe they did not have enough avocados, its color was barely light green, very strange tasting too. The tortilla chips that came with the guacamole were stale, not crunchy anymore, as if days-old. And the salsa on the side was definitely not fresh either, the tomatoes had that taste of having been sitting there for too long. We returned our meals nearly untouched even though we were very hungry but no one cared. They just charged us the app US$60 and that was that. No apologies, no offers to bring something else or reduction in price. We travel and dine a lot, this was easily the worst experience we’ve ever had.

Written December 18, 2023

Barkster28

Humble15 contributions

It's just ok

Oct 2022 • none

I asked if they had queso with ground beef and I got a block of melted monterey jack with some strange cubes of meat. I couldn't tell if it was beef or pork or neither. Wife ordered garlic shrimp and it was just grilled shrimp with not hint of garlic. Said it had mexican rice but it was just white rice. Service was ok, took forever to get bill paid.

Written October 13, 2022

7thEarlofSidcup

Rockaway117 contributions

Lazy, indifferent staff contribute to an underwhelming experience

Jan 2023 • family

There are only a handful of restaurants in Akumal, and a few more across the highway in the Pueblo (where I unhesitatingly recommend Tequilaville) which I suppose explains this place’s continued survival. We have eaten there a few times over the last 18 years, always hoping for a better experience than the last, which has usually been two or three years earlier, but it never changes. It is absolutely maddening. Guys, please get your sit together and take advantage of your setting and location! Tonight after ten days in Akumal we finally cracked and gave it another chance. Indifferent servers sitting around playing with their phones should have been enough warning. I had to interrupt them to request seating. Then, in short order, and before menus had even arrived, our waiter mocked my 22-year-old son for not drinking alcohol, and tried to hustle us into taking a fishing trip with him tomorrow. He then delivered drinks and menus and returned to his phone. The food was ok, perfectly edible, but not great. As we walked back to our hotel Sidcup minor commented it was the worst he had eaten since our arrival, and he was right. Aside from Tequilaville, I particularly recommend Lol Ha (superb ceviche, ask for mixed, including octopus, which is not on the menu) and Loncheria Akumalito for breakfast or lunch.

Written January 9, 2023

snowgoddess402

Truckee18 contributions

Used to be one of my favorite places

Mar 2021 • none

I’ve been coming to la cueva for 12 years, and I’ve introduced many friends to their fresh seafood and friendly vibe. I’d never had a bad meal, though some were better than others. Recently, I had the worst meal I’ve ever had in Akumal, in Mexico, and maybe ever, anywhere. The menu was cut down to an unrecognizable, limited, poor choice of options. Since we had just endured a long day of travel, we ordered because we were hungry. The shrimp we ordered were tiny (seemed frozen) shrimp swimming in ketchup. It was inedible. I ordered another local dish that I’d enjoyed in the past which tasted like it had gone bad. The usually “friendly” margarita was harsh tasting and not pleasant. To mitigate this, I should also reveal that we are all coming off a global pandemic and the winds off Akumal were keeping many fishing boats in port. However, as a frequent customer who had guided many people their way, I didn’t expect to have to argue with the manager/owner to remove the inedible items from the bill. I’ve known this man by name for many years. Additionally, while walking about on subsequent nights, I noticed crews working on the structure of the restaurant after closing, so I wonder if it’s changing ownership? I would wait a while before I ate there again. Mx tends to keep things close to the vest, and I suspect there are changes afoot at la cueva del pescadore.

Written April 7, 2021

K W

Minneapolis110 contributions

Fresh and well prepared fish

Mar 2022 • couples

Cueva is all about the fish and seafood. You can bring your own fresh catch for them to cook. Or choose from the menu of fish, shrimp, octopus, lobster, etc. We especially enjoyed the whole fish as well as the fish fillet with garlic. Casual, with wooden tables in a pleasant outdoor courtyard. Usually a couple of strolling musicians who appreciate a small tip for playing at your table.

