Chef José Mejia has given the Méridien's formal Mediterranean restaurant some nouvelle Mexican flair, adding dishes like sea bass ceviche marinated in tequila and chicken breast stuffed with huitlacoche (a trufflelike corn fungus) to a menu previously dominated by foie gras and rack of lamb. But the real highlight at this multitiered dining room is the breakfast buffet. The breads alone—including an array of cheese-filled pastry puffs, chocolate croissants, and kiwi Danish—are worth extra time in the gym. Ask for the jugo verde (green juice), an antioxidant-packed blend of pineapple and orange juice with parsley and cactus. Both the omelet and quesadilla stations have fillings like spicy chorizo and huitlacoche. The dining room has a formal feel, with cushioned booths and banquettes tucked beside stone columns for privacy. The best seats are in the glassed-in sunroom with sea views and AC.

Open daily 6:30 am to 1 pm and 6 to 11 pm.

If you can't take the time for a complete escape on Isla Mujeres, sail to serene Casa Rolandi aboard the Cocoon I for a leisurely Italian lunch or sunset dinner. The ship departs from Cancún's Embarcadero dock to Rolandi several times daily; reserve a ride and seaside café table in advance. Manager Giancarlo Frigerio greets guests with genuine glee; once he gets you settled at a linen-draped table on the over-water deck, you can order beef carpaccio drizzled with white truffle oil, then try cheese tortellini and veal lightly seasoned with Sambuca and saffron. Ask Giancarlo for a wine recommendation; he's always adding to the extensive list. You'll likely want a strong espresso with the silky panna cotta for dessert; otherwise, you might be too sleepily satisfied to make it back to the boat for the ride home.

The swank, sophisticated Club Grill at the Ritz-Carlton seems utterly out of place in Cancún. A charming manager leads you to your seats, where crystal sparkles under tea lights and the table is draped in layers of linen. The superb wine list includes several excellent selections from Mexico's boutique vineyards (and imported Bourdeaux, of course), and the menu promises mouthwatering confits, foams, and truffle oils, finished off with a swoon-worthy Caribbean chocolate soufflé. A cool jazz band playing by the bar adds just the right tempo.

Open Tuesdays through Sundays 7 to 11 pm.

Carnivores seeking hunky steaks and courtly service feel right at home amid Harry's expense-account ambience, dry-aged USDA prime beef, and freshest-of-the-fresh shellfish platter. The wine flows freely into Zwiesel goblets and the AC is blessedly powerful in the understated, chic dining room—though open-air lagoon-side tables are far more romantic. The competition is fierce with the more happening Puerto Madero next door, but not everyone wants a side of sceney-ness served with their filet. Come to Harry's for intimate tête-à-têtes; stay for the wispy cotton candy that comes at meal's end.

Open daily noon to 1 am.

Brilliant underground promoter John Gray has lent his name to yet another buzz-worthy restaurant, this time in downtown Cancún. Hotel concierges barely know of the restaurant's existence, and if they try to track down the chef, they're often referred to the classier Grill 14, which carried his name for a while. But Gray, a former Ritz-Carlton chef, is a do-it-yourself kind of guy, with restaurants in Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen. His Cancún foray is all about making the scene amid the melange of languages and pretty people filling the industrial chic rooms. Although the food doesn't quite live up to the hype, downtowners are thrilled to have a chic neighborhood haunt for posing among the pretty people. Choose the savory onion soup, avoid the paté, and stick with the steak-frites entrée or the daily specials on the country French–Mexican menu.

Open Mondays through Saturdays noon to midnight.

The Pezzotti family has long wooed diners off the strip of the Zona Hotelera and into Cancún's earthier downtown area. Their romantic, stylish La Habichuela restaurant was the first venture (it's next door and still worth a visit); now, Labná takes Yucatecan cuisine to new heights. Chef Carlos Hannon whips up papadzules (hard-boiled eggs wrapped in thick corn tortillas and topped with pumpkin sauce) and salbutes (small fried tortillas topped with shredded turkey or egg and marinated red onion) as appetizers. The culinary adventure continues with entrées like cochinita pibil (tender pork chunks marinated in achiote and sour orange) or lobster flambéed with the honey-anise liqueur called Xtabentun. Unlike most of Cancún's chefs, Hannon doesn't tame the seasonings for tourist palates. Beware of the habanero chile salsa, however, unless you've a cast-iron tongue.

Yes, you can find traditional Mexico in Cancún. Just head to the downtown bullring on a weekend afternoon (or on Wednesdays, when the bulls are battling). Families, office workers and afternoon drinkers gather at cantinas circling the ring's fażade—this one puts all the essential elements together perfectly. Mariachi bands, flower sellers, and shoeshine boys wander past wooden tables covered with beer bottles and botanes, appetizers like moronga (blood sausage) and squash blossom empanadas. Linger over a leisurely lunch of sábana (a thin strip of beef) with grilled chilies and cheese or camarones en salsa diablo—shrimp with a spicy sauce that'll keep the icy cervezas coming.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 1 to 11 pm.

Cancún has surprisingly few beachfront restaurants outside the hotels. Mocambo, however, sits right above the sand. Although it's next to an unsightly parking lot, the view from the palapa-shaded deck takes in a parade of bikini-clad beach bunnies and local families setting up umbrellas and blankets for the day. Enjoy the scenery while savoring a michelada (beer with ice and lime juice in a chilled mug with a salted rim) and shrimp ceviche with plenty of fresh chips and salsa. The Monday-through-Thursday buffet is a steal at $15, but it's far better to order a whole grouper à la carte. It's fried and delivered fresh; queasy types can ask to have the head removed in advance.

The beautiful people fuel their engines at this Argentine-style beef palace before club-hopping till dawn. It's hard to imagine where those leggy tanned model-types stash their intake of tuna sashimi, huge steaks with chimichurri, and fried soufflé potatoes (which are like puffy potato chips). Apparently, they burn it off dancing. Locals air-kiss as they break from their cell phones to mingle with co-workers, while tourists with hefty expense accounts grow ever more exuberant under the influence of hearty Mendoza wines.

Walking through the tourist-filled La Isla Shopping Village inspires doubt: Could there really be a sophisticated restaurant here, among the cheesy souvenir shops? Thankfully, there is. Sitting on the lagoon side of the mall, near the Interactive Aquarium where kids can swim with dolphins, pet starfish, and learn about all things aquatic, Thai is an alfresco sanctuary where the private dining alcoves are set amid tropical greenery. Diners can choose to eat in elevated huts, where they sit maharajah-style on silk pillows (careful climbing those stairs), or candlelit over-water bungalows, perfect for romantic tête-à-têtes. Hip locals and knowing visitors dine on flavorful pad thai, satays, and authentic curries, accompanied by ambient beats (a DJ spins Thursday through Saturday). After dinner, join the stylish crowd at the bar where bartenders work their muscles pounding mint for mojitos.

Open daily 5 pm to midnight.