Primer plato — Restaurant in Playa del Carmen

Hands down the best restaurant in the area. They have an assortment of fresh and live seafood. The owner (Diego) makes all the pastas to order. Simple yet extremely delicious. I was craving lobster so i had the lobster pasta and a while steamed lobster with cherry tomatoes, red onion, and herbs. Both dishes, water, a come, and a coffee with sambucca cost about $40 American dollars

I sat in front of the owner/chef at the counter and watched him stuff my raviolis to order. The entire staff was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The restaurant is only counter (tall chairs) seating and can only fit about a dozen people at a time.

Diego told me they are only open Monday through Friday until 5PM, closed weekends and festival days. That's the most common complaint. I was in the restaurant business many years ago and having a work/life balance is important if you don't want to get burnt out and still enjoy your life. Glad to see he found a way to make it work. I mention this because it's probably best to call before heading there if you want to make sure they are open. Luckily, i stumbled upon it, but figured I warn anyone seeking this place out to make sure they're open...

Overrated.

The flavour and execution of the dishes, as well as the service, actually suffer from the fact that the pasta is made a la minute. We were served overcooked, poor quality, unseasoned seafood. It was all very bland and far too slow. The scallops were not worthy of any seafood restaurant. The mussels were good though.

Also, because of the slow service, there was a crowd of people gathered outside, where we were sitting. As we were eating, we had impatient people standing around us, an arm's length away, grumbling about their wait while we were trying to enjoy our lunch. This really kills the vibe. It's uncomfortable having people standing over you as you're eating.

It could be a cool little place, it is a cute venue and feels cosy. I'm sure the owners are happy with how they work, but I wouldn't go back. 2 of my fellow diners, who have little knowledge of food, were happy. I'd say this is their target audience; people who WANT to believe in the image of a place, without the knowledge to...

Some of the best pasta I’ve ever had in my life — highly recommend the lobster pasta, uni black ink pasta, and whatever the special of the day is (today was scampi and Gorgonzola cream sauce over homemade pasta and oh my god it may be my favorite I’ve ever had). The chef makes everything on the spot and in front of you if you’re lucky enough to get the kitchen view (including rolling out the dough and cutting the pasta into ribbons.) Also, do not sleep on the tiramisu, made fresh in the moment. This is the kind of foodie experience that you don’t wanna miss. It feels like the kind of place Stanley Tucci would feature on his show if it was “Searching for Italy : Mexico Edition” ;) The small team is quite attentive and friendly — you can tell they have a flow and know how to maneuver and make for a quite welcoming experience in a small place. Primer Plato is worth a detour for sure. (We drove 30 minutes to experience it and it was absolutely worth it). Pro Tip: be sure to bring cash as they cannot...