Lorenzillo’s

Lorenzillo's calls itself the most emblematic restaurant in Cancún. It stands at kilometre 10.5 of Boulevard Kukulcán in the Hotel Zone, and its own tagline, the live lobster house, sums up the focus. The restaurant says its menu draws on more than 35 years of tradition, and the business has grown into a small group with sister restaurants in Cabo San Lucas and Punta Cana.

The name comes from a legend the restaurant enjoys telling. In May 1683, the story goes, the French pirate known as Lorencillo landed at Villa Rica de la Veracruz with a companion and, failing to find a decent meal, took out his anger on the leading citizens of the town. It is presented as a tall tale rather than history, but it sets the playful, nautical tone.

Lobster dominates the menu, which lists more than twenty lobster dishes, a dozen combination plates and a long list of starters. The restaurant explains that its lobsters are caught in traps by fishermen from Isla Mujeres and Baja California, then kept on a farm where they are looked after by biologists until they reach the kitchen. Beyond lobster there are shrimp dishes, fish, soups, salads and pastas, and a short choice of meat and poultry for anyone in the group who does not want seafood. In all, the menu runs to fourteen starters, six soups, five salads, five fish dishes, five shrimp dishes, six meat and poultry plates and two pastas, besides the lobster and combination sections, so even a large group will find enough variety. The full menu can be downloaded from the restaurant's website, which is useful for checking dishes and prices before you go.

This is a place for a celebration rather than a quick bite. It suits couples, families marking a special occasion and groups, and the restaurant runs a separate service for group events. Reservations can be made online for parties of up to twenty, with tables offered in half-hour slots.

Lorenzillo's opens daily from 13:00 to 23:00, so it works for a long lunch as well as dinner. The restaurant has held Travellers' Choice awards, most recently shown on its site for 2020 and 2021.