El Pirata — Restaurant in Playa del Carmen

BE CAUTIOUS AND TRIPLE CHECK YOUR BILL! This was a recommendation. I was looking for great seafood place. CEVICHE was calling during this hot & 🥵 humid day; and even though the Ceviches we ordered were flavorful; they were “not chilled”; and a Ceviche is best when chilled…We all know this! We also ordered the whole Fish special, which was not on the menu, but since we saw it on almost every table and the waiter was pushing it on us, we decided to get one too. When our fish finally arrived 30 minutes after we ordered it; we ate it and was great tasting. When I got the check it seemed off as they charged $1,100.00 pesos or $63.00 dollars for just the fish (about 1.5 pounds) the entire check came in to be $2,650 which is HIGH for this type of establishment and food. We also noticed the waiter added an extra $210 pesos, which I only found out because I added all the items and didn’t add up to the total this waiter itemized on the check. When I took it to the register to ask about the mathematical error; the waiter quickly came up to tell me he added a standard tip “which is only recommended”. I let the tips slide even though it was not honest and very sneaky of the waiter and register, but what made us upset was the fact they overcharged us so much for the fish. I even asked the waiter before I ordered it but he didn’t say anything. That was just a tourist trap. Shame on this place for condoning such rip off moves on new patrons coming into your restaurant to support you. I would NEVER come here again unless they get the service under control. Don’t be sneaky little crooks, you’ll never advance like this. I was in the food industry for almost 15 years and this here was a sneaky and tactical move use to over charge tourists. NOT TOURIST...

This place is very popular among locals. We came here twice and had ceviche and whole fried snapper both times. The ceviche is the best I have ever had and we have tried ceviche all over the world. The fried fish is absolutely delicious but the sides that come with it are plain and bland.

The only negative about this restaurant is that the locals will pay a much lower price for fried fish than tourists. It's unfortunate but that is how they run their business. Price is not posted on the menu for fish as it is based on weight so you don't know how they calculate it but ask the cost before accepting the fish.

If you do not like this idea then order off the menu instead as they cannot manipulate the pricing.

The 2nd time we went the server automatically added tip of 10%. I had to ask about it before he told me. I always tip at the very least 10% but that is not a customary thing to do in Mexico and tipping should not be forced on tourists.

Food is phenomenal and I will still return. Pricing is not cheap but reasonable given the quality. Ceviche is around 200 pesos and I paid 330 for a small fish and 585 for a larger one which is pictured below. Not cheap! But worth it for us as we...

This is my second visit to El Pirata. The first visit went perfectly fine, the older gentleman waiter was very accommodating and spoke to me in Spanish, as I am practicing as much as possible. This visit, however, instead of ordering a garlic fish plate for 200 pesos, I decided to buy some fresh fish to cook at home. Needless to say when I got in I discovered what they sold me for 160 pesos (about 8 USD) was clearly not red snapper, but Tilapia instead. I am a pescatarian, so I could tell the difference on sight once I got home to my eyeglasses. I went ahead and cooked up a fillet anyway, and may try going back to speak to someone about it tomorrow. I don't mind Tilapia, but if that's what you're selling, say that. The (4-5) fillets were large, but I had my heart and mouth ready for snapper. Unfortunately, that's not what I got. This irritated me because I love to support local businesses and I've sent other visitors there since they have good, strong cocktails. I know the bait and switch is common in restaurants, but I like being dealt with honestly and fairly and was more than a little put off by this incident. I doubt that...