El Tigre — Restaurant in Playa del Carmen

We spent a week at The Fives Downtown recently and were blown away by the drinks, the food and the bartender at El Tigré. We went every single evening with the exception of Thursday, which was our bartender's (Ricardo) night off. We went the first night to enjoy happy hour, but Ricardo was the reason we kept going back every night. His drinks were phenomenal, we've never had better margaritas anywhere. The standard Margarita was just excellent and perfectly mixed. The Cucumber Margarita is a MUST try with a seasoned rim that elevates the drink to an entirely new level. The Mango Tonic and the Berry Tonic were gin drinks like you've never had...can you tell that Ricardo's mixology skills impressed us into trying so many new things, each one amazing? We tried his favorite Mezcal at his suggestion, and we weren't disappointed. On our last night in town, he made us a special drink that wasn't on the menu, and it was phenomenal! A sweet drink called Simba, it was the best amaretto-based drink we've ever had. For food and appetizers, which come from the hotel's restaurant, the Suadero Tacos, Nachos, Mex Burger, BLT Burger all crushed it, we keep dreaming of those burgers, and Ricardo's drinks! You gotta go! We arrived between 5 and 6p each night and the place was generally quiet so keep it in mind. Tell Ricardo that Marc, Jess and...

El Tigre is a gem! More specifically, the bartender, Ricardo, is great! We came in for drinks and loved everything we got. Then we decided to grab dinner while we were there. Nothing too fancy--sandwiches and burgers--but it all was wonderful.

Some days in Playa del Carmen, we found ourselves trying other restaurants in town. There's some great food here! But we kept coming back to El Tigre, too, for Ricardo's wonderful drinks and the great food. El Tigre is in the Fives Downtown Hotel, but it's worth coming to, even if you're not staying...

We love this place!! Augusto, the barkeep, is knowledgeable, engaging and fun. We enjoyed talking with him, he shared much pride in his culture and his craft. And he is a craftsman, yes, he can make you whatever drink you ask for, but if you ask for one of his creations, expect complex flavors, reductions, personally curated products... He's amazing, check him out. And Saturdays are Mariachis. The one that we saw there, Furia JaRocha, was amazing!! We didn't try the food, but the drinks...