Caruso Hostaria Pizzeria — Restaurant in Playa del Carmen

Tasty Pizza with a Chill Vibe, but Small Portions and a Few Trade-Offs

I was in the mood to try a new pizza spot and decided to give this place a shot. It’s conveniently located near 5th Avenue, which makes it easy to find—but parking can be a bit tight, especially during busy times. Something to keep in mind if you’re driving.

I ordered the pepperoni pizza to go. The flavor was solid—the crust had a nice crisp to it, and the pepperoni had a good kick. That said, the portion was pretty small for the price. It definitely leans more toward a personal-sized pizza than something you’d share. I also found it a little light on the cheese, which was a bit disappointing. A heartier layer of cheese could’ve made the pizza feel more satisfying overall.

The space itself has an open-air layout, which creates a relaxed, casual vibe. On a cooler evening, I could see it being a great place to sit and enjoy a bite. But depending on the weather, it can feel a little warm and stuffy—especially if there’s no breeze. When I went, it was a quiet Tuesday night, so the place felt pretty empty, which made it feel even more low-key.

All in all, the pizza was tasty, but between the smaller size, light cheese, and limited parking, it might not be a regular go-to for me. Still, if you’re nearby and in the mood for a quick, flavorful bite in a casual setting, it’s worth checking out—just don’t go in expecting a big, cheesy, New...

My husband was craving Italian, though it was our first night in Playa del Carmen. Caruso's was a short walk from our hotel. It is off Quinto Avenida, on a side street, so much quieter than the bars and restaurants on 5th. Like most in the area, it is open air. A deck with charming lights sets a romantic atmosphere plus there are only about a dozen tables. He got wine, I ordered Aperol Spritz, my warm weather go to. We started with Bruschetta Mix and Insalata Pulpo del Caruso (octopus.) It was simple to cut the bread for us each to try the 3 pieces (traditional, mushroom, brie with sun dried tomato.) Hard to mess those up and they didn't. The pulpo was little fishy for me. I prefer it grilled and a little crispy which it was not. My husband enjoyed it immensely. For dinner, i had Gnocchi ai 4 Formaggi which was some of the best gnocchi i have had though the cheese was slightly runny. My husband opted for the lasagna, which rapidly disappeared. The staff (owner?) and his daughter were attentive as well as entertaining. The atmosphere, as I mentioned, was charming. Prices...

We had a nice evening at the restaurant and were treated nice and enthusiastic. The food was OK but not great, the lasagne was dry. What made it a bad experience is that the owner sneakily charged my credit card sneaky with USD instead of MXN without asking. It was a deliberate action as, during the payment transaction, he quickly put a signature on the payment terminal without asking me to do so, commenting, “this is just for my administration”. This was strange in itself, as you’re normally asked to do it yourself, as it should. Checking my credit card statement I noticed what he’ve done. Confronting him, he just laughed and pointed to the lumpsum amount in MXN. My transactional costs were much higher than it would be otherwise. Watch out with this owner, he’s sneaky. Tip: across the street is another Italian restaurant, that was fully packed with people, while we’re sitting alone with my family. That’s a clear sign. At least I learned another lesson on the downside of being naive....