Written March 31, 2022

valeriesanchez143

2 contributions

Totally Unacceptable Service

Oct 2020 • none

The food was good but the margaritas were horrible. The problem was that as soon as the food was served our waiter refused to come back to the table to check if we needed anything. We couldn't let him know the margarita was bad. I waved him over and even said excuse me as he walked by the table several times and refused to stop. He was blatantly ignoring the table. He wouldn't even come to the table to give us the check and at some point I felt like just walking out. After about 30 minutes of being ignored I was able to speak with another server who argued with me about taking the margarita off the bill even though we couldn't drink it. Once I told him that the other waiter was ignoring the table he left and came back with the reduced bill. There was nothing that happened or that was said that would cause this type of treatment. We had only placed our orders and then he just refused to come back to the table no matter how many times I made eye contact or asked him to come over. I'm latina and my two friends are african american. I felt it perhaps could have been racially motivated and that is completely unacceptable.

Written October 23, 2020

Dawn Mora

Portland14 contributions

Fantastic margaritas, ceviche, and garlic fish tacos!

Nov 2023 • family

This place has the best margaritas!! We like to visit early during our vacation and schedule a morning to go fishing during the week. They bring the fish back to the restaurant and cook it for you. We recommend the ceviche and fish tacos prepared with garlic. And of course margaritas and cerveza!

Written November 19, 2023

1Ronnie

North Vancouver27 contributions

Get your fresh caught fish cooked

Feb 2020 • friends

Great little restaurant who will cook the fish you catch out from Akumal. It turns out they would have taken us fishing as well, but we didn't know that before. We took Tuna and Mahimahi to get cooked here on the advice of another guest we met on the beach. They cooked them a couple of ways, both beautifully done, it cost $100MXD per person and included a few sides. The pico and guac was great, and we washed it all down with a pitcher of margarita. Great time out!

Written February 29, 2020

Wanderer618309

32 contributions

Well cooked fresh fish

Jan 2022 • none

We had both a lunch and dinner here. The setting was comfortable, the service attentive, and the fresh fish wss nicely prepared. The restaurant had live entertainment wih a Tres Amigos style band on Thursday night. Parking is right there at a very inexpensive rate. We enjoyed this place and will definitely return.

Written February 3, 2022

lamphs

246 contributions

Good food, NO CREDIT CARDS allowed, and parking is limited

Dec 2020 • none

Recommended to me by a friend who was previously in the area diving. Apparently she ate here several times during her visit and raved about the octopus sautéed in garlic and butter. I did a day trip to Puerto Morelos and Akumal and it was dinner time, so I checked this place out. The service was OK; the waiter seemed to be in a hurry to get me in and out. (This was around 4:30 PM; it was not at all busy.) But the guacamole and the octopus entrée were fantastic. (Note that chips and salsa were served as is the standard here.) I could have been happy with either the guacamole or the octopus entrée. I was stuffed. I looked at some of the meals being served to the tables around me. Everything looked great and plentiful. Note that only cash is accepted - not sure if that means just MXD or other currencies also. I am sure the exchange rate would not be great, so I always pay in MXD anyway. Parking - I ended up parking in Akumal Pueblo and walked across the bridge. I admit that this is not for everyone. As soon as I drove into the Akumal Playa area, the parkers were all yelling at me as to where to (for pay) to park. So, I turned around. It seemed like a scam to me and one parking area had a sign that it closed promptly at 5 and to come back at 8 the next morning (and pay for another day) if you missed picking up your car. Parking in the Pueblo was just fine. If the restaurant were crowded, I expect that there would be limited social distancing. The tables seemed to be close together and all appeared to be open.

Written December 1, 2020

Daniel

Bergen58 contributions

Best fish and seafood restaurant in akumal

Dec 2021 • family

Amazing selection of seafood, as fresh as it can get. If it’s not caught on the day, it’s not found on your plate. The staff, funny, friendly and excellently service oriented. The lobster and octopus with aioli are just superb and the prices are ridiculously cheap for the quality you get. Our favourite place in akumal. Can highly recommend!

Written January 1, 2022

Tastebuds58

Toronto29 contributions

A must in Akumal

Dec 2023 • couples

La Cueva is one of our fave restaurants in Akumal. The seafood & fish doesn’t get any fresher than this place. The ambience is casual & clean. Always great service w/ a friendly smile. They have recently changed up the sandy floor for installed floor boards. Something fun 🎣 You have the option of going fishing w/ the boyz & enjoying your catch for dinner that same night. I suggest that you pair a pitcher of margaritas w/ your fish dish!

Written January 6, 2024

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LA CUEVA DEL PESCADOR, Akumal - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor